his bosses, Anne and Arnold Kopelson, who gave Gross full support with the project. The role of Joe Scheffer was initially offered to Jim Carrey, but he decided to join the 2001 film The Majestic instead. The screenplay's balance of comedy and drama intrigued actor Tim Allen, known for the television series Home Improvement and such films as Galaxy Quest (1999) and The Santa Clause (1994). Allen was searching for a project that was more than just broad comedy, and felt Joe Somebody would allow him to exhibit his comedic and dramatic skills. Of the script, Allen noted, "the story has a lot of heart to it, and an emotion that I really love." Producer Brian Reilly, who partners with Allen on his films, commented that "Tim's previous roles did not have the kind of emotional truth or intimacy on screen called for by Joe Somebody. Tim has now reached a time in his life when it's right for him to do a film with rich and shaded characters." With Allen on board, the studio executives began to search for a director for the film. After reading the script and discussing the details with Allen, Reilly, and numerous studio execs, John Pasquin, who had worked with Allen on Home Improvement, Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), and The Santa Clause, agreed to direct. Filming Filming began on April 9, 2001. The entire film was shot in Minnesota, with a majority of the shoot divided between the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Screenwriter Shepherd spent many years working in the Twin Cities, becoming very familiar with the area in the process. Gross reflected on the city: "Minneapolis is a major player in this film, which can be seen in the cast, the background players and the locations. It was written for the city." The film was shot in fifty-four days on over thirty locations. Joe Scheffer's workplace was shot at Waterford Towers in Plymouth, Minnesota. Production designer Jackson De Govia transformed the fourth floor of the New Age office building into a drop ceiling corporate environment, which serves as a community to its employees. The Club 13 scenes were filmed at the Grand Hotel Minneapolis, while the karaoke scenes were shot at Grumpy's Bar & Grill, both in Minneapolis. The scenes of Tim Allen and Patrick Warburton racing their shopping carts were shot at the Target store in North St. Paul.