This Is The Real Reason Topher Grace Left That ’70s Show
While Topher Grace has landed some solid film roles, he is still best known as Eric Foreman from That '70s Show.
Television during the end of the 90s was seeing a noticeable shift in content. The new millennium was right around the corner, and it was time for a new generation of shows to cement their place before the turn of the century. During that era, That ‘70s Show became a smash hit.
Topher Grace, along with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher, helped propel to show to great success. Despite the show’s success, Topher Grace made the surprising decision to leave it all behind.
Updated February 7th, 2023: This article has been updated with new information, including Topher Grace’s return to the That ’70s Show universe, along with various other original cast members, with That ’90s Show.
Topher Grace Found Fame With That ’70s Show
Nostalgia is always in fashion, and when done well enough, shows and movies that focus on decades past can find an audience of all ages, so long as the material itself is relatable enough. This was precisely what That ‘70s Show was able to accomplish when it made its debut toward the end of the ’90s.
That ‘70s Show made its debut back in 1998 and focused on a group of teens living in Wisconsin circa 1976. Topher Grace was cast as Eric Foreman, the lead character in the series, and he was a perfect match for the character. In fact, one of the best things that the series had going for it was that each actor was a perfect fit for their characters.
That ‘70s Show wound up being the launching point for Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and more after it became a huge success with viewers.
All in all, the series would run for a total of 8 seasons and 200 episodes, and the performers on the show were collecting checks and growing their popularity during that time.
However, despite playing the main character on the show, Topher Grace wound up departing the series early, which took people by surprise.
Apparently, the actor had his sights set on something much bigger.
Topher Grace Left To Pursue A Movie Career
Much has been made about the reason why Topher Grace parted ways with That ‘70s Show before it ended, and all signs point to the fact that the actor wanted to transition into being a film star. Fortune favors the bold, but things don’t always work out according to plan.
After leaving That ‘70s Show, Grace did land the role of Eddie Brock in Spider-Man 3. The film was a financial success, but it effectively ended the Tobey Maguire trilogy on a terrible note and has gone down in infamy. Grace would follow this up with the movies Personal Effects and Valentine’s Day.
Clearly, there was a mixed bag of success, which may not have been what Topher expected.
But from that point, the actor would continue appearing in more projects like Take Me Home Tonight, Predators, The Big Wedding, and Interstellar.
After being away from TV for some time, he also made his way back to taking roles on the small screen, which was a nice surprise for fans.
What Is Topher Grace Doing Now?
Though he did not become a huge film star, Grace has continued to work steadily throughout the years. He recently appeared in films like BlacKkKlansmen, Breakthrough, and Irresistible. He has also appeared on shows like Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone, and Home Economics (which he also co-produced).
Interestingly, Topher Grace does have the luxury of having made a ton of money with That ‘70s Show, which has allowed him to pick and choose his roles.
“It occurred to me that I was really lucky to have been on a sitcom for a lot of years. I realized… that I didn’t really need a lot more money… I didn’t care [about exposure or a big paycheck],” said the actor.
Clearly; Topher made millions from his run on That ’70s Show, so money is not an issue.
He elaborated, “It’s what I wanted to do with my life… I just want to work with people where I see their film and go: ‘I will do whatever your next film is.’ I don’t have to sit there and decide if it’s going to be good or not.”
In 2019, however, Grace seemed to admit he missed his former co-stars; one drawback of leaving the show early. “I would do [a reunion] for sure because that was a very wonderful time for us,” he said in an interview. “We were all very close, having that experience every single day with each other…”
Little did he know, in a few short years, he would return to the same set with many of the same cast members. To this day, he is still best known as Eric Foreman—especially with the revival of that universe with That ’90s Show.
While Grace got his “reunion,” only time will tell if the new series will be as big of a hit as its predecessor and makes the same level of core memories for its cast.
