Christopher John "Topher" Grace (/ˈtoʊfər/ TOH-fər; born July 12, 1978)[1] is an American actor. He portrayed Eric Forman in the teen sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2005) and Eddie Brock / Venom in Sam Raimi's superhero film Spider-Man 3 (2007).
Topher Grace | |
|---|---|
 Grace in 2019 | |
| Born | Christopher John Grace July 12, 1978 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Grace has also starred in the crime drama Traffic (2000), the drama Mona Lisa Smile (2003), the romantic comedies Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004), In Good Company (2004) and Valentine's Day (2010), and the action film Predators (2010). He has since had supporting roles in the science fiction film Interstellar (2014) and crime drama BlacKkKlansman (2018). From 2021 to 2023, he played the lead role in the ABC comedy series Home Economics.
Early life
editGrace was born on July 12, 1978, in New York City,[2][3] the son of Pat, an assistant to the schoolmaster of the New Canaan Country School, and John Grace, a Madison Avenue executive.[4][5] He has a sister, Jenny.[6] His paternal grandmother was from a German-Jewish family, whereas his mother is of Irish descent.[7][8]
Grace grew up in Darien, Connecticut, where actress Kate Bosworth was a middle-school friend, and actress Chloë Sevigny—who later appeared with him in high school stage plays—was sometimes his babysitter.[6]
Career
editGrace was cast as Eric Forman on Fox's That '70s Show, which debuted in 1998. He played the role regularly until the show's 7th season, when his character was written out and replaced with a new character named Randy Pearson (Josh Meyers). Grace made a brief guest appearance in the final episode.[9][10]
Grace played a prep school student who introduces his girlfriend to freebasing in director Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film Traffic, as well as having uncredited cameos as himself in Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven and its 2004 sequel, Ocean's Twelve. "The joke is that you're supposed to play the worst version of yourself and I don't think too many people are comfortable with that. I never thought for a second that people were really going to think that's what I was like. I think that people will know that I was faking it in those movies", he told Flaunt magazine in 2007.[citation needed]
He planned to cameo in Ocean's Thirteen. However, due to his role in Spider-Man 3, he had to abandon these plans. As Grace said, "I was doing reshoots on Spider-Man 3. I was bummed. I actually talked to Steven Soderbergh about that and we had a thing and then I couldn't do it."[11] He appeared in director Mike Newell's 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile.[12]
In 2004, Grace played the leading roles in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! and In Good Company. That same year, he starred in P.S., which received only a limited theatrical release. Grace won the National Board of Review's 2004 award for Breakthrough Performance Actor for his work in In Good Company and P.S.[5]
On January 15, 2005, Grace hosted Saturday Night Live.[5][13]
In 2007, Grace portrayed Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi. Grace himself was a fan of the comics and read the Venom stories as a child.[14] In 2009, Grace became the subject of a recurring column on the entertainment/pop culture site Videogum, entitled "What's Up With Topher Grace?"[15]
In 2010, Grace appeared in the ensemble comedy Valentine's Day and played the character of Edwin in Predators.[16]
In 2011, Grace appeared in the 1980s retro comedy Take Me Home Tonight.[17] He co-wrote the script and co-produced the film. Grace also starred opposite Richard Gere in the spy thriller The Double.[18]
In 2012, Grace starred alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Matthew Gray Gubler in the social film The Beauty Inside, which won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approach to an Original Daytime Program or Series in 2013. The film was directed by Drake Doremus and written by Richard Greenberg.[19]
In 2014, Grace starred in the indie thriller The Calling, alongside Susan Sarandon,[20] and appeared in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi adventure Interstellar, in a supporting role.[21]
In October 2013, Grace joined HBO comedy pilot People in New Jersey with Sarah Silverman, but in January 2014, the pilot was passed on.[22][23]
Grace co-starred in the comedy film American Ultra (2015), alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, playing a CIA agent.[24] That same year, he co-starred in Truth, with Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett, based on the story of CBS's 60 Minutes report that George W. Bush had received preferential treatment to keep him out of the Vietnam War. Grace played Mike Smith, a researcher on the story.[25]
In January 2018, Grace joined the supernatural-thriller Delirium, which centers on a man recently released from a mental institute who inherits a mansion after his parents die. After a series of disturbing events, he comes to believe it is haunted.[26] In August 2018, Grace portrayed David Duke in the biographical crime film BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee, alongside John David Washington and Adam Driver.[27] In 2019, he played Billy Bauer in the 2nd episode of Black Mirror’s 5th season, titled "Smithereens". In 2020, Grace was cast in ABC's Home Economics pilot.[28] On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Grace would have a guest appearance in the follow-up sitcom, That '90s Show.[29]
Editing and "Lou's Cafe"
editGrace has long held an interest in making fan edits of popular films, particularly those involving Star Wars. He has stated that this has become a source of relaxation for him. His edits were shared on his now-defunct pop-culture website Cereal Prize.[citation needed]
In 2012, he edited the Star Wars prequel trilogy into one 85-minute film,[30] titled Star Wars: Episode III.5: The Editor Strikes Back[31] and showed it to select audiences. The edit utilized original footage, music from the Clone Wars series, and a portion from Anthony Daniels' audiobook recordings.[citation needed]
In 2014, he created a cut of Boogie Nights that served as a reconstruction of the character Brock Landers' fake movie Angels Live in My Town.[32]
In 2018, he created his own edit of The Hobbit, stating that "I think that maybe The Hobbit should've been one movie, and many people would agree. Money drives a lot of those franchises. It's better when the art leads."[33] He specifically edited this as a way to relax while portraying David Duke in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.[citation needed]
In 2019, Grace and editor Jeff Yorkes started a Twitter account for "Lou's Cafe", the pseudonym by which the two credit their work. The name comes from the diner featured in the film Back to the Future. Later that year, he and Yorkes were commissioned by Pixar to edit a retrospective for Toy Story 4, which was titled "Toy Story 4 Ever" and released on Pixar's YouTube account.[citation needed]
Personal life
editGrace started dating actress Ashley Hinshaw in January 2014, and the two became engaged in January 2015.[34] On May 29, 2016, Grace and Hinshaw married near Santa Barbara, California.[35] They have two children.[36][37]
Grace is a supporter of FINCA International, a microfinance organization.[38]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Traffic | Seth Abrahams | |
| 2001 | Ocean's Eleven | Himself | Uncredited cameo[citation needed] |
| 2002 | Pinocchio | Leonardo | Voice role (English dub) |
| 2003 | Mona Lisa Smile | Tommy Donegal | |
| 2004 | Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! | Pete Monash | |
| P.S. | F. Scott Feinstadt | ||
| Ocean's Twelve | Himself | Uncredited cameo[citation needed] | |
| In Good Company | Carter Duryea | ||
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Eddie Brock / Venom | |
| 2008 | Personal Effects | Clay | Voice role; uncredited[citation needed] |
| 2010 | Valentine's Day | Jason Morris | |
| Predators | Edwin | ||
| 2011 | Take Me Home Tonight | Matt Franklin | Also writer and executive producer |
| The Double | Ben Geary | ||
| 2012 | The Giant Mechanical Man | Doug | |
| 2013 | The Big Wedding | Jared Griffin | |
| 2014 | Don Peyote | Glavin Culpepper | |
| The Calling | Ben Wingate | ||
| Playing It Cool | Scott | ||
| Interstellar | Getty | ||
| 2015 | American Ultra | Agent Adrian Yates | |
| Truth | Mike Smith | ||
| 2017 | The Institute | Vincent | |
| War Machine | Matt Little | ||
| Opening Night | Nick | Also producer | |
| 2018 | Delirium | Tom | |
| BlacKkKlansman | David Duke | ||
| Under the Silver Lake | Man at Bar | ||
| 2019 | Mississippi Requiem | TBA | |
| Breakthrough | Pastor Jason Noble | ||
| 2020 | Irresistible | Kurt Farlander | |
| 2024 | Heretic | Elder Kennedy | |
| 2025 | Flight Risk | Winston | Post-production |
| TBA | Huntington | TBA | Post-production |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2005 2006 |
That '70s Show | Eric Forman | Main role (seasons 1–7); Uncredited cameo (season 8)[citation needed] |
| 2002 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Guard 1 | Voice role; episode: "Space Ape at the Cape" |
| 2003 | King of the Hill | Chris | Voice role; episode: "Megalo Dale" |
| 2005 | Saturday Night Live | Himself / Host | Episode: "Topher Grace / The Killers" |
| Stella | Older Kevin | Episode: "Paper Route" | |
| Robot Chicken | Eric Forman | Voice role; episode: "Gold Dust Gasoline" | |
| 2008 | The Simpsons | Donny | Voice role; episode: "The Debarted" |
| 2011 | Too Big to Fail | Jim Wilkinson | Television film |
| 2012 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Cameraman | Episode: "Seth Rogen Wears a Plaid Shirt & Brown Pants" |
| The Beauty Inside | Alex | 6 episodes | |
| 2013 | People in New Jersey | Carl Levin | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2015 | The Muppets | Himself | Episode: Pilot |
| Drunk History | Milton Bradley | Episode: "Games" | |
| 2016 | TripTank | Leonard | Voice role; episode: "Sick Day" |
| 2017 | Workaholics | Noel | Episode: "Weed the People" |
| Get Shorty | Tyler Mathis | 2 episodes | |
| 2019 | Love, Death & Robots | Rob | Episode: "Ice Age" |
| The Hot Zone | Dr. Peter Jahrling | Miniseries | |
| Black Mirror | Billy Bauer | Episode: "Smithereens" | |
| 2020 | The Twilight Zone | Mark | Episode: "Try, Try" |
| 2021–2023 | Home Economics | Tom | Main role |
| 2023 | That '90s Show | Eric Forman | Episode: "That '90s Pilot" |
| TBA | The Waterfront | Grady | Recurring role[39] |
Music videos
edit- In the Street (1999) by Cheap Trick, as Eric Forman
- Don't You Want Me Baby (2011) from Atomic Tom, as Himself
Video games
edit- Spider-Man 3 (2007), as Eddie Brock / Venom
Stage
edit- Lonely, I'm Not (2012), as Porter, at Second Stage Theatre[40]
Awards and nominations
editFilm
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Accolade | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | That '70s Show | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV – Breakout Performance | Nominated |
| Young Artist Award for Breakthrough Performance in a Television Series – Leading Young Actor | Nominated | ||
| Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Television Series – Young Ensemble (shared with Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama, Danny Masterson & Ashton Kutcher) | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor | Nominated | |
| 2001 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor | Nominated | |
| 2002 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor – Comedy | Nominated | |
| 2003 | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor – Comedy | Nominated | |
| 2013 | The Beauty Inside | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approaches – Original Daytime Program or Series | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Topher Grace – Behind The Voice Actors". Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ Brunner, Borgna (2005). Time Almanac 2006: With Information Please. Time Inc. p. 295. ISBN 1-932994-41-6.
- ^ "Topher Grace Profile". E!. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
- ^ "About". Yahoo!. Retrieved September 9, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c Hill, Logan (May 24, 2005). "Deadpan Alley". New York. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ^ a b Keck, William (December 21, 2004). "The personification of Grace". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 19, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
- ^ Curran, Joan Ferris (1986). "Jonas and Betty (Kohn) Wollman and Their Descendants".
- ^ Curran, Joan Ferris (1996). "Descendants of Salomon Bloch of Janowitz, Bohemia, and Baruch Wollman of Kempen-in-Posen, Prussia".
- ^ "Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace to Return to That '70s Show?". Hollywood.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "10 Sitcoms that Lost Their Lead Actors and Kept Going". Splitsider. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Topel, Fred (April 22, 2007). "No Topher Grace Cameo in "Oceans 13". Rotten Tomatoes; accessed September 26, 2017.
- ^ "Topher Grace". TV Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "Topher Grace profile". The SNL Archives. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
- ^ Murray, Rebecca. "Topher Grace Talks About Venom and Spiderman 3". About.com Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "What's Up With Topher Grace?", Videogum; retrieved April 15, 2013.
- ^ "The Mystery of What the Hell Topher Grace Is Doing in Predators Deepens". Topless Robot. April 14, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Faris, Fogler "Kids" again in comedy film Archived 2007-02-23 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters, February 8, 2007.
- ^ Browne, Niall (2011). "Richard Gere & Topher Grace See 'Double'", Screen Rant; accessed September 26, 2017.
- ^ "A shape-shifting lead played by fans shows inner beauty". Creativity Online. July 24, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ Venable, Nick (April 6, 2013). "Susan Sarandon and Topher Grace Join Indie Thriller The Calling". cinemablend.com. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 23, 2013). "Topher Grace In 'Interstellar' — Supporting Role In Chris Nolan Movie". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 4, 2013). "Topher Grace & Sarah Silverman Topline HBO Comedy Pilot 'People In New Jersey'". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Kiefer, Halle (January 22, 2014). "HBO Passes on People in New Jersey". Vulture. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "Topher Grace Joins 'American Ultra'". Deadline. April 2014. Archived from the original on August 30, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ Busch, Anita. "Topher Grace Cast In 'Truth' Movie About Dan Rather-George W Bush Scandal". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 3, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "Topher Grace to Star in Supernatural Thriller 'Home' for Blumhouse". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
- ^ "BlacKkKlansman (2018) - IMDb". IMDb.
- ^ "Topher Grace Cast in ABC 'Home Economics' Comedy Pilot". February 14, 2020.
- ^ Aquilina, Tyler. "That '70s Show stars to return for Netflix spin-off That '90s Show". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- ^ "'The Phantom Menace' Ruined Jake Lloyd's Childhood & Topher Grace Edited All 3 'Star Wars' Prequels Into An 85-Minute Movie For Some Reason". theplaylist.net. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Topher Grace Edited The 'Star Wars' Prequels Into One 85-Minute Movie and We Saw It". /Film. March 7, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ Nastasi, Alison. "Watch: Topher Grace's 'Boogie Nights' Remix Shows Us the Complete Fake Porn Movie | Movie News". Movies.com. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ "Topher Grace Re-edited 'The Hobbit' To Help Deal With The Stress Of Playing A Racist For Spike Lee". theplaylist.net. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
- ^ McRady, Rachel (January 11, 2015). "Topher Grace Engaged to Actress Ashley Hinshaw: See Her Ring!". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- ^ Leonard, Elizabeth; Quinn, Dave (May 30, 2016). "That '70s Show Star Topher Grace Ties the Knot with Ashley Hinshaw". People. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
- ^ "Topher Grace and His Wife Ashley Hinshaw Welcome a Daughter".
- ^ "Baby No. 2 on the Way! Topher Grace and Wife Ashley Hinshaw Expecting Second Child Together". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ Topher Grace about FINCA on Jimmy Fallon Archived 2010-12-30 at the Wayback Machine, finca.org, March 20, 2011.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 2, 2024). "Topher Grace Joins Kevin Williamson's Netflix Series 'The Waterfront'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
- ^ "'Lonely, I'm Not', With Topher Grace as a Post-Meltdown Corporate Star, Opens in NYC". Yahoo News. May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
External links
edit
- Topher Grace at IMDb
- Topher Grace at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- IGN Films interview (December 22, 2004)
- About.com interview (January 2004)