Topher Grace has addressed his involvement in Netflix’s That ‘90s Show, with his comments proving that the That ‘70s Show sequel series is on the right track. Grace is best known for portraying the protagonist Eric Forman on That ‘70s Show, with the actor serving as the lead on every installment but the 8th and final season. While he won’t be in the main cast of That ‘90s Show, his original character is still extremely important to the reboot, with the new series following his daughter, Leia, as she spends the summer with his parents Red and Kitty.
So far, only Kurtwood Smith (Red) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty) have officially signed on to reprise their roles in the cast of That ‘90s Show. Since the series follows the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna (Laura Prepon), queries about whether Topher Grace will appear have inevitably abounded. Grace’s That ’90s Show response revealed that he isn’t involved with the sequel series because he has his “day job” on the ABC comedy Home Economics, but that he’s excited about That ‘90s Show because it stars his “great friends” Rupp and Smith, and he knows many of the writers. When asked whether he’ll appear in That ‘90s Show for an Eric Forman cameo, Grace played coy by responding, “Oh, I don’t know. That’s all top secret.”
Although That ‘90s Show’s announcement has led to much speculation over whether That ‘70s Show’s original teen actors will return, Grace’s comments clarifying that he doesn’t have an active role in the spinoff actually fare much better for the series. Considering That ‘90s Show is being led by an entirely new cast of teenage characters, it’s important that the sequel series distance itself from the beloved core characters of the original in order to establish itself as its own entity. If Eric has a prominent role in That ‘90s Show, it will become increasingly difficult to avoid direct comparisons between Leia as a teen and Eric during the same timeframe, with the original character inevitably having the upper hand.
As Leia’s father and Red and Kitty’s son, Eric still has a noted significance to That ‘90s Show’s nostalgic story, but his presence is only needed in small doses in order to allow the spinoff to develop its own distinct essence. Eric’s part in the spinoff would be perfect if confined to a cameo role, as it would also elevate the significance of his character upon his return as a proper passing of the torch to his daughter. For instance, having Eric only appear in That ‘90s Show’s season 1 finale as he picks up Leia from Red and Kitty at the end of the summer would allow the series to establish itself on its own before distracting from the new figures with the reintroduction of an iconic original character.
That ‘90s Show using Topher Grace’s Eric as a cameo character would also work to repeat the profound impact his return had in the original finale of That ‘70s Show. Eric’s absence throughout That ‘70s Show season 8 required the series to take on a new life of its own without him, but the nostalgic sentiment of the show’s heart returned at the same moment that Eric came back to Point Place in the original final scene. Eric’s presence is an important aspect of That ‘70s Show’s core essence, so it would be extremely powerful for the end of That ‘90s Show to recreate the original finale’s Eric moment with Topher Grace making a triumphant last-minute cameo. That ‘90s Show’s audience is already at home with the prominent inclusions of Red and Kitty Forman, so using the original teen cast like Topher Grace more sparingly, but carefully, in cameos is the perfect approach.
