That ‘70s Show: The True Story Behind Amy Adams’ Cameo
Before she became famous, Amy Adams made a notable cameo in That '70s Show as rich girl Kat Peterson - here's the true story behind her appearance.
A pre-fame Amy Adams made a memorable cameo on That ‘70s Show, with the small role kickstarting her acclaimed career. While Amy Adams is now acclaimed and has six Academy Award nominations under her belt for films like The Master and American Hustle, the actress had small beginnings with various guest appearances on 2000s sitcoms. However, before she won a recurring stint on the hit series The Office, Amy Adams was cast in an often forgotten role on the nostalgic That ‘70s Show.
That ‘70s Show was notable for launching the massively successful careers of its main cast, particularly Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, and Wilmer Valderrama – all of whom previously had little to no professional acting experience. Additionally, That ‘70s Show’s eight seasons saw cameos from many famous and pre-fame actors alike, including Bruce Willis, The Office’s Jenna Fischer, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lindsay Lohan, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Just five years before she would be nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Junebug, Amy Adams cameoed as Kat Peterson in That ‘70s Show season 2.
Considering Amy Adams’ That ‘70s Show cameo was only her third professional acting job, this role is often forgotten in her extensive filmography. Not only was she still quite young, but Amy Adams was also blonde during her appearance on That ‘70s Show, leading many to fail to recognize the movie star known for her auburn hair. During the 2000 episode “Burning Down the House,” Adams played Kat Peterson, a rich snobby cheerleader who is secretly hooking up with Steven Hyde but denies any such association when around her friends. Posed against Danny Masterson’s Hyde and Wilmer Valderrama’s Fez throughout That ‘70s Show’s episode, Amy Adams had to prove her acting chops opposite two of the show’s experienced stars.
The true story of Amy Adams’ hilarious That ‘70s Show cameo is even better when considering it was her very first TV role, coming just shortly before her appearances on contemporary shows like Charmed and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even in her first sitcom role, Amy Adams was able to match the comedic timing of That ‘70s Show’s main actors while feeling completely natural in the ‘70s-era timeline. Of course, Adams would go back to the ‘70s a few more times in her career for films like American Hustle and Vice, with That ‘70s Show being a warm-up to this timeline.
On The Ellen Show in 2018, Amy Adams and Ashton Kutcher reminisced about the true story behind her cameo on his hit TV show, with Adams recalling how “terrified” she was to act opposite the main cast. Adams told Michael Kelso actor Ashton Kutcher that it was intimidating due to her That ‘70s Show cameo being so early in her career and the rest of the actors already being so experienced. Having been a huge fan of That ‘70s Show herself, Adams said she was too scared to talk to anyone during production, but still noted that the cast was fun to work with.
Ashton Kutcher recalled that she seemed completely natural in her role, feeling that she belonged there alongside the rest of the cast. Proving how incredible she was right off the bat, Adams’ pre-fame That ’70s Show role seeming natural was already a difficult task considering Kat Peterson had to come off as much cooler than Masterson and Valderrama’s beloved characters. Amy Adams may not have returned as Kat on That ‘70s Show after her season 2 cameo, but at least she was able to appear in Eric Forman’s iconic basement, which not every guest star was able to boast about.
