Topher Grace
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Christopher John "Topher" Grace (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born July 12, 1978), is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Eric Forman in the sitcom That '70s Show (1998–2005) and Eddie Brock / Venom in the film Spider-Man 3 (2007). He has also starred in the films Traffic (2000), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004), In Good Company (2004), Valentine's Day (2010), and Predators (2010).
Grace also played the lead role in the ABC comedy series Home Economics (2021–2023) and has had supporting roles in films such as Interstellar (2014), BlacKkKlansman (2018), and Heretic (2024)
Early life
Christopher John Grace was born in New York City<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on July 12, 1978.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His mother, Pat, was the assistant to New Canaan Country School's headmaster; his father, John Grace, was a Madison Avenue executive.<ref name="yahoobio">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="nymag52105"/> He has a sister named Jenny.<ref name=usatoday12-21-04/> His mother is of Irish descent, whilst his paternal grandmother came from a German-Jewish family with links to the Polish town of Kępno.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Grace was raised an Episcopalian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He grew up in Darien, Connecticut, where he became friends with Kate Bosworth in middle school and was babysat by Chloë Sevigny, who later appeared with him in high school plays.<ref name=usatoday12-21-04>Template:Cite news</ref>
Career
Grace 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Reflecting on his experience working on the show in 2018, Grace described it as being "like a boot camp [...] for acting." He explained: "There's a filmic element, so you learn that. There's a live audience, so there's kind of a theater element. And when you suck, which you do — especially, like me, if you've never acted before — you get back up next week, do another show. And I think everyone on that show would tell you that over four or five years, we got good."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.Template: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."<ref>Topel, Fred (April 22, 2007). "No Topher Grace Cameo in "Oceans 13". Rotten Tomatoes; accessed September 26, 2017.</ref> He appeared in director Mike Newell's 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
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.<ref name="nymag52105">Template:Cite news</ref>
On January 15, 2005, Grace hosted Saturday Night Live.<ref name="nymag52105" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Grace became the subject of a recurring column on the entertainment/pop culture site Videogum, entitled "What's Up With Topher Grace?"<ref>"What's Up With Topher Grace?", Videogum; retrieved April 15, 2013.</ref>
In 2010, Grace appeared in the ensemble comedy Valentine's Day and played the character of Edwin in Predators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2011, Grace appeared in the 1980s retro comedy Take Me Home Tonight.<ref name="Kids casting">Faris, Fogler "Kids" again in comedy film Template:Webarchive, Reuters, February 8, 2007.</ref> He co-wrote the script and co-produced the film. Grace also starred opposite Richard Gere in the spy thriller The Double.<ref>Browne, Niall (2011). "Richard Gere & Topher Grace See 'Double'", Screen Rant; accessed September 26, 2017.</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 2014, Grace starred in the indie thriller The Calling, alongside Susan Sarandon,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and appeared in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi adventure Interstellar, in a supporting role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2013, Grace joined HBO comedy pilot People in New Jersey with Sarah Silverman, but in January 2014, the pilot was passed on.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Grace co-starred in the comedy film American Ultra (2015), alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, playing a CIA agent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2018, Grace portrayed David Duke in the biographical crime film BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee, alongside John David Washington and Adam Driver.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Grace would have a guest appearance in the follow-up sitcom, That '90s Show.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2024, Grace starred in the horror film Heretic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2025, he starred in the action thriller Flight Risk.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Other ventures
Grace 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.<ref name="Weiner - Yahoo">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, he edited the Star Wars prequel trilogy into one 85-minute film,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> titled Star Wars: Episode III.5: The Editor Strikes Back<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Sciretta - Slash Film">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He specifically edited this as a way to relax while portraying David Duke in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.<ref name="Shpherd, Independent">Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Anderton - SlashFilm">Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Grace started dating actress Ashley Hinshaw in January 2014. They were engaged in January 2015<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and married near Santa Barbara, California, on May 29, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They have two children and were expecting a third as of September 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Grace is a supporter of the microfinance organization FINCA International.<ref name="http://www.finca.org/">Topher Grace about FINCA on Jimmy Fallon Template:Webarchive, finca.org, March 20, 2011.</ref>
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Traffic | Seth Abrahams | |
| 2001 | Ocean's Eleven | Himself | Uncredited cameo<ref name="ScreenRant">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 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<ref name="ScreenRant" /> | |
| In Good Company | Carter Duryea | ||
| 2007 | Spider-Man 3 | Eddie Brock / Venom | |
| 2008 | Personal Effects | Clay | Voice role; uncredited<ref name="Personal Effects IMDB">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 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 | Template:TableTBA | |
| Breakthrough | Pastor Jason Noble | ||
| 2020 | Irresistible | Kurt Farlander | |
| 2024 | Heretic | Elder Kennedy | |
| 2025 | Flight Risk | Winston | |
| 2026 | How to Make a Killing | Template:TableTBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Misty Green | Template:TableTBA | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2005 2006 |
That '70s Show | Eric Forman | Main role (seasons 1–7); Uncredited cameo (season 8)<ref name="Fandomwire">Template:Cite web</ref> |
| 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" |
| 2024 | The Simpsons | Billy O'Donnell | Voice role; episode: "Shoddy Heat" |
| 2025 | The Waterfront | Grady | Recurring role<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Music videos
- In the Street (1999) by Cheap Trick, as Eric Forman
- Don't You Want Me Baby (2011) from Atomic Tom, as Himself
Video games
- Spider-Man 3 (2007), as Eddie Brock / Venom
Stage
- Lonely, I'm Not (2012), as Porter, at Second Stage Theatre<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Awards and nominations
Film
Television
References
External links
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:Iobdb name
- IGN Films interview (December 22, 2004)
- About.com interview (January 2004)
Template:National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance
- 1978 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- American male voice actors
- American people of German-Jewish descent
- American people of Irish descent
- Daytime Emmy Award winners
- Jewish American male actors
- Male actors from Connecticut
- Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
- People from Darien, Connecticut
- Darien High School alumni
- 21st-century American Jews