Why did Topher Grace's career go straight down the shitter?

Did it? I saw him as David Duke in Black Klansman not long ago.

Why kind of name is Topher?

ChrisTopher.

He can always get a good steady job at Fatso Burger.

I’m sure he’s mellowed out but he definitely thought he was hot shit in the mid-2000s

it's very difficult for men with boyish faces to last long term in that industry. they can't exactly portray Big Man in Authoritah while looking like a 14y.o.

there are too many examples to name, but think about all of these "young" men who have looked like children more than half of their lives.

the only one i can think of who has been able to run with it is mr. doogie howser.

He HAS lasted long term.

He's actually the kind of actor who may do his most high profile work after age 45. He could clean up playing nemesis type characters, like the principal in a Ferris Bueller remake.

Timmy did it right. Let the audiences worship your lithe, beauty in a dreamy, (what was) indie film. Then you are seared into the public’s eye as a sex object, eternally youthful and elegant.

Topher just tried to be a wise guy in shitty comedies, thrillers and horror films. He’s never been elegant a day in his life. He probably turned down or ignored hundreds of gay roles.

R8 true, Topher I believe is gay or bi. He always turned away gay roles for Aspie cool guy roles.

Topher Grace does not project sex. I don't know why you'd compare him to someone like Chalamet.

Because he isn't a very good actor, he just mugs and does schtick.

He has a fairly large penis.

r12 I do remember a great scene from That 70s show where he's running towards the camera wearing a speedo.

You’d see a lot more of him if he had joined Scientology with me.

A waste of twink beauty.

R12, to be honest, I’ve never seen a hint of a penis in his pants.

He would have played Trans well in his younger days.

Toni Tennille haircut

John Denver glasses

Taupe turtleneck

You get the picture

He;'s never been the same since Buddy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) kissed him on That 70's Show.

He is a poor man's Tobey MaGuire

Ugly

[Quote] I’ve never seen a hint of a penis in his pants.

The same was said of Froy but we've seen his nudes, so...

He's good at playing wasps.

His scrawniness precluded him from ever becoming any sort of conventional leading man.

Too boyish looking, ask Tobey and Elijah how that worked for their careers.

I always saw his 70s Show character as sort of a Shaggy/Jughead type. But maybe he was an Archie (pre-CW). Either way, not a sex symbol.

He could have been a Joseph Gordon-Levitt type. Their agents probably sent them on a lot of the same casting calls. But you can tell just from R18 that Levitt is a more interesting performer. He gets a little bit of color and nuance into a minor scene and Grace is just a generic sitcom type despite having the starring role.

He's from money. Hopefully he invested well. Like a lot of people, he fit a particular time and appeal and then it was over.

I can't imagine Grace as a rentboy. Levitt played that role well.

[quote] Timmy did it right. Let the audiences worship your lithe, beauty in a dreamy, (what was) indie film. Then you are seared into the public’s eye as a sex object, eternally youthful and elegant.

Timothy Chalamet is no sex object to anyone with eyes and taste.

R14 I went to high school with laura, she is naturally blonde. Sad that she is a clam now.

Chalamet is not for me (that pancake ass!) but he reads as a sexual being.

He has the most beautiful eyes.

So is she!

R15 I thought he was adorable, or adorkable when he was that doe-eyed young man in OP's pic. He sadly didn't remain cute. It's as if his eyes shrunk. I think he might be better if he put on a little weight.

I much preferred Lucas Neff of "Raising Hope" (later) and he also seemed to disappear. But I just saw he has moved from show to show since so guess he is doing fine. He was genuinely talented and cute -- before he went ugly with long hair and beard, thankfully gone now.

Topher needs to be more present on social media.

Trust me, that's how leading man careers get made nowadays!

Jesus Christ, do you find Josepha Mazello a twunk too?

r25

JLG's Asian eyes helped him.

Didn't he reveal a much more muscled up physique several months back? Is he still a hunk?

Personally I think he's exceptionally handsome.

re R30

Topher gave birth to his 2nd child today.

Whatever his personal beliefs are... his looks increasingly suggest scary, white-supremacist, right-wing types. Kind of a narrow niche.

He looks very waspy.

R41 He vaguely resembles Jared Kushner, post-undertaker makeover.

That 70's Porn

R8 He should take on a gay role. It certainly has helped Timothee Chalamet, Tobey Maguire and Jonathan Gordon Levitt with their careers.

What gay role would you suggest? The title role in The Jim Parsons Story?

Do I still have a career?

[quote] He would have played Trans well in his younger days. Toni Tennille haircut. John Denver glasses. Taupe turtleneck. You get the picture.

He could play a hot, gay nerd or a role in Will and Grace.

r49 Not so much anymore.

r40 He looks like Freddie Prinze Jr there, another actor who was hot for fifteen minutes.

R36 not really.

I think OP has it backwards. The real question is how he's actually made so much out of relatively little. This guy is not a major talent, and not a stunning looker, though he has some charm, so the fact that he's been in as many major movies and shows over the years, and is still regularly working, is pretty impressive.

Timothee Chalamet will follow in the footsteps of Topher and Tobey once his twinkish looks are gone.

[quote]his looks increasingly suggest scary, white-supremacist, right-wing types. Kind of a narrow niche.

Ivanka has a type.

He's one of those guys that would probably look better with short, full beard.

Because he shortened “Christopher” to “Topher.”

He was great on That 70s Show but I wasn't expecting much more out of him. A role on Stranger Things as some 80s geeky professor could suit him.

He had to focus on his giant penis.

[quote]This guy is not a major talent, and not a stunning looker, though he has some charm, so the fact that he's been in as many major movies and shows over the years, and is still regularly working, is pretty impressive.

I agree, but I'd also suggest that the vagaries of the industry have much to do with it. If Grace was a breakout sitcom star in the 70s or 80s, for example, he could have had a long, lucrative career of moving between one network sitcom, a cop show, a medical procedural, another sitcom, and a host of TV movies over the next 15-20 years. Lots and lots of guest spots on other shows. (Feature films, of course, probably wouldn't have touched him.) It was a smaller talent pool with more of a reliance on established, friendly faces.

TV is enormous now, but the game has changed. The Tony Danza and Kelsey Grammar types of TV stardom are becoming a thing of the past. (You may not care for either of those gentlemen, but they've both had insanely long and successful runs on different sitcoms spanning decades.)

He's moving into the types of roles Joshua Jackson and Jason Bateman have been doing.

I think Grace has had a better screen career than, say, Dennis Dugan (sp?) or even John Ritter.

He was cast in That 70s Show with literally nothing on his resume. He got the role because the daughter of the show's producers went to the same high school as Topher and they saw him in one of the high school's plays. That was the sum total of his acting experience before being cast in a major network sitcom. Talk about falling ass-backwards into good fortune.

Given those circumstances, he's done amazingly well.

But he was good on "That '70s Show." He wasn't Shelley Hack.

R63, he got the role because the producers saw him in a high school play and then he presented his hole to all of them, at once.

We’re sticklers for the facts here at Datalounge.

When did he date Ivanka?

He gives the same nervous freakout as Courtney Cox and it’s what I expect when he is in a movie.

I like him. I think he's cute, even now. I follow ten actors on IG, and he's one of them. When I would watch That '70s Show, since I couldn't stick my hands down his pants, I'd stick them down my own.

Who's got the receipts on his long dong?

R68, who are the other nine actors you follow?

Tanya Roberts, Debra Jo Rupp, Jackie, Kelso, Fez...

R70 is funny. The others, r69, are Julian Morris, Aaron Tveit, James Cusati Moyer, Ryan Phillippe, Tim O'Tay, Giorgio Cantarini, Daveed Mazooz, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Mark Grossman.

Ryan, Giorgio, and Daveed are on again/off again. Ryan is often annoying-to-unbearable in his smug, superannuated state, Daveed hangs out too often with nasty bitch Cameron Kasky, and relentlessly heterosexual Giorgio is there only because I rewatched Life Is Beautiful last month (he played Josué). I often drop Timmy because of his annoying posters.

In any case, that puts Topher in my top six, not just my top ten, actors.

Quite a few unconfirmed gays on your list.

R71, I like your taste in guys. I’m a little surprised you don’t follow my future husband Logan Lerman.

And why would it be any other way, r72?

[Quote] And why would it be any other way, [R72]?

If they come out, will you stop following them?

Logan hasn't been in much that I've seen, r74, until recently with that Nazi drama on Netflix. Or was it Prime?

Oh, God, no, r75. That would make me like them even more. I am not your typical Datalounge gayhater.

In 2006, r66.

A friend of a friend worked on the show. Apparently Topher didn't hang out much with the other cast members.

Do you blame him? Cradle snatcher Wilmer Valderama? No one secure falls prey to Scientology (Prepon, Masterson)... His TV sister joined Faces of Meth...

Or the most successful Ashtor Kutsher and Mila?

Ashton Kutcher was "dating" a hooker who got murdered back in the day. Grace probably has a good set of parents, like NPH.

He's definitely straight, but he could have attempted to give the impression that he's glass-closeted. It's been a career boost to a lot of genuine glass-closeted homosexuals.

I’m adding Mila to my Tina Fey registry which puts them both just under Dolly Parton and our Tina Turner.

Regarding Topher, he kind of appeared as “normal non-threatening young actor” fully formed. I predicted he’d go Rick Schroeder and join a police SVU show. I’m impressed he has done so well.

I remember enjoying his performance in Traffic and thought that made a nice departure from the whackiness of That '70s Show.

He always played a smug little creep, which worked well for when he was young but has been harder as he got older. He's not that handsome facially, so when he worked out and got a more buff physique it didn't really go anywhere for him professionally.

What could happen for him, if he works at losing the smirk, is to become a character actor the way Timothy Hutton and Henry Thomas did. Neither of them are that handsome, but they are good actors (Thomas grew into becoming one), and though they've not been big stars, they've worked very steadily since they first appeared on the scene. He would be good playing district attorneys or paper-pushers, or even dads in teen comedies. but he does have to work at losing the smirk he had when he was younger.

I used to get him mixed up with Joshua Jackson.

He did tons of movies during the that 70s Show days. I bet the rest of the cast was jealous of him and Ashton.

Hes bland as milquetoast . not ugly by any means,but not sexy . You dont want to fuck him so watching him isnt that appealing either.

Because he was a little shit who thought he was better than everyone else on That 70’s Show. Given what we now know about what sleazes Danny (rapist) Masterson is and Wilmer Valderama dating underage girls....not to mention Ashton Kutcher and his orgies, the woman who played Eric’s sister was a junkie..... I can see why he didn’t want to hang out with any of these people except for Laura Prepon (Donna).

[quote] not to mention Ashton Kutcher and his orgies,

What's wrong with orgies -- especially orgies involving Ashton Kutcher?

R90 they involved skeletal Demi Moore and female whores. I don’t want no big silicone tiddies in my face.

His latest pic. I’ll do it

R91, oh I see your point now. I saw that Demi Moore beaver shot and I still have not yet recovered.

Yes. Demi has more hair on snatch than on her head. She could fucking braid it.

It's that a Jesus cameo at r92

Topher is cornier than Demi’s feet, but those great tits raise his photo to the level of sexy for me.

I agree that he’s not really leading man material, but I suspect that as he ages he’ll have as prolific a below-the-line career as wants. I thought he was quite good in “In Good Company”.

He was good in PS with Laura Linney.

R3, Well, that's just stupid. It's like calling oneself Than because....JonaThan.

R98 True, I had forgotten about that one. Good movie.

Asshole and closet case doesn't work in Hollywood.

JK! Look at me!!

Ugh, that tat! He could play JC Chasez in Mother, May I Sleep With Lou?

R92 Hmmm I have to admit the long hair and beard help his sexy factor immeasurably !

[quote] Why kind of name is Topher?

It's how douchebags shorten Christopher.

Never thought Danny Masterson was attractive on That 70's Show. However his younger brother Christopher Masterson was cute.

And as far as we know, not a rapist.

[quote]Why did Topher Grace's career go straight down the shitter?

Because of that stupid name "Topher."

Bleccch.

[Quote] And as far as we know, not a rapist.

But still a clam.

Topher didn't hang out with the cast of That 70s Show. They were all banging minors or joining scientology. Not to be all conspiracy theory or anything but in general you're not going to move up at work if you don't occasionally go out for drinks after work.

He was great in BlacKKKlansman, much better than Adam Driver. Why did Driver get the best supporting actor nomination?

[QUOTE]He can always get a good steady job at Fatso Burger.

With a degree in Marketing from UW, Eric would probably already peaked in upper management at PriceMart.

Hot Donna is currently teaching a Lyrics of Led Zeppelin class at PPCC.

R109, his career went down the shitter because he didn't grab drinks with Laura Prepon?

I'd still suck his cock. And FWIW, if my name were Christopher, I'd ask to be called the less-Jesusy sounding Topher, all day, every day.

R113 Not Chris?

I look at Topher Grace and I think gopher.

I would simply call you ...pher..., r113.

Yes, r14...not Chris.

Yes, r114, that is...not Chris.

Topher is a good actor but he does not stand out.

Not specifically Laura, no. It's just that he was known for being reclusive towards the cast & crew, considered snobbish. He didn't network enough. That's not a bad thing, maybe he didn't think it was important to get more famous & be richer than god. He got his home & went home.

R115 Gopher Trace

Jewish and gay

I thought Christopher was an Aryan from Darien, r122, and then I read that his father's mother was Jewish. Oh, well. I knew a Christopher Rosenthal once, now that I think about it.

He's gay, R122?

[quote]Topher didn't hang out with the cast of That 70s Show.

Actors need to realize this is a death sentence

[quote]He always played a smug little creep

Yeah what's up with that?

[quote]He was cast in That 70s Show with literally nothing on his resume.

Oh please! I can't believe that.

He's slated as a starrer in ABC's comedy pilot [italic]Home Economics[/italic] . Good place for him, enjoying an Alan Alda-like rest of his career. Hope it gets made.

R78 the thing is, he actually did socialise on THAT 70s SHOW, just very selectively - and who could blame him? He was just a teen plucked from obscurity, forced to work with a bunch of insane and fairly nasty people.

Nonetheless was known to be close to Lisa Robin Kelly, being the only one to notice and care about her growing addiction issues and petition to get her help (that plea falling on deaf ears, unfortunately). He was the only person of that cast & crew known to act like a real friend to poor Lisa.

Since T7S he has been close friends with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (apparently known as ‘Joey’, to Topher). As teens two used to frequently stay over at each other’s family homes, and in their twenties at each other’s apartments. As they tell it, they spent a lot of time together; just the two of them making auteur films and mixtapes, eating at diners, or going to see movies. They each describe their friendship in very sweet, affectionate terms as a valuable lifelong refuge from the craziness of the business (listen to Topher’s podcast episode below for more on that).

Given what we know and suspect about Joseph’s sexuality, of course this bond does arouse suspicion...

Hello, Wisconsin!

I could be wrong, but I always got the impression that he left "That '70s Show" in the last season because he thought he was above it, and wanted a career as an "artiste." He probably thought his small role in "Traffic" gave him some indie cred. It took him awhile, but he has managed to nab supporting roles in big-name movies with big-name directors (Christopher Nolan, Spike Lee, etc.), though he's never really been leading man material. He does come from wealth—he's an east coast boarding school boy. Chloë Sevigny, who I frankly think lies about how much cash her family did/didn't have, was his babysitter while the two were growing up in WASPy Darien, CT.

R66 Mid-2000s. Like 2005-06. In recent years, he's downplayed their relationship (claiming they only went on "a couple of dates'"), but they were together for about a year.

There’s no way he hasn’t dated and fucked guys, too. That’s a cake-eating bisexual if ever I saw one.

Sadly he never bared is naked ass on screen.

[quote] Timmy did it right. Let the audiences worship your lithe, beauty in a dreamy, (what was) indie film. Then you are seared into the public’s eye as a sex object, eternally youthful and elegant.

Timothy Chalamet is seared into the public's eye as a smug and fugly lizard man.

R19 don’t know about that, but it’s pretty clear he has the hots for Tobey Maguire.

Look at him blush and fidget like a giddy schoolbitch when Tobey so much a compliments him.

Another one of those celebs that have zero sex appeal.

Know plenty of white bread gay and straight guys who resemble Topher Grace and none of them have trouble pulling in their day. All are happily married/partnered for years now but still could pull if they wanted.

Some people are just into that sort of bland skinny, no behind white boy look.

[quote]I could be wrong, but I always got the impression that he left "That '70s Show" in the last season because he thought he was above it, and wanted a career as an "artiste." He probably thought his small role in "Traffic"

He admitted that he left because he wanted to do movies however he wasn't just in Traffic.

He was also in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton, In Good Company and another film called P.S. in the course of a year or so. (The only one I remembered was Win a Date with Tad Hamilton but he had solid co-stars in the others.) He later landed a role as Eddie Brock/Venom in Raimi's "Spider-Man 3" but didn't get the best reviews for Spider-Man.

That's when he went the character actor route because he could afford to since he was apparently good at saving his money from That 70s Show.

That's not a unique story. Many actors have tried to fly to the sun, failed and then because they really love acting just kept on doing character roles in things they liked.

R9 funny you mention that. My Doc and therapist both think I have some mild form of ASD, and looking back for me Eric Forman was the only relatable character on THAT 70s SHOW....

R18 Topher probably wasn’t the same after that scene. Bear in mind JGL was his irl best friend at the time, and neither had kissed a man onscreen before (maybe not even offscreen, either(. That has to be a nerve-wracking situation for an actor, however you feel about it.

R139 the poor reviews for SPIDER-MAN III had little to do with Topher. There was a small contingent of comic fanboys who bitched that Eddie Brock was physically meant to be a buff bodybuilder type (hence the later casting of Tom Hardy) and a friend less than a rival to Peter, but in fact most regular movie-goers (who were not invested in the comicbooks) didn’t care about this change and felt Topher’s Eddie worked well enough for the story & Universe. As someone who read the books but also liked the Raimi movies, I felt it was an interesting fresh take on the character and the dynamic. Topher & Tobey had good chemistry, and interesting sexual tension imo.

Don’t really get the hate for Topher, all around. He seems like a down-to-Earth, responsible, regular actor who just wants to show up for work. Sure, he was born into money, but he sure put in work and effort in an inhospitable environment all through his twenties to make his own. But maybe his privilege and his normality is the main issue for DL, in conjunction with his lack of body.

I'd never really thought about how many scumbags were actually in the main cast of That 70s Show. I don't know if leaving it early or not hanging put with the rest of the cast hurt his career but good on him tbh. You can only turn down so many invitations to underage drug fuelled rape parties at the Scientology temple before you decide its not worth being in an early 2000s Fox comedy.

[quote] the poor reviews for SPIDER-MAN III had little to do with Topher.

I didn't have a problem with the film, personally. The question was, why he shifted his career. He heard the criticism (that he was miscast) and felt like he had to respond to it multiple times. Either way, he's still listed as one of the worst casting choices of all time. He has talked pretty openly about this.

“I’m not gay, JC....”

*chuckles* “You sound just like Lance.”

@Topher's agent: would love to see him play a substantial gay role (lead or supporting), with physical skin and intimacy on show. It's one archetypal box he hasn't yet ticked, and he's going to age out fairly soon if he doesn't get on it. But how to cast him?

slightly wall-eyed, is he?