The Kids Are Alright

FOX—That '70s Show
Sundays, 8:30 ET
By Christine Champagne

GIST TV pulled up a bean-bag chair and got to know the kids from That '70s Show at a recent Fox party celebrating the debut of the sitcom, which follows a group of teens growing up in Wisconsin. The show is set in 1976, a year when Todd Rundgren was selling out stadiums, Charlie's Angels was one of TV's top shows, bell bottoms were in and everyone was wearing those annoying yellow smiley-face buttons. That's ancient history, though, to most of the cast members—who weren't even born or were just in diapers in the late '70s.

Actor: Ashton Kutcher He Plays: The gorgeous but gullible Michael Kelso His Character Is Like: Vinnie Barbarino of Welcome Back Kotter Ashton Kutcher can relate to the bored suburban teenagers on That '70s Show perhaps better than any of his other castmates. "I lived it," says the 20-year-old, who grew up in Homestead, Iowa, a town of 100 people. "There was nothing to do. It was all about friends and making our own fun," recalls Kutcher. "So it was a keg in a cornfield and cow-tipping." Kutcher studied biochemical engineering for a year and a half at the University of Iowa before he began modeling in New York, doing ads and runway work for the likes of Calvin Klein, Gucci and Versace. But, like most models, he really wanted to act. "[Modeling] paid the bills until I could get a job," says Kutcher, who was offered a role on NBC’s new series Wind on Water but turned it down in favor of this part. Smart choice.

Actor: Mila Kunis She Plays: Jackie Burkhardt, Kelso’s spoiled and spacey girlfriend Her Character Is Like: Marsha Brady of The Brady Bunch Kunis, 15, wasn’t even alive in the '70s, but she says the decade doesn’t seem so foreign to her. "Since I was not born in 1976, I didn’t really know the atmosphere, but kids have always been dealing with drugs and sex. You can always relate to that no matter what era you grow up in," she reasons. Mila started acting at the age of 10, playing a young Hope on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Her other credits include the HBO movie Gia (she played a young Gia), Seventh Heaven, Nick Freno and Baywatch ("Hey, I met Pamela Anderson!") and the film Krippendorf’s Tribe. So what's the best thing about being on That '70s Show? The wardrobe is right up there on Kunis' list. "I've been telling everyone about these socks that I have to wear. They're like gloves for your feet," she enthuses. Uh, you mean toe socks? "You know what they are! Finally, someone who knows what I'm talking about!" Oh, to be 15 again.

Actor: Topher Grace He Plays: Eric Foreman, a smart straight-arrow His Character Is Like: Richie Cunningham of Happy Days Topher Grace was discovered by the executives who produce That ’70s Show while appearing in a school play in New Hampshire. They got his number and called him six months later when they were casting the show. Grace says he plays the character least rooted in the '70s. "[Eric] is dealing with all the timeless issues like parent/child separation and dealing with your friends, trying to steal the car to go to a concert. Just normal stuff," says 20-year-old Grace, who feels all too comfortable in the role of the slightly nervous teen. "I think I’m well-researched in being an awkward teenage guy," he says, noting, "I still am one." If there is one thing Grace doesn't like about doing the show, it's having to sport such a poofy hairdo. "It makes my head look too big for my body, which is like a tube," he complains.

Actor: Wilmer Valderrama He Plays: Fez, the clueless foreign exchange student His Character Is Like: Latka Gravas of Taxi Wilmer, who emigrated the United States from Venezuela, relates to his alter-ego Fez. "I used to be a little bit like Fez when I was young. I've only been here in this country four and a half years and am still finding new things about the United States and finding pretty much myself with a lot of questions about America," says Valderrama, who is 18. What he knows of the '70s is what he has culled from conversations with the show's writers. "In my mind, the less research I do the better because my character is going through a learning process. He really doesn't know what the '70s are about."

Actress: Laura Prepon She Plays: Donna Pinciotti, Eric's smart and sassy next-door neighbor Her Character Is Like: Laurie Partridge, The Partridge Family Laura Prepon was surprised to learn that Burt Reynolds was a stud in the '70s. "Someone told me that today, and I was like, 'What did he do?' says 18-year-old Prepon (who clearly hasn't caught Smokey and the Bandit on cable). She feels no need to be an expert on the '70s. "We deal with the same issues that teenagers deal with today, so you don’t really have to do that much research," says Prepon, who actually did recognize Tanya Roberts, her mom on the show. "She was a Charlie's Angel," Prepon says. "We don’t really talk about her recent work, though." Enough said.

Actor: Danny Masterson He Plays: Steve Hyde, the conspiracy theorist His Character Is Like: Was there a '70s TV character quite as paranoid as Hyde? Masterson, 22, adopted the '70s look pretty easily. "I've kind of been on the '70s tip for a couple of years," says the actor (Cybill). "I'm used to having big fat mutton-chop sideburns." Aside from having the look down, Masterson is also a fan of the music from the decade. "I'm not a big disco guy," notes Masterson, who cites Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones among his favorite bands. And yes, he can relate to Hyde, especially his alter-ego's insistence that everything's a conspiracy. Like Hyde, Masterson is afraid of computers. The actor has other fears, too. "I get a little nervous how they’re getting rid of cash because cash is king. You get rid of cash, and everything’s on a computer, everything’s controlled and that’s big..." Okay, we get it.