August 1998 marked the premiere of That '70s Show, a sitcom that in no time was able to conquer the hearts of the audience and build a fanbase that, over the years, has only kept growing and growing. Created by Bonnie and Terry Turner along with Mark Brazill, this show is set in the late-70s and features the day-to-day lives of Eric, Donna, Michael, Jackie, Steven and Fez, six friends from Point Place, Wisconsin as they navigate the bumpy road from adolescence to adulthood, with the good and bad things that come with it. They enjoy hanging out together in Eric's basement, something that drives his father absolutely crazy.
That '70s Show aired for eight seasons, the last one concluding in May 2006, and throughout its journey on the air, it earned very good reviews and several nominations and awards, both for the performances of its cast as well as for the setting, costumes and make-up. This TV series also helped catapult its young stars to fame, especially Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Laura Prepon, Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama, who after starring in this production went on to land increasingly interesting roles. But most importantly, That '70s Show managed to pull off something that not all TV productions can, which is to remain memorable and earn a special place in the audience's heart.
So much so that earlier this year, 17 years after the show's final episode, Netflix released That '90s Show, a sequel set in the 1990s featuring the sons and daughters of the original show's well-loved characters. Besides starring in That '70s Show, the cast actors have worked on several projects over the years, and many of these became hits. Here's a look back at their best movies.
Topher Grace — BlacKkKlansman
In That '70s Show, Topher Grace plays Eric Forman, a member of the group of teenage friends who, at the end of Season 7, decides to fly to Africa and work as a teacher there. In 2018, this actor joined the cast of BlacKkKlansman, a black comedy by Spike Lee based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, the first African-American detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department.
In the film, John David Washington plays Stallworth as he takes on a challenging mission: to impersonate a white supremacist cop in order to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan and expose them from within. Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Jasper Pääkkönen are some of the actors who round out the cast of this acclaimed production that earned, among other accolades, six Academy Award nominations, winning Best Adapted Screenplay. In BlacKkKlansman, Grace plays David Duke, the national leader of the supremacist group.
Laura Prepon — Come Early Morning
The same year that Laura Prepon wrapped her role as Donna Pinciotti on the Fox sitcom, she landed a part in the drama film Come Early Morning, a production that marked Joey Lauren Adams' directorial debut. This film had its premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, and stars Ashley Judd as Lucy, a construction contractor who works all day, and spends her nights getting drunk and hooking up with different men only to never see them again.
But her life changes dramatically when she meets Cal, a man who sweeps her off her feet and forces her to consider what she wants to do with her future. Rounding out the cast of Come Early Morning are Jeffrey Donovan, Tim Blake Nelson, and Scott Wilson.
Mila Kunis — Black Swan
The 2010 film Black Swan is not only one of the most relevant films in Mila Kunis' career, but also in the career of its leading lady, Natalie Portman, as it won her an Academy Award for Best Actress. In this Darren Aronofsky thriller, Portman plays Nina, a young woman who has devoted her entire life to ballet and gets her first big break when her company's artistic director casts her to perform as the White Swan in the production Swan Lake. However, the talents of Lily, who has been chosen to play the Black Swan, endanger Nina's prestige, which leads her into a spiral of jealousy and madness from which there seems to be no way out.
Vincent Cassel, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder and Benjamin Millepied join Portman and Kunis in this production that was not only widely nominated at different ceremonies, but also became a worldwide box office hit.
Ashton Kutcher — Vengeance
Ashton Kutcher has starred in numerous films across a wide range of genres throughout his career. Undoubtedly, one of the most acclaimed ones is Vengeance, a 2022 mystery-comedy that marked the directorial debut of B. J. Novak, known for his work as an actor and writer on The Office, among many other productions.
Vengeance follows Ben, a New York City journalist and podcaster who spends his nights dating different women, but without getting too involved with any of them. However, after one of these young women overdoses to death and her family assumes he was her boyfriend, Ben is forced to travel to Texas to attend her funeral. This trip, unusual enough in itself, takes an unexpected turn when the deceased's brother confesses to him his suspicions that the girl was murdered, dragging Ben into an investigation to uncover the killer.
Novak leads the cast alongside Boyd Holbrook, Dove Cameron, Issa Rae and Ashton Kutcher as record producer Quentin Sellers, a man who is very similar to Ben, but harbors many, many secrets.
Danny Masterson — Yes Man
Back when That '70s Show was on the air, Danny Masterson was one of the audience's favorites thanks to his role as Steven Hyde. And, even though the actor has been part of a few TV and movie productions over the years, he is currently involved in some scandals after different testimonies from women who accused him of sexual assault came to light.
Among the most popular films of Masterson's career it is worth mentioning Yes Man, the 2008 comedy by Peyton Reed starring Jim Carrey with performances by Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, and John Michael Higgins. In it, Carrey plays Carl, a man with a strong tendency to say no to everything who enrolls in a self-help program with only one condition: saying yes to anything, something that completely transforms his life.
Wilmer Valderrama — Encanto
The actor who played Fez in the sitcom was part of the voice cast of one of the most popular animated films of recent years, Disney's Encanto. This production, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, follows the Madrigals, a Colombian family whose members received a magical gift as children with which they help their small town, the Encanto.
All of the Madrigals are gifted, except for Mirabel, who still manages to help the town and her family in the best way she can. However, when the Encanto's magic is endangered, she is the only one capable of uncovering what is going on and safeguarding everyone's future. In this production, Wilmer Valderrama voices Agustin Madrigal, the main character's father.
Debra Jo Rupp — Clockwatchers
In That '70s Show, Debra Jo Rupp plays Kitty Forman, Eric's sweet mother and an important figure to the rest of the gang. This actress has appeared in a number of films throughout her career, most notably Clockwatchers, a Jill Sprecher comedy-drama starring Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach. In this 1997 production, all four actresses play temporary office workers who, overlooked by the entire permanent staff, seek each other out and forge a great friendship. In Clockwatchers, Debra Jo Rupp plays Barbara, the human resources manager who is not well-liked in the office.
Kurtwood Smith — RoboCop
The actor who played Eric's father Red Forman in That '70s Show is also remembered for one of his first film roles, in 1987's RoboCop. This Paul Verhoeven film is set in a futuristic society and follows Alex Murphy, a cop who, after being murdered at the hands of criminals, is turned into a cyborg by the mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products in order to help make everyday life safer for citizens. However, this evil corporation is unaware that RoboCop's human memory has not been completely wiped out, and this indestructible machine will turn against them as he seeks to avenge his death. Peter Weller stars in this sci-fi classic, joined by Nancy Allen, Daniel O'Herlihy, Robby Cox, Miguel Ferrer and Kurtwood Smith.
Don Stark — Green Book
Don Stark plays Bob Pinciotti, Donna's father and the Formans' neighbor. And while this actor has been part of a huge number of films and TV series throughout his career, one of the most popular ones is undoubtedly the 2018 comedy-drama Green Book. This film by Peter Farrelly is inspired by the story of African-American pianist Don Shirley as he toured across the southern United States with his driver and security guard Tony Lip, a journey during the 1960s, when discrimination prevailed.
Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen play the lead roles in this acclaimed production that, besides earning several awards, became a box-office hit, grossing over $320 million worldwide.
Tanya Roberts — Tourist Trap
Rounding out this list is Tanya Roberts, who played Midge Pinciotti on this Fox sitcom for a few seasons until she stepped away from the show to take care of her husband, Barry Roberts, who was terminally ill. Among Tanya Roberts' best films is Tourist Trap, a 1979 slasher movie in which she co-stars alongside Chuck Connors, Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness and Robin Sherwood. This David Schmoeller film introduces a group of young people who, following a technical malfunction with their car on the road, end up walking into a tourist trap run by a seemingly harmless man. What these people don't know is that running away from this place might cost them their own lives.
After many years working in the industry, Roberts passed away in early 2021 at the age of 71 after a multi-organ failure caused by an infection.