Looking back, we really can’t picture anyone else in the role of Eric Forman. However, for Topher Grace, his road to getting cast on ‘That ‘70s Show’ was an unlikely one. He lacked experience and only had a background in stage work from his high school days. He didn’t really think much of the audition process either, “When they first called me, they didn't offer me the role, they just asked if I wanted to try out for something. I guess I imagined that I was going to fail, but I did it anyway,"
We’re thankful that he did, as the show enjoyed tremendous success for eight seasons. Most fans can agree, the show was hurt by Topher’s eventual departure, Ashton Kutcher also leaving didn’t help the situation either. At the very least, the show ended off on the right note, with Eric finally returning and once again, reuniting with his long-time love Donna.
All of this taking shape was very unlikely for Topher, as he revealed with Vice.
He Felt Guilty About Getting The Role
Some might say that Topher Grace lucked into the role of Eric, given how green he was to the business, especially compared to everyone else on the show. According to Grace alongside Vice, he felt guilty about being cast into the role, “I was honestly lucky to not only get on That ‘70s Show with all those talented people, but also land on a show that did so well for all of us. We got to choose what we wanted to do from there. You must know that actors don’t often get to do that or have kind of privilege. I’ve always felt guilty about that. I was a guy who hadn’t worked before and so many other actors have dedicated years to get to where I managed to end up.”
Experience or no experience, it is quite clear that Eric was crucial to the show’s success. Things wouldn’t be the same without him, and that was evident during the final season when he was replaced by Josh Meyers. Ratings went down, and the show lost a lot of steam, until the anticipated finale which featured the return of Eric.
He Wanted Different Roles
Ultimately, his time on the show was cut short due to the fact that he wanted to try out different roles and characters. Looking back, fans believe he could’ve lasted a little longer on the show. Though his intent was to enhance his resume, in different roles, “I guess I feel like it’s a duty based on the good fortune of the show, to not just cash in on the same role over and over again. I need to try something different every time. The byproduct of that is the excitement. It’s like, here we go all over again.”
Fans will always argue whether or not he made the right choice to leave the show when he did.
Sources: Vice & Nikki Swift
