The Transformation Of Kurtwood Smith From That '70s Show To Now
Most of us know Kurtwood Smith as Red Foreman, the hard-headed, no-nonsense father on "That '70s Show." Although he was formerly best known for his role as ruthless scumbag Clarence Boddicker in the 1987 classic Robocop, Smith became a household name with his eight years as Red. This iconic character cemented his place in TV history after the countless times he's threatened to stick his foot in the rear end of his son, Eric Foreman (Topher Grace), or one of his dim-witted friends. Eight seasons later, and "That '70s Show" was called off, but Smith and most of the cast would continue acting in one way or another.
Fans had to pay close attention to where Smith went following the end of "That '70s Show." The Wisconsin native has his fair share of screen time, but has seen more action as a voice actor. Some of his roles may surprise you, but that hasn't stopped him from staying busy like any other Hollywood actor.
Check out the transformation of Kurtwood Smith from "That '70s Show" to his current roles.
Kurtwood Smith kept his momentum
When "That '70s Show" ended in 2006, most of the actors continued on to other roles. Luckily for Smith, "That '70s Show" wasn't his only job at the time. While he was working on that set, he also contributed to "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" as Grim's dad. This two-episode stint with Cartoon Network ended up being more beneficial than initially thought. Following that role, he would spend the rest of 2006 providing voices for "Handy Mandy" and "Codename: Kids Next Door," for one episode of each, and "Squirrel Boy" for 16 episodes, according to IMDB.
Kurtwood was able to transition smoothly following his gig on Cartoon Network, eventually landing a handful of serious roles related to crime. In the second half of the '00s, he played F.B.I. Agent Edwards Cooper in "Medium," followed by Senator Blaine Mayer in "24." Smith would return to this serious format in 2011 when he played H.J. Higgins in "Chaos." This acting style would carry on further down his career but in more sporadic occurrences, primarily because of his desire to remain a voice actor.
He found his calling as a voice actor
Smith would go on to find his niche and become a voice actor for several different shows. These may come as a surprise for those who don't carefully read the credits, but he's mainly been a voice actor following "That '70s Show." One of his biggest roles is the voice of the always angry General Nathan in "Rick and Morty."
You might also recognize him for voicing Lieutenant James Gordon from "Beware of Batman," vending machine park manager Gene from "Regular Show," or Stan Chilson, Frank Murphy's father-in-law in "F is for Family," according to IMDB. Most recently, Smith voiced Clar from "Star Trek: Lower Decks" for one episode. In total, he has been credited on 30 roles as a voice actor across 23 titles, according to Behind the Voice Actors. Smth continues to work as a voice actor, recently announced as a cast member for the upcoming "Ultra City Smiths," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Red reunited with Hyde and Kelso
Smith was able to reunite with a few of his "That '70s Show" cast members on a couple of different occasions. First was with Danny Masterson and Ashton Kutcher, who respectively played Steven Hyde and Michael Kelso in the sitcom. The three would join again for two seasons of "The Ranch," with Smith as Sam Peterson, a dying farmer who lives next to the other two characters. This role would satisfy "That '70s Show" fans as his character is reminiscent of Red Foreman.
Interestingly enough, Smith wasn't the only "That '70s Show" star to make a surprise appearance on the show. Wilmer Valderrama (Fez) and Debra Jo Rupp (Kitty Foreman) would both make appearances in the first four seasons, creating a heart-warming reunion that fans will never forget. IMDB points out Debra Jo Rupp appears in three seasons of the show, doubling the number of episodes of Smith.
He also appeared on screen with Kitty again
This wasn't the last time Smith and Jo Rupp would work together. She moved on from television acting following the conclusion of "That '70s Show" and partially returned to theatre, where she continues to regularly appear today. This decision has led to a reunion with Smith last year for a virtual reading of "Three Viewings," directed by Juliana Boyd, according to Barrington Stage Company. This relationship was one of Smith's most cherished, which he related to the A.V. Club in 2014, regarding his time on "That '70s Show."
"It was just a pleasure doing that show. I mean, even if we had a day or two here and there that wasn't fun for whatever particular reason, by and large, it was just a pleasure. I loved working with all those folks," Smith said. "Working on those scenes in the house — especially Debra Jo and I — it was a particularly special time. For it to go on that long, eight years, and to have a character that meant as much to me as he did personally...well, that was special."
Smith has no plans to retire
Kurtwood Smith is still working as hard as anyone in Hollywood. He's mainly sticking with television for the moment, where he has remained a fixture for the last 15 years. The last feature films Smith appeared in was "Amityville: The Awakening" and "El Camino Christmas," both released in 2017.
Away from the film industry, Smith enjoys time with his wife, Joan Pirkle, to whom he's been married for 33 years after both appearing in "Robocop," according to her Biography. The two live in California with two children, Laurel Garner and Shannon Smith. He has yet to make any hints at retirement yet, but the Robocop actor is 77 years old. Next time you're watching an animated series and one of the characters asks if another is on dope, pay attention to the credits. Smith can always find a way to call back to his time as Red Foreman.