How old was that 70s show when the show first released in 1998

Like many shows that centered on a cast of teenage characters, the stars of That ’70s show There were a variety of times in real life when the iconic sitcom premiered. Over the years, the ensemble cast of the show saw a few major changes, but for the most part it was led by a consistent young cast that included Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama. The only major non-adult series regular to be added to the young ensemble was Josh Meyers’ Randi Pearson, who joined the cast for the eighth and final season.

The long-running show originally ran for eight seasons and a total of 200 episodes, spanning from its premiere on August 23, 1998 until its finale on May 18, 2006. That ’70s show The cast may be confusing the differences between the show’s release date and its setting, as well as its internal timeline, with the Eight seasons took place over just three and a half years Between May 1976 and December 1979, ends during a New Year’s Eve countdown. However, the age of the stars at the time when the show premiered was relatively close to their characters.

Topher Grace was 20 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Topher Grace played Eric Foreman

Topher Grace was born on July 12, 1978, which means that He was just 20 about a month before the show premiered In 1998. Eric Forman, who was the main character in the first seven That ’70s show Seasons, was 16 years old during the pilot, meaning there was a roughly four-year age gap between the character and the actor that widened to an eight-year age gap by the time of the show’s finale. Because the pilot was shot about three months before it aired, Grace was an actual teenager for about two months of production time.

Mila Kunis was 15 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Mila Kunis played Jackie Burkhart

Mila Kunis was born on August 14, 1983, meaning that She would have turned 15 just one week before the premiere of That ’70s show. Her character Jackie Burkhart is somewhat younger than the others and was 14 at the time of the pilot, meaning she exactly matched Kunis’ actual age at the time the episode was shot. At the end of the show, Jackie was 18 while Kunis was 22, but she is the lead actor who was an actual teenager for the longest duration during the show’s production.

Ashton Kutcher was 20 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Ashton Kutcher played Michael Kelso

Ashton Kutcher was born on February 7, 1978, which made him 20 years old at the time. That ’70s show Premiere. Because he’s a few months older than Topher Grace, he was already that age when they started shooting the pilot, that is He was never a real teenager at any point while playing the role of Michael Kelsowho was part of the main cast for the first seven seasons and made several special guest star appearances in season 8. Kelso is 16 years old during the pilot, meaning that Kutcher was originally four years older than the character.

Danny Masterson was 22 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Danny Masterson played Stephen Hyde

That ’70s show Star Danny Masterson was born on March 13, 1976, making him 22 years old at the time the pilot premiered and at the time it was shot. His character, Steven Hyde, was 16 years old during the episode’s timeline, as were the majority of the core cast of characters, leaving them with an eight-year age gap. Masterson was The oldest member of the original core teenage cast By two years, and by the time the show ended he was 30 years old, a full 10 years older than his then 20-year-old character.

Laura Prepon was 18 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Laura Prepon played Donna Pinciotti

Laura Prepon was born on March 7, 1980, which made her 18 years old at the time of That ’70s show Premiere. Although this made her two years older than the age of her then 16-year-old character Donna Pinciotti in real life, she was One of the few core cast members to be an actual teenager over multiple seasons From the original run of the show. By the time Prepon turned 20 on March 7, 2000, the show had already aired the majority of its second season, which ended on May 22, 2000.

Wilmer Valderrama was 18 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Wilmer Valderrama played Fez

Wilmer Valderrama was born on January 30, 1980, just over a month before his co-star Laura Prepon, who also made him. 18 years old at the time when That ’70s show Premiere. He was also a teenager for about a season and a half of the show’s run, he was 20 years old when season 2 aired the 14th of 26 episodes. However, at the time of the pilot, his character Fez was only 15, meaning that the age gap between him and his character was a bit wider.

Debra Jo Rupp was 47 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Debra Jo Rupp played Kitty Foreman

Debra Jo Rupp was born on February 24, 1951, which means she was 47 years old at the time of the That ’70s show Premiere. Her character, Eric’s mother Kitty Forman, was only 42 in the pilot episode, so the age gap between the actor and her character was roughly the same as that of the main teenage cast.

Rupp is one of the only series regulars of That ’70s show To also be a part of the main That ’90s show cast, reprising her role in the Netflix sequel series that premiered on January 19, 2023. At the time, the actor was 71, while the character was 61, increasing the age gap significantly, considering the fact that Season 1 of the show is set in the summer of 1995.

Curtwood Smith was 55 years old when That ’70s Show premiered

Kurtwood Smith played Red Foreman

Kurtwood Smith was born on July 3, 1943, which made him 55 years old at the time that ’70s show Premiere and 54 when it was shot. This is a significant difference from the age of his character, Eric’s father Red Foreman, who was 48 years old in the first episode of the show, giving him an age gap of seven years.

Smith also praised his That ’70s show character as part of the main cast of That ’90s show. At the time of the premiere of the sequel show, the actor was 79, while the character was only 67, increasing the age gap to 12 years.

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