You can almost bet that the first thing that comes to anyone’s mind at the mention of Topher Grace is his role in the late 1990s coming of age sitcom, That ’70s Show. Though he considers himself pretty boring, Grace is a very charismatic star. While many have been praising his outstanding performance as Eric Forman, the actor feels very lucky and privileged to have been a part of the beloved sitcom. Topher claims to care less about exposure or a big paycheck but quality content, he has gone on to become a respected character actor. Here’s what Grace has been up to lately.
Why Topher Grace Left That ’70s Show?
As far back as 1998, Topher Grace made his acting debut, embodying the lead role of Eric Forman in That ’70s Show. It was his character as the geeky, Star Wars-obsessed smart teen in the popular TV show that made the actor a star. Grace played the part for 179 episodes in 7 seasons of the show (1998 – 2006). His character was written off in the 8th and final season after the lanky geek departed to teach English in Africa.
Before leaving the popular sitcom, Topher Grace had already dabbled into plenty of film roles. He made his silver screen debut in 2000 with a minor role in Traffic. By the time he left That ’70s Show in 2006, Grace had landed seven more prominent film roles including P.S, In Good Company, and Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! all in the year 2004. He also had an uncredited cameo in Oceans Eleven (2001) and Ocean’s Twelve (2004).
The charismatic actor later explained the reason for his exit. According to Topher who counts himself really lucky to have been on a sitcom for lots of years, he left the That ’70s Show in pursuit of greener pastures in feature films. Thankfully, the decision has paid off as he has since carved out a niche for himself as a respected character actor. However, Grace has admitted that he’s very open to the possibility of a revival or reunion for stars, if and whenever it arises.
See Also: What Happened to Brendan Fraser, Where is He Now?
Where Is Topher Grace Now?
Now older, a husband and a father, Topher Grace is considered a serious and successful actor. He has attributed his success after the Fox sitcom largely to being choosy with roles. Since leaving That ’70s Show, Grace has had major appearances in both television and film. His journey to stardom after exiting the beloved sitcom came almost immediately with a high profile movie. In 2007, Topher landed the role of Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3, a project that became one of the highest-grossing movie of the franchise.
The movie was only the pedestal that Grace needed to throttle him to bigger fame on the big screen. Some of his prominent roles thereafter include the characters Edwin in Predators (2010), Jared Griffin in The Big Wedding (2013), and David Duke in Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning film, BlacKkKlansman (2018). While his acting career continues on a prestigious rise, Grace has not neglected television. After That ’70s Show, he has lent his voice in Robot Chicken (2005) and The Simpsons (2008). Other notable TV credits include The Muppets (2015) and Workaholics (2017). More recently, he appeared in NatGeo’s miniseries adaptation of The Hot Zone (2019) as well as the Netflix series Black Mirror (2019).
Topher Grace has also stepped behind the camera, working as a writer and executive producer in Take Me Home Tonight (2011), and also as a producer for Opening Night (2017). The man is also set to star, co-write, and produce the upcoming series Treasure Squad.
Grace’s creativity goes beyond work. For instance, one of the ways he enjoys relaxing from work is by creating his own edits of popular movie franchises such as The Hobbit and Star Wars. Interestingly, the autodidact film editor has turned the hobby developed from just curiosity into a job. Grace recently caught the attention of Hollywood bigshots like Pixar after he and Jeff Yorkes cut all ten Star Wars films into a single compact trailer.
The veteran actor doesn’t work only for the camera. One of Topher Grace’s latest projects is his podcast Minor Adventures. The That ’70s Show star admits that podcasting has recently become his sweet escape with friends from the noisy industry.
