We often hear salacious rumors about offscreen feuds between co-stars. Heck, Ryan Murphy even made a TV series about the topic. This is not one of those stories: Allison Tolman, who stars as Nan in the ABC sitcom Downward Dog, has no bad blood towards her canine co-star. She just happens to be allergic to him.
After landing the starring role in Downward Dog, Tolman waited until filming was underway to mention that she's allergic to the adorable, philosophical, and very furry dog who plays Martin.
Don't worry: Tolman doesn't spend her days on set coughing and sneezing. It's nothing a little Benadryl can't cure, and the over-the-counter allergy med is a staple on set.
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Tolman grew up with both cats and dogs, and she even worked as a professional dog walker when she finished school. In an interview with Vulture, the actress said she enjoyed the gig, but her current one is better:
"I got a job in a suburb north of Dallas at a vet’s office where I would walk all the dogs that were being kenneled. That’s what I did for that summer," Tolman said. "I think at this point in time, I was close enough to living with dogs that my allergies hadn’t developed yet. But it was fun. It was a job. This one’s better. I like this one better."
Tolman says that her allergies developed after she left home.
"I moved out of my parents’ house and I got a cat when I was 19 and I think I just developed an allergy to dogs. So I have to take allergy pills when I go to work," she explained.
Showbiz: It's not all glitz and glamour.
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