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Written by MOLLY SHALGOS
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Friday, 22 April 2005 |
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There was once a time when having a name like “Topher” seemed likely to condemn you to a lifetime of wedgies and swirlies. That was before 1998, when a young actor named Topher Grace landed the leading role of Eric Foreman on Fox’s surprise hit sitcom “That 70s Show,” despite having only a handful of school plays under his belt.
It was a risky gamble, but over the course of seven seasons, Grace proved that he was more than up to the challenge. His impeccable comic timing and natural boy-next-door charm distinguished him as one of the leading breakout stars on a show that launched several of them.
But while Ashton Kutcher went on to play Michael Kelso over…and over…and over again in multiple films, Grace demonstrated that he was capable of much more than playing the straight man. He chose scripts with characters that were markedly different from his sitcom counterpart and sparked comparisons to the early stages of Tom Hanks’ career.
While his costars crave the spotlight by playing tricks on fellow celebrities or dating barely legal starlets, Grace is content to fly under the radar, taking small roles in films such as “Traffic” and “Ocean’s 11” before jumping headlong into romantic comedies in the past year. He has established himself as an actor instead of a celebrity. Simply put, Grace is cool because he doesn't care if he is. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
