Top 10 Dark Truths About That '70s Show
#10: Filming Was Delayed Because of Guest Star Lindsay Lohan’s Ill-Health
In season seven, the actress played Danielle, a hair salon customer who enters a love triangle with Kelso and Fez. Lohan, who was dating Wilmer Valderrama at the time, was thriving professionally, but sadly she was also struggling personally. Shortly before she was slated to begin filming, she fell sick and ended up being hospitalized, reportedly with a high fever. Naturally, this put a pause on production. Luckily the actress got better and returned to finish the episode, which was largely well-received. Meanwhile, the world learned that she and Valderrama had called it quits not long after.
#9: It Wasn’t Love at First Sight for Mila Kunis & Ashton Kutcher
This Hollywood couple's relationship story often feels like the premise of a rom-com (or two very similar ones). In fact, they both basically starred in that rom-com, albeit separately. However, we're going all the way back to the beginning, where their meet cute was perhaps not as cute as you might imagine. Rumor has it that the pair did not get along at first. Whether or not that’s true, Kunis has confirmed that there was no romance between them. Later, she told Glamour that their love-hate relationship continued and they'd go through "friendship breakups,", particularly during the height of Kutcher's movie career. Of course, the duo have since gotten married and built a lovely family.
#8: Randy Pearson: The New Eric Forman?
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Do you remember Randy? He joined the crew in the final season after Eric left for Africa. Played by Josh Meyers, he starts working at Hyde’s record store and sparks fly between him and Donna. Unfortunately, audiences couldn’t get on board with this new character, but would you believe it could’ve been much worse? Apparently, the team thought about simply recasting Topher Grace and justifying his drastically altered face and body by claiming he’d come back from his travels a different person. If the audience didn’t like Eric being replaced, imagine how they would’ve reacted if Eric had literally been replaced? We can only imagine this idea was thought up in a circle in some basement.
#7: The Same-Sex Kiss Controversy
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Did you know that “That ’70s Show” reportedly featured the first kiss between two guys ever shown on North American primetime television? The groundbreaking moment in season one between Topher Grace’s Eric and Buddy, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, didn’t receive the best response from audiences. Some disapproved, while others were disappointed because they felt the storyline was turned into a crass punchline. Rumor has it that plans to make Buddy a recurring character were even scrapped as a result. At this time, on-screen LGBTQ+ representation was still very limited, and Gordon-Levitt voiced pride in playing the character. He did confess that Grace wasn’t necessarily his favorite kisser though, a sentiment that, incidentally, Laura Prepon has also echoed.
#6: Rumor Has It That Topher Grace Wasn’t Part of This ‘Circle’ of Friends
Eric Forman was, in a way, at the center of “That ‘70s Show”, particularly at first. After all, the gang often gathered in his family’s basement. However, as we got to know the characters better, we started to value them more equally. Per “E! True Hollywood Story,” Grace apparently resented sharing the limelight and distanced himself from his castmates, who were close. Rumors suggest that when he returned for his series finale cameo, he did his part but proceeded to leave quickly. Sure, he hasn’t always been present for unofficial reunions, but we should note that he’s said everyone in the cast was friends. Plus, he’s appearing in the reboot, so it sounds like he might be up for hanging out after all.
#5: The Sad Truth Behind Tanya Roberts' Hiatus
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For the first three seasons, Roberts regularly portrayed Donna’s sweet but often air-headed mom, Midge Pinciotti. In season four, we learn that Midge left her family to pursue a Broadway career in… California? Sadly, the truth behind Roberts’ absence was far more tragic. She decided to step away from her job to care for her terminally ill husband, Barry. However, she made several guest appearances in the later seasons before leaving acting behind for good in 2005, about a year before her husband sadly passed away. Unfortunately, in 2021, we also unexpectedly lost Roberts. Still, fans will never forget the funny and loveable Midge Pinciotti. She will be missed.
#4: Mila Kunis Lied About Her Age
You may have heard this story about how Mila Kunis misled the creators to land the role of Jackie Burkhart. But in case you haven't, we'll bring you up to speed. Typically, networks prefer to hire actors who are at least 18 and/or legally emancipated, because they can work more hours. So the young Kunis fibbed. Later, when she revealed she'd need a studio teacher, the producers and creators discovered the truth, but she was hired anyway. This means the writers knew she was underage when they scripted that kiss between the 14-year-old Kunis and 19-year-old Ashton Kutcher. Was Kutcher the only one who realized how problematic this was?
#3: Where Did Leo Go?
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Leo, played by Tommy Chong, was first introduced in season two when he hired Hyde to work at the Foto Hut. The actor was a great addition to the cast, representing the, let’s say, hippier side of ’70s subculture. He was a popular recurring character throughout the second and third seasons and was promoted to series regular by the fourth — but then he disappeared. He shows up again for the final two seasons with a spacey explanation for his absence. In reality, Chong had reportedly been serving time for selling paraphernalia that wouldn’t be out of place in the Circle, if you catch our drift. Fear not though, he’s back for the reboot!
#2: Recasting Laurie
Kelly played Eric’s spoiled, selfish, and callous big sister. About halfway through the third season, the character essentially vanished, supposedly too busy with beauty school to pay her family a visit. But the truth was that the actress had substance use disorder and other troubles in her personal life. She came back for a short time, but Christina Moore was eventually hired to portray the character instead. The latter even reportedly had to reshoot Laurie’s scenes for the season six premiere. Sadly, Kelly’s difficulties continued, and she had a few run-ins with the law. In 2013, she checked into rehab, but unfortunately passed away while there.
#1: Danny Masterson’s Trial
Since 2017, several women have accused the actor of non-consensual misconduct dating back to the early 2000s, around the time he was playing Steven Hyde on “That '70s Show”. His transgressions were explored in Leah Remini’s series “Scientology and the Aftermath.” It discussed how the organization, of which Masterson is a notable member, covers up such allegations. While the actor repeatedly denied the claims against him, he was fired from his show “The Ranch,” let go by his agency, and faced criminal charges. In 2022, jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on his case, resulting in a mistrial. His new trial is slated to begin in March 2023.
