For Reagan Gomez-Preston, Working On That '70s Show Was A Nightmare
People really loved "That '70s Show," so much so that their passion was enough to get Netflix to revive the series with a sequel, "That '90s Show." While the original series is, for some reason missing from Netflix, looking back on the good times of "That '70s Show" always leaves a smile on fans' faces.
The sitcom transported viewers back to the '70s, experiencing the decade through the eyes of Eric Forman (Topher Grace) and the rest of his weed-loving friends. The series marked the start of many cast members' careers, including Grace, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Laura Prepon, and Wilder Valderrama. During an appearance on The Ellen Show, Kunis reflected on the last day of filming, saying, "On the day, I couldn't stop crying. I literally reverted to being a little kid and I just wanted someone to hold me" (via Yahoo). The cast had a similar experience filming "That '90s Show," with nostalgia and tears all over the place.
Unfortunately for the cast and crew of "That '70s Show," not everyone had such a good time filming the sitcom. Reagan Gomez-Preston, who guest-starred in Season 4 Episode 4, "Hyde Gets the Girl," said her experience was a "nightmare." Surprisingly, her horrible time wasn't due to acting alongside Danny Masterson, but she dove deep into the details about her brief time with "That '70s Show" on Twitter.
A director told Reagan Gomez-Preston to have 'less sass'
After a fan brought up the incident, Reagan Gomez-Preston elaborated on her time on the "That '70s Show" set. "Working on that show was a nightmare," the actress revealed on Twitter. "I think I was (if not the first) one of the first black characters they had on the show. I was supposed to be recurring." However, her role never became what producers promised her, and Gomez's retelling of the events certainly makes it seem like race came into play.
Gomez recalled her short time on "That '70s Show," saying her audition with the casting director, the actress got a call back to read with Danny Masterson, which landed her the job. On her first day on set, Gomez attended a table read with the cast, producers, and network executives. She read her lines the same way as her audition, but on the drive home, she gets a call from her manager saying the executives didn't like her read-through.
Gomez understands the criticism because, at the end of the day, "That '70s Show" is their series, so she meets with her acting coach. He — a white man — decides her best route is to make her emotionless, or as the actress put it, "Basically, no black s***." During her next rehearsal, Gomez said, "the director (a white man) picks at every little thing I do IN FRONT OF THE CAST. Every scene. 'Less sass,' 'Don't be cute,' 'Too cute. Again.' I was mortified." Unfortunately, the actress had an entire week of work to complete. After the incident, she felt alienated from the rest of the cast, who didn't speak to her, and the recurring part never came to fruition.