How Topher Grace Thinks Fez Is A Bit Like Joey From Friends
In an interview with Chicks in the Office, "That '70s Show" star Topher Grace reflected on his time on the popular sitcom. Grace was on the sitcom for the first seven seasons, departing before season eight so the actor could pursue other roles. As he reminisced about the show, he began talking about the early years. "That '70s Show" launched many of the Point Place Gang careers. Jackie (Mila Kunis) famously got her part by stating she'd be 18 on her birthday (though the birthday in question was four years away) and has since voiced Meg on "Family Guy" among other film and television accolades. Donna (Laura Prepon) later starred in "Orange is the New Black," and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), now married to Jackie's real-life counterpart Kunis, continues to be a well-respected actor.
While the Point Place Gang grew and found success after spending time in Eric Forman's basement, the beginning stages were rough. Grace cited one pivotal character, Fez, a play on the acronym "Foreign Exchange Student" (Wilmer Valderrama), as reminding Grace of another important sitcom figure: Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) from "Friends." Grace discussed the similarities between the two comic relief characters.
Topher Grace thought that Joey's character was a little underdeveloped
Before comparing Joey Tribbiani and Fez, Grace admitted how much he enjoyed "Friends" when it came out. Airing in 1994, four years before the first episode of "That '70s Show" released, Grace was a fan of the show except for one thing: Grace found Joey to be an underdeveloped character on the show, especially in the earlier seasons.
"But I love Joey so much," Grace told Chicks in the Office. "I love Matt LeBlanc and what he did with that character." After mentioning his affection for "Friends," Grace discussed his sitcom's early years. "A lot of us had never acted before," he said. "Like we really didn't know what we were doing." The same could be said about the "Friends" stars since many had their big break following it, including Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Monica (Courteney Cox), who had already been somewhat established but received a boost from "Friends" ( via Instyle).
Grace noted that Wilmer Valderrama's Fez was a character that took time to develop. "We hadn't figured out what he was," Grace said. "He had one or two lines." (Audiences will surely notice Fez's differences in earlier episodes.) Thankfully, Fez is more outspoken towards the end of the series. Otherwise, we'd never enjoy hearing him exclaim, "You son of a b***h!"