That '70s Show Josh Meyers Is Well Aware Of All The Randy Hate
When long-running sitcoms introduce a new character, it tends not to be well-received. Those associated with "That '70s Show" learned this the hard way during Season 8 when they brought on Randy (Josh Meyers) to fill the void left behind by Eric (Topher Grace) going to Africa and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) leaving for Chicago. Fans pretty much immediately despised the new addition, feeling as though he was a poor replacement for two beloved characters. It also didn't help that Randy started dating Donna (Laura Prepon), whom fans always wanted to stay with Eric.
The thing about online hate is that actors tend to be aware of it, and Meyers is no exception. He appeared on an episode of "The Quantum Leap Podcast" to discuss his involvement with the "Quantum Leap" reboot, and his time on "That '70s Show" inevitably came up. When looking back on his career, he mentions, "I did the last season of 'That '70s Show' that a lot of people really don't like me because of." It serves as a good reminder that regardless of the public's perception of a fictional character, it's no reason to spread hate toward a real person.
Josh Meyers just took a job at the end of the day
Josh Meyers has had a fairly lucrative career since his "That '70s Show" days. He's had parts in film and television, live-action and animated alike, so it doesn't seem as though the negative reaction to Randy hurt him all too bad. But still, it's not nice to read bad things about yourself, and Meyers knows exactly why people didn't like his turn on "That '70s Show."
He went on to say, "They were like, 'You stole Eric's girlfriend," and I was like, 'No, no, no, Topher Grace went to go be in 'Spider-Man 2' or '3.” I just got a job, like, Donna's not a real person. She's a character. But I was Donna's new boyfriend in that last season." It's honestly not fair to hold Meyers accountable for how poorly Randy was received. The character was doomed from the start. Audiences liked the dynamic between the original cast, so Randy butting in at the very end was always going to be a hard sale.
Meyers did his best with what he was given. And if "That '90s Show" is ever brave enough, they could bring Randy back for a redemption arc.