Why Topher Grace Allegedly Avoided The Rest Of That '70s Show Cast
Content warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault
The continuity mistake-riddled "That '70s Show" is a series about a lot of things, first and foremost being friendship. The beloved sitcom centers on a group of friends growing up in the titular decade, getting up to all kinds of hijinks before they have to grow up and face the real world. Naturally, the actors behind the kids who frequent the Forman family basement do an excellent job of selling their characters' camaraderie throughout the series. However, it has been said that Eric Forman himself, Topher Grace, wasn't nearly as chummy with his castmates in real life.
In a report by In Touch Weekly, an unnamed source shared that Grace didn't spend a lot of time with his co-stars behind the scenes. "Topher was focused on the work and didn't have time for his castmates' fun and games," they said, explaining the potential reason for his supposed self-imposed isolation. They claim that Steven Hyde actor Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of raping two women in 2003, was the potential catalyst. Positing that Grace kept his distance from the high-profile trial, unlike co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, they commented, "He kept out of it, which was wise given the guilty verdict and harsh sentencing. Topher may have had the intuition that things were not going to go well for Danny."
Though he doesn't mention Masterson or any other cast members by name, Grace has spoken on his hesitation to befriend his "That '70s Show" co-stars, adding a bit of context to this situation.
Grace was mindful of his social circle on That '70s Show
"That '70s Show" was Topher Grace's first small screen acting role, as well as the first such gig for multiple other actors on the cast list. While many young stars would take an opportunity like that as a way to meet new people and move up in the industry by any means necessary, Grace was a bit more mindful and strategic in his approach. In 2021, the actor sat down for a chat with Whitney Cummings, where he explained that he was indeed a bit antisocial on the "That '70s Show" set, believing it was the best course of action.
"I was very careful about who I let in...I really wanted to be sure that the people who, and I knew something weird was happening, or that it was, you know, like everyone talks to you like when you're winning the lottery. I never acted, I never auditioned for anything before, but then when you're in it, you go, 'This doesn't feel like the lottery,'" Grace said, seemingly implying that working on "That '70s Show" wasn't all it was cracked up to be. He noted that there are so many cautionary tales in Hollywood involving those who aren't careful about who they fall in with socially and he doesn't understand why actors don't keep such things in mind.
Regardless of his lack of connection to the "That '70s Show" cast back in the day, and his philosophy behind it, there's no denying that he and his take on Eric Forman were essential elements to the series all the same. After all, their absence from the eighth and last season contributed to "That '70s Show" being one of those series that's better if you skip the final season.