Topher Grace got his big break by playing Eric Forman in That 70s Show, despite having no previous acting experience when he was first cast. Given the success of the show, fans were shocked when the actor announced he was leaving the show after its seventh season to pursue other professional projects.
Around the time of Grace’s departure from That 70s Show, many speculated that the actor had taken this decision because of drama behind the scenes. However, Grace denied these rumors and assured fans he parted on good terms with all the That 70s Show cast.
Following Grace’s exit from the show, his co-stars had nothing but good things to say about the actor. Well, expect for Laura Prepon, who played Donna Pinciotti on the show. The actress, who was Grace’s romantic interest on-screen, had plenty to say about the actor’s kissing skill. Luckily, another actor on the show stepped up to defend Grace’s honor.
Laura Prepon And Topher Grace Were Rumored To Be Dating While Filming That 70s Show
Laura Prepon and Topher Grace worked together in That 70s Show for almost eight years before the actor suddenly quit the show. Most recently, the two reunited to play a married couple in Netflix’s reboot series, That 90s Show. Given that they played romantic interest for so long, fans have always wondered if Prepon and Grace ever dated.
Prepon and Grace were rumored to be dating while filming That 70s Show, but both stars quickly shot down such rumors. In 1999, Grace was linked to Anne Hathaway. Later on, the actor dated Once Upon a Time star Ginnifer Goodwin from 2002 to 2003.
Meanwhile, Prepon was dating another one of her That 70s Show co-stars. It was Danny Masterson’s brother, Christopher, who guest-starred in three episodes in 2002. But Prepon and Masterson met before that and dated for eight years, from 1999 to 2007. So, it’s clear nothing really happened between Prepon and Grace during their time on the show.
Laura Prepon Doesn’t Think Topher Grace Is The Best Kisser Among Her On-Screen Romantic Interest
Laura Prepon and Topher Grace played romantic interests in That 70s Show for nearly eight years! So, it’s safe to say that Prepon has plenty of first-hand experience with Grace’s kissing skills. What’s shocking is that the actress revealed that her That 70s Show co-star is by far not the best kisser among her on-screen lovers.
Years after appearing in That 70s Show, Prepon starred in another popular series, Netflix’s Orange is the New Black. She portrayed Alex Vause from 2013 to 2019. Throughout her time on the show, her character had a complicated romantic relationship with Piper Chapman (played by Taylor Schilling).
In an interview for the Todd & Jayde in the Morning show on 95.5 in New York City, Prepon was asked which co-star was the better kisser: Schilling or Grace? To which she responded, “Topher would kill me, but I’m going to say, Taylor.” The actress then added: “We’re big on Listerine strips. I think Taylor likes gum. Every actor has their own thing.” Was that her way of nicely saying that Grace lacked oral hygiene?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Disagrees with Laura Prepon About Topher Grace’s Kissing Skills
Back in 1998, Joseph Gordon-Levitt made a small cameo on Season 1 of That ’70s Show. He played Buddy Morgan, a rich spoiled kid who becomes infatuated with Eric Forman while the two are paired together as chemistry lab partners. Ultimately, Buddy makes a move on Eric, passionately kissing him before confessing his feelings.
The scene shocked fans and, believe it or not, was the first-ever kiss between two men on primetime television. Despite the mixed reactions this episode got, Gordon-Levitt was happy to be making TV history with his That 70s Show cameo.
“Oh, I was totally proud of that, and I still am. It was a great bit, and it got a great reaction. More than anything else, though, I remember that it was written very well, because the emphasis wasn’t on it being gay but on making sure the scene worked and was funny. It was great that it showed people it was just a normal thing.”
Despite this, Gordon-Levitt has admitted that filming this scene was rather awkward. "I remember the director asking me and Topher to kiss longer, and then on the next take, kissing for what felt like several minutes. But when you watch it, our lips touched for probably less than a second," the actor revealed in a 2021 AMA session (via Reddit).
But, unlike Laura Prepon, Gordon-Levitt has had nothing but nice things to say about Grace’s kissing skills. In 2018, the (500) Days of Summer star referenced their on-screen kiss on That 70s Show by simply writing “Good dude to kiss @TopherGrace,” on Twitter. This seems to prove that Topher Grace is not such a bad kisser after all!
