That ‘70s Show Star Reveals Which Character He Thought Was Funniest

That ’70s Show star Kurtwood Smith reveals which characters he thought were the funniest in the original Fox series while discussing That ’90s Show.

That ’70s Show has stood the test of time as one of the most memorable coming-of-age sitcoms, and one of the show’s biggest stars has revealed which character he thought was the funniest. That ’70s Show first aired on Fox in 1998 and ran for 200 episodes across eight seasons on the network. The series featured Topher Grace, Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Laura Prepon, Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Danny Masterson, among countless others, among its regular cast. The spinoff series, That ’90s Show, sees many of the old cast return 20 years later in the show’s timeline.

In an interview with Business Insider, That ’70s Show star Kurtwood Smith discussed many different topics about the original series and its newly released sequel, That ’90s Show, during which he was asked which character from the original series he thought was the funniest. Smith said that two of his in-show family members, Topher Grace’s Eric Forman and Debra Jo Rupp’s Kitty Forman, stood out in their comedic acting on the series, even feeling that veteran actor said Rupp doesn’t get enough credit for how much range she acts with. Check out Smith’s full quote below:

All the characters had their own thing and did them so well, you know? But the two people that I worked with most — Topher Grace, of course, and Debra Jo Rupp — they’re both terrific actors. I don’t think Debra gets the credit she deserves. People see her as a nutty comedian, which she is — she can do that extremely well. But she can play a wide variety of roles. I always got a big kick out of Wilmer, too. We got to do a couple scenes together on ‘That ’90s Show,’ and those were two of my favorite scenes of the whole season.

Related: That ’90s Show’s Coming Out Scene Showcases That ’70s Show’s Real Stars

Why That ‘70s Show Was So Resonant

It’s been almost 25 years since That ’70s Show first aired in the late summer of 1998, but the show remains wildly popular and engrained in pop culture all these years later. For many audiences, the show came out at the perfect time, catching on early in its run, with its airing on national cable attracting eyes from across the country. The show then picked up a second life when streaming became popular in the 2010s, with That ’70s Show‘s presence on Netflix introducing the hit series to a new generation of fans, and routinely ranking among the most-watched sitcoms on the streamer.

Many sitcoms end up having long lifespans even after the shows’ respective runs because of the feelings of comfort and nostalgia that surround them, and That ’70s Show is no exception. The show carries an even greater weight of nostalgia in it being centered around high-school-aged kids finding their own purpose in life. It’s a story that connects to a broad audience, and the humor ages well as time goes on. Much like another recently revived property, King of the Hill, That ’70s Show‘s humor is quieter and more sarcastic in nature, making it an easy watch. One of the hallmarks of the show’s comedy is that it is so grounded.

The comedy is the selling point of That ’70s Show, but the characters are also genuinely likable in most cases unless the character is specifically written to bring on a different emotion. For a show to run as long as That ’70s Show did, there needs to be a cohesive story attached to the funny moments that make the show feel complete. The series did that by fleshing out all of its characters and not just focusing on the high-school life of Eric Forman. That ’70s Show‘s immense popularity played an obvious role in the creation of That ’90s Show, and while the spinoff series isn’t yet as beloved as the original, it still features a lot of the old charm.

Source: Business Insider