You probably know her as Vanessa Baxter, the wine-sipping, geology-loving matriarch who kept Tim Allen in check for nine seasons. Or maybe you’re a 90s kid who remembers her as the terrifyingly charming Harriet in So I Married an Axe Murderer. Honestly, Nancy Travis is one of those actors who feels like she's been a part of the furniture in our living rooms for decades. But since Last Man Standing took its final bow in 2021, you might’ve noticed she isn't exactly everywhere at once.
So, what is Nancy Travis doing now?
The short answer: She’s busier than she looks, and she’s finally breaking out of the "sitcom wife" mold that Hollywood tried to lock her in for years. As of early 2026, she is juggling a high-stakes network drama, a massive procedural guest arc, and yes, a very buzzy reunion with her old TV husband.
The Big Reunion: Shifting Gears
If you’ve been keeping up with Tim Allen’s latest ABC sitcom, Shifting Gears, you probably did a double-take during the first season. In early 2025, Nancy Travis popped up as a character named Charlotte.
It wasn't just a cameo. It was a statement.
She plays a "spirited widow" who meets Allen’s character, Matt Parker, in a graveyard of all places. They’re both mourning spouses. It’s heavy, but because it’s Nancy and Tim, the chemistry is instant and kinda nostalgic. What’s cool is that the writers leaned into the history. They even snuck in a few "wink-and-nod" jokes that only Last Man Standing fans would catch.
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But here is the twist for 2026: Charlotte isn't going away. Recent reports and cast updates for Season 2 of Shifting Gears suggest Travis is moving into a recurring role. She isn't playing his wife this time. She’s his "dater," which is a weird, modern word for it, but basically, she’s the one challenging him to move on. It’s a more mature, sharper version of the dynamic they had for ten years.
Moving Into the Neighborhood: Grosse Pointe Garden Society
While the Tim Allen reunion gets the headlines, the real meat of her current work is over at NBC. Nancy is a lead in Grosse Pointe Garden Society. Think Desperate Housewives meets Knives Out.
It’s a "thrilling comedic dramedy" about four members of a garden club who get caught up in murder and mischief. Nancy stars alongside Melissa Fumero (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Aja Naomi King. She plays a character who is a far cry from the suburban sweetness of Vanessa Baxter. This role is grittier, a bit more manipulative, and proves she can handle the "darker side" of suburbia. The show officially premiered in late February 2025 and has been a solid performer for NBC going into the 2026 mid-season.
The NCIS Twist
You can't really say you've made it in Hollywood unless you’ve appeared in the NCIS universe, right?
In a surprising move for Season 23, Nancy Travis joined the cast of NCIS in a recurring guest capacity. She’s playing Vice Admiral Harriet Parker. Now, if you’re a die-hard fan of the show, you know that the producers promised this season would be the most "character-forward" yet. Travis’s character is actually the sister of one of the main cast members, bringing a massive amount of "family drama" to the procedural.
It’s a serious role. No laugh track. No geology jokes. Just Nancy Travis commanding a room in a naval uniform.
Recent Projects at a Glance
- Shifting Gears (ABC/Hulu): Recurring as Charlotte Miller.
- Grosse Pointe Garden Society (NBC): Main cast, playing a pivotal (and potentially dangerous) gardener.
- Sovereign (Film): A crime thriller released in 2025 where she stars alongside Nick Offerman and Dennis Quaid.
- NCIS (CBS): Guest arc as Vice Admiral Harriet Parker.
Why She’s Not "Just" a Sitcom Star Anymore
For a long time, Nancy was the go-to person for "the wife." From The Bill Engvall Show to Becker to Last Man Standing, she played the grounded woman next to the eccentric man.
She’s clearly over that.
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Even her film choices lately reflect a shift. In 2024, she was in Ordinary Angels with Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson. It was a faith-based drama, very earnest, and she played Barbara Schmitt. Then came Sovereign in mid-2025, which is a "nerve-jangling" thriller about the sovereign citizen movement. Seeing Nancy Travis in a movie with Nick Offerman about political extremism? That wasn't on most people's 2025 bingo cards.
Life Off-Screen
Nancy still lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Robert Fried. They’ve been married since 1994, which is basically an eternity in Hollywood years. They have two grown sons, Benjamin and Jeremy.
Honestly, she seems to have figured out the balance. She works enough to stay relevant and challenged, but she isn't chasing the kind of fame that requires her to be on a cereal box. She’s a "worker bee" in the best sense of the term.
One thing she recently mentioned in an interview with People is how much she loves seeing her former co-stars thrive. She gave a huge shout-out to America Ferrera and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants crew, noting how they’ve all grown up, had kids, and stayed friends. It’s that kind of groundedness that makes her so likable.
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What’s Next for Nancy?
If you want to keep up with what Nancy Travis is doing now, your best bet is to check out the Wednesday night lineup on ABC or the Sunday night slot on NBC.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Watch Shifting Gears: Check out Season 2 on ABC/Hulu to see her play the "new love interest" role.
- Stream Sovereign: If you want to see her in a totally different light, find this thriller on VOD. It’s intense.
- Follow the Garden Society: Keep an eye on Grosse Pointe Garden Society for her most complex performance in years.
Nancy Travis isn't "retired" or "gone." She's just in her "Prestige TV" era, and frankly, it’s about time.