Highlights
- Not everyone agrees that
That ’70s Show
was a total hit, including Topher Grace. - Grace had mixed feelings about the early episodes and the show’s overall quality.
- Topher also shared his candid thoughts on Danny Masterson, his former co-star, and the controversy surrounding him.
Long before he starred opposite a much younger Scarlett Johansson in the romantic comedy In Good Company or became Eddie Brock, a.k.a. Venom, in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, Topher Grace was already making a name for himself on television as Eric Forman from the comedy That ‘70s Show. The role also marked Grace’s Hollywood debut, as he had not done any professional acting before getting cast on the show.
After That ‘70s Show ended its run in 2006, Grace’s star continued to rise as the roles kept coming in both film and television. Later on, the New York native even reprised his famous sitcom role briefly in the follow-up Netflix sitcom That ‘90s Show. Despite agreeing to this appearance, however, it seems that Grace has some mixed feelings about his old show. At the same time, Topher has also made his views clear on the controversy surrounding fellow That ‘70s Show alum Danny Masterson.
Here’s the controversial opinion Topher Grace has about That ’70s Show today, what he’s said about Danny, and what other cast members think reflecting back on their time on the sitcom.
How Topher Grace Really Feels About ‘That ‘70s Show’
Topher disagrees that That ’70s Show was a complete hit
Unlike the rest of the main cast members on That ‘70s Show, Grace decided to depart the series just before the show’s eighth and final season. Eric Forman may have been a key character in the story, but upon Grace’s exit, the character made his way to Africa to pursue a career in teaching.
Grace later returned briefly, playing Eric on the show one more time in the season finale, where he reunites with Laura Prepon’s Donna.
Laura Prepon And Topher Grace Were Completely Clueless After Wilmer Valderrama Went Off-Script During Their That ’70s Show Scene
Wilmer Valderrama went off-script alongside Laura Prepon and Topher Grace on That ’70s Show, and the result was one the most hilarious scenes ever.
Years later, the show, much like other ’90s sitcoms, gained new fans and a renewed following after becoming available on streaming. And while many have praised That ‘70s Show, Grace doesn’t really think that the Emmy-winning sitcom was the best out there, especially in the beginning. This was something that the actor spoke candidly about while on the podcast Chicks in the Office back in 2022.
While the actor is “so proud” of the show and everything it has accomplished, Grace also hinted that perhaps, its earlier episodes may not be as great as new fans think. The actor proceeded to explain his point by comparing the earlier episodes of other hit sitcoms such as Friends and The Office during the early part of their runs.
“If you watch some of the episodes of season one, they’re not, at that time, they weren’t that great,” Grace said. “And we certainly had a ton of this, like the first two or three years because a lot of us never acted before, including myself.”
Grace clarified that he felt like fans who watched the later seasons of That ’70s Show found that the characters grew on them, so much that they forgot how bad the earlier episodes were. He also made it clear that That ’70s Show wasn’t alone in having some poor earlier content, just like Friends and The Office.
Topher Has Moved On But Spoke Candidly About Danny Masterson
Grace has spoken about Masterson’s scandal sparingly
Now, Grace may not have been around for much of the final season of That ‘70s Show. That said, the actor’s name still came up once the sexual assault cases against Masterson came to light. In particular, many wondered how Grace truly felt about his former co-star, considering that they worked together for seven straight seasons.
Is Topher Grace On Good Terms With His That ’70s Show Co-Stars?
Topher Grace’s controversial That ’70s Show exit would lead fans to believe that the cast was split behind the scenes.
Back in 2018, two years after sexual allegations against Masterson were revealed, Grace spoke about what he thought of the now-disgraced star. “I hesitate to say that I never saw any of that behavior because I feel like it sounds like I’m defending him,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter when asked if he supported Masterson.
Grace also explained he never witnessed anything that Masterson was accused of firsthand since he chose not to join his fellow cast members every time they went out to party after the show. The actor also added that compared to his former co-stars, he was “boring.”
What Other Cast Members Have Said About ‘That ‘70s Show’
That ’70s Show wasn’t a great time for every cast member
Much like Grace, other That ‘70s Show cast members have moved on from their time on the sitcom, but not before making some revelations about their time on the show. For instance, Prepon, who shared a lot of scenes with Grace, admitted that she dealt with bulimia while playing Donna.
During an interview with People in 2020, the actress even revealed that she had two sets of wardrobes on set since she dealt with weight fluctuations. Fortunately, Prepon’s health has improved since then.
Meanwhile, Wilmer Valderrama, who played Fez on the show, has been criticized for his character’s accent over the years. While speaking on Today in 2021, the star addressed the issue, explaining that he decided to combine accents for the character since no one really knew where Fez was from. Hence, Valderrama had a “license to be a little bit of everyone.”
Do Ashton Kutcher And Mila Kunis Really Support Danny Masterson? The Truth About Their Relationship After That 70s Show
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis were longtime friends of Danny Masterson before he was convicted of an atrocious crime; do they still support him?
Over the years, Grace’s former cast mates have also been caught in the controversy involving Masterson. For instance, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, who have had a close relationship with Masterson for years, wrote character letters to the judge presiding over the case in the hopes that their testimonies would be considered during the actor’s sentencing (Masterson eventually received a sentence of 30 years to life and his wife Bijou Phillips left him).
That said, both Kutcher and Kunis faced backlash after their character letters were made public and the Hollywood couple has since published a video apologizing to everyone they had hurt by writing such letters. Kunis also seemed to criticize Topher previously, which fans were not impressed by.
Aside from Kutcher and Kunis, it has also since been revealed that their two other co-stars, Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, also wrote letters of support for Masterson. Prepon hasn’t publicly addressed the controversy.
Source: NewsFinale
