Debra Jo Rupp's That '70s Show Wig Gave Her A Level Of Privacy Off-Screen
Those '70s hairstyles on "That '70s Show" weren't necessarily the hairstyles that the cast members wore all the time. According to a 2005 interview with Topher Grace (Eric Forman) in Time, Grace wore a wig for his last two years on the show so he would be able to have a more modern hairstyle for film work.
In a promo video for the "That '70s Show" sequel series "That '90s Show," Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Forman) and Kurtwood Smith (Red Forman) were interviewed while they were in the hair and makeup chair, and wigs for other characters like Donna (Laura Prepon) and Eric can be seen in the video, implying that most of the legacy cast members, at least, wear wigs on the reboot. Throughout the course of the video, Rupp's hair is done up to allow her to fit the wig on her head to make Kitty Forman the iconically recognizable character that she became after eight seasons of the original series. "Here comes Kitty," says Rupp as the hair stylist places the wig on her head, before saying "And there we go" after seeing herself for the wig for the first time since the original show ended.
While Kitty's signature feathered hairstyle became instantly recognizable, the fact that her hair was a wig made her less recognizable in public, giving her a certain freedom and anonymity from the show's fans.
People didn't recognize Debra Jo Rupp as much when she wasn't wearing her wig
In a behind-the-scenes special made when "That '70s Show" ended in 2006, Debra Jo Rupp talked a little bit about how not having Kitty's hair in public made her less recognizable off the set. "Without the wig, people aren't really sure," she explained about people recognizing her in when she was out of character. "But as soon as I talk, then 'Oh my god, are you Kitty Forman!'" But she admitted that, because people needed to hear the voice to really recognize her, she was at least able to go grocery shopping in a ponytail and sweatpants in peace as nobody would recognize her.
Rupp reiterated this in an interview she did with the Los Angeles Times in 2017, saying that she gets recognized less and less, not only because of the wig, but also because — as she gets older — she looks less like she did on "That '70s Show." But, people do still seem to recognize the voice and, since the show has been in reruns since it hit its 100th episode in 2001, new generations keep finding the show and her voice remains distinctly recognizable. She went on to say, "But I'm awfully glad that she was a loved character. Because I can't even imagine what it would be like to be recognized as the villain of a show. I'd cry all the time." Now that Kitty has returned to television in "That '90s Show," it's likely Rupp will be recognized more frequently again, especially by her voice.