FOX sitcom That '70s Show often gets credit for launching the careers of several Hollywood stars. Teenage stars on the show such as Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Wilmer Valderrama, Laura Prepon, and Lisa Robin Kelly all went on to have great careers after she show ended in 2006.
The much older cast members such as Kurtwood Smith and Tanya Smith are still relevant too. But in as much as viewers are familiar with everything about the characters that the cast members portrayed, not everything is known about the behind-the-scenes proceedings. Here are some facts about the cast that fans would be glad to know.
Mila Kunis Lied About Her Age
When the producers were looking for an actress to play Jackie Burkhart, they had a set of conditions and one of those was that the actress must be an adult. Well, Mila Kunis badly wanted the role but she was 14. So she lied about her age and no one noticed at first.
Kunis made this confession during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno back in 2012. She explained: "Legally I was 14, but I told them I was a little bit older. I told them I was gonna be 18, which is not technically a lie, cause at one point, I was gonna be 18." The producers later figured out that Kunis had lied but by that time, she had already owned the role. So they let her stay and she ended up appearing in eight seasons.
Why Tanya Roberts Left After Season 3
Tanya Roberts played Bob's wife and Donna Pinciotti's mother Midge. It was baffling when her character suddenly didn't appear in Season 4 but there was a good reason for that.
Roberts had to take a break from That '70s Show because her real-life husband had terminal cancer. She thus decided to spend more time being by his side. Luckily fans got to see hr again as she came back for Season 6 and Season 7. Her final appearance came in Season 7's sixth episode titled "Rip This Joint."
Topher Grace Had No Professional Acting Experience
Before Tom Hardy, Topher Grace was the first man to play Venom in Spider-Man 3. By that time, he had already established himself as one of Hollywood's go-to actors. But when landed the role of Eric Forman in That '70s Show, he had no acting experience at all.
He confessed that when he was asked for a picture, he even gave out one of himself handing out with his buddies instead of a professional face-shot. His resume only had Dunkin Donuts as the place he had previously worked. But Grace learned on the job and ended up being so good that he appeared in 178 episodes.
The Cast Had A Ritual Before Each Episode
Wilmer Valderrama, who portrayed foreign exchange student Fez from Season 1 to Season 8, revealed another interesting fact about the cast. Before the filming session for each episode began, the cast would gather and form a circle like a professional sports team. They would then motivate each other and put their hands in the middle.
They would also pick a funny word to represent the episode. The words for each episode kept on getting more ridiculous as the seasons progressed. Wilmer stated that this was one of the best moments on set.
What Inspired Kurtwood Smith's Unforgettable Portrayal Of Red Forman
Kurtwood Smith was already a big-name actor when he appeared on That '70s Show. Given his experience, he quickly figured out the person he'd used for inspiration while portraying Eric's no-nonsense dad Red Forman.
After reading the script, Smith figured that his stepfather was the person who best resembled Red. Sadly, his stepdad passed away before filming for the pilot episode began. However, he still used memories of him as inspiration for the rest of the seasons. Despite starring in hundreds of movies and TV shows, Smith stated that this role was the one he cherished more than others.
Topher Grace Wanted To Be A Tennis Star
Topher currently has 53 acting credits to his name but interestingly, he initially wanted to pursue a career in sports. Topher's idols were all tennis stars thus he wanted to be like them too. He started playing the sport at a young age and was even considered an emerging talent.
Sadly, he sprained his ankles and doctors told him that he wouldn't be able to play tennis again. He thus decided to try acting, appearing in a high school play named Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. It is this single play that helped him land a role in That 70s Show.
The Producers Wanted To Replace Topher
When Topher announced he was leaving the show after Season 7, the producers wanted to get another actor to play Eric. They had Josh Meyers (the brother of talk show host Seth Meyers) in mind, However, they changed their minds and decided to write Eric off the show.
The explanation was that Eric had left to study in a foreign university. Josh Meyers was still hired but he played Randy, a friend of the crew. Grace showed up again for a guest appearance on the series finale.
Mila Kunis First Kissed Ashton Kutcher On The Show
Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are now husband and wife but when they appeared on the show many years ago, they had no idea they would even date. Interestingly, the first person Kunis ever kissed was Ashton Kutcher on the show.
In an episode revolving around a prom night, their characters Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart went to the event together. They kissed but unfortunately for Michael, Jackie went home with someone else. He'd still get her in future, in real life.
Tommy Chong's Character Was A Stoner In Real Life, And He Paid The Price
The confused hippie Leo was one of the fan-favorite characters on the show. He was lazy and always praised marijuana. Interestingly, Tommy Chong, the actor who played Leo, also loved marijuana in real life and he somehow paid the price for it.
Leo wasn't present in Season 5 because Chong was in jail. Apparently, Chong's company named Nice Dreams was selling marijuana paraphernalia illegally so the DEA busted him. He was sentenced to nine months in jail and it is during this time that he failed to appear on the show That '70s Show. Luckily, the producers were kind to him and offered him his role back.
The Cast Still Gets Together
That 70s Show might have ended years ago but that doesn't stop the cast from meeting. According to Valderrama, the cast still gets together quite frequently to catch up.
The star said that the former stars of the show meet at least once a month in any of the cast member's house to have dinner. Given how easy it is to get everyone together, perhaps the FOX network should consider a spin-off. Or at least a feature film that serves a sequel.