When the original “Tool Time Girl” Pamela Anderson left Home Improvement in Season 3, producers turned to another recurring guest star, Debbe Dunning. Her winning smile and beautiful looks made her a fan favorite. She starred as Heidi Keppert in the series for seasons 3-8 and appeared in a few other shows including Dangerous Curves and American Gladiators Celebrity Challenge.
After Home Improvement ended, Dunning landed a starring role in the TV movie The Spiral Staircase with Nicollette Sheridan and John Schneider. The story followed a mute woman who fears she’s the victim of a serial killer, but unlike her other roles in films and television, this one saw her character die at the end.
Dunning remained active in the acting world, with a handful of guest appearances on Baywatch and The Jamie Foxx Show as well as a recurring role in the soap opera Twilight as Hope Lorca, the daughter of Tatum O’Neal’s Blythe Hunter. But it wasn’t until she met Patrick Gottsch, owner of RFD-TV and the Cowboy Channel, at a golf tournament that her career took a new turn.
The two teamed up to produce Facelift, a home improvement reality TV show that ran from January 28, 2003 to December 30, 2005 on HGTV. Dunning served as host and executive producer while the other member of the production team was interior designer Debbie Travis. Throughout the duration of the show, viewers watched as a house is transformed from an outdated to a modern living space. Some of the shows most recognizable trademarks included an old-style delivery truck emblazoned with Sivart (Travis’ last name spelled backwards) that brings the team to the job site; a reveal of the finished product to the targets’ skeptical family members; and the infamous ‘facelift book’ that the targets receive upon completion.