The Best Guest Stars On That '70s Show
Making its debut in 1998, "That '70s Show" offered television viewers a shot of comedy nostalgia, following the adventures of a group of teenagers growing up in a small Wisconsin town during the 1970s. Much of the action revolved around the ensemble cast, which included Topher Grace as Eric Forman, Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti, Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, and Wilmer Valderrama as foreign exchange student Fez.
Running for eight successful seasons when it ended its run in 2006, the show boomeranged back into the headlines some years later. As The Hollywood Reporter noted in October 2021, Netflix announced a spinoff/revival set two decades later was in the works. Per the press release, "That '90s Show" focuses on the exploits of the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna.
During those eight seasons, "That '70s Show" welcomed a lot of cameos, some then-unknowns destined for future fame, some already huge established stars. For a memory refresher on all the amazing talent to drop by the show over the years, read on for a nostalgic look back at the best guest stars on "That '70s Show."
Betty White played Eric's atrocious grandmother
Two of Betty White's most iconic television roles are scheming, hyper-sexualized cooking show host Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and sweetly daffy Rose Nylund on "The Golden Girls." It was "That '70s Show," however, that gave the TV legend the opportunity to play a character who was just plain nasty: Bea Sigurdson, mother of Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) and grandmother of Eric (Topher Grace), who is accompanied by husband Burt (Tom Poston of "Newhart" fame) when she makes her first appearance, paying a visit to the Formans. Described by Screen Rant as "immensely rude and downright cruel," Bea had no reservations about barking commands at everyone, and took wicked delight in putting down her daughter and husband Red (Kurtwood Smith) at every available opportunity. As White's IMDb credits confirm, she played Bea a total of four times on the series.
In one of those episodes, it's revealed that Bea's husband had died. This led to a dark fan theory to emerge on Reddit. According to the individual who cooked up the hypothesis pointed out, prior to his death, Burt blew all their money on an ostrich farm before suffering a fatal heart attack, leading the Redditor to surmise that Bea deliberately poisoned Burt in order to collect on his life insurance policy.
While that was never confirmed nor denied in the show, anyone who saw Bea in action would have to seriously consider it.
Seth Green played Eric's nemesis
As Insider recalled, among the many screen credits of Seth Green — known for his roles in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Family Guy," among others — are several guest-starring appearances on "That '70s Show." Appearing in five episodes, Green played Mitch Miller, editor of the high school newspaper and uber-nemesis of Topher Grace's Eric Forman, serving to be a persistent thorn in Eric's side. That was particularly true in the 2003 episode titled "The Battle of Evermore," when Mitch and his dad (played by Fred Willard) utterly destroy Eric and Red (Kurtwood Smith) when they compete in a Paul Bunyan-themed father-son charity event.
Interestingly enough, Green isn't the only "Buffy" alum to drop by Point Place, WIsconsin; Alyson Hannigan (Willow) and Eliza Dushku (Faith) also guested on "That '70s Show," playing, respectively, Suzy Simpson (whom Kitty sets up on a date with Fez), and "Sizzling Sarah," who is instrumental in Donna getting fired from her job at local radio station.
Luke Wilson recurred as Kelso's older brother
Luke Wilson, known for his roles in such films as "Old School," and "Legally Blonde," is also a member of the "That '70s Show" family. As viewers will recall, he played Casey Kelso, older brother of Ashton Kutcher's Kelso, in six episodes of the sitcom. Casey was first introduced in the 2002 episode "Donna Dates a Kelso," in which the character returns to Point Place after a stint in the army. As the title suggests, Donna reluctantly goes on a date with Casey. In a subsequent episode, jealous Eric confronts Casey, who reveals his true intentions toward Donna are to use her and dump her. Reflecting upon the sitcom's cameos, The Washington Post called Wilson's performance "great."
In Casey's final appearance, a few years later, he's now working as a gym teacher. When Eric is denied his diploma because he failed physical education, he's forced to take summer school phys-ed classes — which just happen to be taught by Casey, still bitter about being dumped by Donna, who's now Eric's girlfriend. Casey winds up offering Eric a deal: he'll pass him, allowing him to get his high school diploma, if he can successfully perform one single pull-up.
Kelso's big bro didn't show up in the last season of the series. As Screen Rant noted, "his fate was left unknown," but Casey's "disappearance was also likely connected to Wilson's busy schedule" at the time.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt guested as Eric's lab partner
Joseph Gordon-Levitt had already established himself on hit sitcom "3rd Rock from the Sun" when he guest-starred in the 1998 episode "Eric's Buddy." His character, Buddy Morgan, is assigned as Eric's (Topher Grace) lab partner, and the two hit it off and become good friends. What Eric doesn't discover until later is that Buddy's gay, and his feelings toward him are far more than platonic. When Buddy finally tells Eric the truth and gives him a kiss, Eric is left completely stunned.
As Screen Rant pointed out, that particular "That '70s Show" episode wasn't just funny and touching, but was also groundbreaking, noting that it was "the first-ever kiss between two males on North American primetime TV." According to Screen Rant, rumor had it that Gordon-Levitt's character was initially intended to be a recurring one, but "mixed" reaction from fans reportedly led producers to scrap that plan.
"Oh, I was totally proud of that, and I still am," Gordon-Levitt said of his "That '70s Show" guest spot in an interview with The Advocate. "It was a great bit, and it got a great reaction. More than anything else, though, I remember that it was written very well, because the emphasis wasn't on it being gay but on making sure the scene worked and was funny. It was great that it showed people it was just a normal thing."
Mary Tyler Moore shone as Jackie's idol
Betty White wasn't the only legendary star of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" to guest on "That '70s Show," with Mary Tyler Moore herself appearing in three episodes as TV talk show host Christine St. George. As Screen Rant recapped, Jackie (Mila Kunis) — a huge fan — lands a job working for Christine, only to discover the sweet and smiling persona she exudes on the air is the polar opposite of her actual personality.
As Moore told USA Today, she was thrilled to be able to play a part so different from her iconic "Mary Tyler Moore Show" protagonist. Mary Richards, she told the newspaper, was "ladylike and wholesome and welcoming," while her character on "That '70s Show" was "just the opposite ... Christine St. George is a very self-centered woman, a tad psychotic." Kunis, who acted opposite Moore in those episodes, gushed, "She will try anything. She's very gung-ho."
Meanwhile, USA Today also pointed out one special aspect about Moore's appearances that viewers likely wouldn't have known: her scenes were filmed on the same soundstage where she shot "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" way back in the actual '70s. Returning to that same stage and performing for a live audience, she told USA Today, definitely brought back memories. "It's the sound of laughter," she said. "That's what I miss more than anything."
Billy Dee Williams' very meta cameo
As "That '70s Show" progressed, Eric (Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon) had decided to get married. In preparation for the wedding, they underwent some pre-marriage therapy from Pastor Dan, played by Billy Dee Williams.
What made the episode so funny was that Eric wound up bonding with the clergyman over their shared love of "Star Wars" — made all the more hilarious that the guy playing Pastor Dan also portrayed Lando Calrissian in the sci-fi film franchise. That comes into play in one scene where he gives the almost-married couple a theology lesson about the sacredness of sex within marriage. Pastor Dan's explanation, however, leads Eric's thoughts to lay less with the Bible than with a galaxy far, far away. "I don't mean to bring up 'Star Wars' again," says Eric, causing Donna to roll her eyes. "This is a lot like Luke before he discovered the force." Responds Pastor Dan, "Exactly!" The meta is strong with this one.
Williams' guest spot was far from the only reference to "Star Wars" in "That '70s Show." An episode called "A New Hope," for example, saw the gang see the film in the theatre, leading Kelso to become obsessed with it. Eventually, Eric has a trippy dream in which he's Luke Skywalker with the rest of the cast playing various "Star Wars" characters.
French Stewart's role 'was a little too weird'
French Stewart, best known for playing a wacky extraterrestrial on "3rd Rock from the Sun," upped the silliness factor when he appeared in a 2001 "That '70s Show" episode that featured a subplot about a contest held by the local radio station where Donna (Laura Prepon) worked. Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) becomes hell-bent on winning the grand prize — a new van — by being the competitor who can keep his hand affixed to the vehicle for the longest amount of time.
Determined to win, Kelso's plan to drive off in his new van hits a speed bump when another gladiator enters the field: Daniel, portrayed by Stewart, who has made it his life's work to win similar radio station contests. No novice at this particular competition, Daniel brings some psychological mind games to the contest that rise to a level at which poor Kelso can't compete. For added authenticity, actor Howard Hesseman plays the radio deejay, a sly nod to his role as record-spinning Dr. Johnny Fever in 1970s sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati."
Looking back at the role, Screen Rant determined that, in retrospect, "Stewart's character is perhaps a little too weird for his own good," while also pointing out that Daniel is also placed "in a storyline that's pretty incidental."
Tommy Chong had a recurring role as aging hippie Leo
One half of comedy duo Cheech & Chong, Tommy Chong brought some authentic 1970s stoner cred to his recurring role as Leo, initially introduced as owner of the Fotohut that employs Fez (Wilmer Valderrama). According to Chong's IMDb credits, he made a whopping 65 appearances on the show. As Screen Rant recalled, Leo first appeared in the second season, with the character recurring throughout that season and the next. For the fourth season, Chong was promoted to full-fledged series regular, only to disappear abruptly before returning two seasons later.
The reason for Leo's disappearance wasn't due to the sitcom's storyline, but because Chong was arrested for selling bongs through the mail. Tried and convicted, Chong was sentenced to nine months in a federal prison. After his release, he returned to "That '70s Show," once again as a series regular for the show's final season.
Prior to the news that Netflix had greenlit new spinoff "That '90s Show," Chong declared in an interview with Pop Culture that he would "totally" be down for participating in a revival. "I've even played with the idea of Leo doing a spinoff," he said, envisioning a show in which the original cast members would drop "by at different times, or all together." As for where he saw his character post-"That '70s Show," Chong quipped, "Leo really hasn't changed. Leo's still the same, old hippie that he was back then."
Lindsay Lohan played one of Fez's customers
At one point during the course of "That '70s Show," Fez (Wilmer Valderrama) landed a job as a shampoo boy at a local beauty salon. In the 2004 episode titled "Mother's Little Helper," Lindsay Lohan guest starred as Danielle, a customer at the salon who attracts the interest of both Fez and Kelso (Ashton Kutcher), who each pull out all the stops to make an impression on her. As Lohan told MTV News, her character found Kelso to be "really cute" but also kind of a "knucklehead." When Fez turns on the charm by telling Danielle that she's a treasure worthy of worship, Lohan explained, "she kind of switches it up and decides to diss Kelso and not go out on the date with him and go out with Fez."
Interestingly, that storyline mirrored what was going on in real life at the time, when Valderrama and Lohan were a couple during a brief four-month period in 2004. "It's very apropos," Lohan said to MTV News of her role on the show, "because I am with Wilmer, and ultimately, [no matter] who I was with [in the show], I'd end up with him."
Valderrama and Lohan ultimately split up later that same year, with Valderrama's rep telling People that the two were "still friends."
Dwayne Johnson played his dad
During Dwayne Johnson's days as a pro wrestler with the WWE, his fans could smell what The Rock was cooking, and that smell eventually wafted its way over to "That '70s Show." While these days he is one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, his IMDb credits indicated that "That '70s Show" was his first official acting role in a scripted TV series, playing a pro wrestler who gives Eric (Topher Grace) an autograph when he and Red (Kurtwood Smith) sneak backstage after the match.
Making the appearance all the more special was the fact that The Rock wasn't just portraying some random wrestler, but his own father, pro wrestler Rocky Johnson, sporting a large afro and mutton-chop sideburns to impersonate his dad during that era. "That's really nice, bringing your kid to a wrestling match," says The Rock in the scene before making an incredibly accurate prediction. "You know, I got a son," he adds, "and one day he's gonna become the most electrifying man in sports entertainment."
Sadly, the real Rocky Johnson suffered a fatal heart attack in 2020. "You trail blazed and even harder, you changed people's harsh behaviors toward a man of color," wrote the WWE star in an Instagram post, accompanying a video of the eulogy he delivered at his father's funeral. "Paving the way for me, my family and generations to come."
Bruce Willis acted opposite his ex's then-beau
In the 2005 episode "Misfire," Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) is preparing to propose to Jackie (Mila Kunis) when a complication arises. As Kelso tells the gang, "I just got offered the best job in the world. I'm gonna be a security guard at the Playboy Club in Chicago!" In a brief flashback, Kelso is seen in the office of the club's super-sleazy head of security, Vic, played by Bruce Willis, to discuss a potential security gig.
While Willis only appears on screen for about two minutes, his brief cameo was made particularly memorable due to his real-life relationship with Kutcher, which was more than a little complicated. At the time, Kutcher was married to the "Die Hard" star's ex-wife Demi Moore, and was stepfather to the exes' three daughters — the oldest of whom is just 10 years younger than him.
Kutcher's marriage to Moore ultimately crashed and burned amid allegations that he cheated, which ultimately resulted in his subsequent marriage to his onscreen girlfriend Kunis.
Amy Adams played a popular kid at school
Before Amy Adams hit it big on Hollywood's A-list with her star turn in Disney's "Enchanted," Amy Adams made a guest-starring appearance on "That '70s Show" in 2000 as Kat Peterson, a.k.a. the most popular girl at Point Place High. According to Adams' IMDb credits, "That '70s Show" was only her third screen role, following small parts on "Drop Dead Gorgeous," and "Psycho Beach Party." In the episode, "Burning Down the House," Hyde (Danny Masterson) has been having a sneaky romance with Kat — but is crushed when he unexpectedly bumps into her at a party and she publicly rebuffs him.
Adams dropped by a 2018 episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," whose other guest that day just happened to be former "That '70s Show" star Ashton Kutcher. Naturally, that led to Adams sharing her memories of working on the show so early in her career. "I was so nervous," Adams recalled. "These guys were so great, so fun to work with, but so good at what they did and I was just like terrified."
According to Adams, adding to her nerves was the fact that she "was such a big fan of the show, so I of course, I didn't talk to anybody."
Jessica Simpson's character connected with Kelso
Jessica Simpson was more known for her music career and her infamous inability to differentiate between chicken and tuna on her MTV reality show "Newlyweds" when she made her first foray into acting with a three-episode stint on "That '70s Show." As IMDb reminded, she played Annette, who made her debut in the 2002 episode "Going to California," and had a brief fling with Ashton Kutcher's character, Michael Kelso — much to Jackie's (Mila Kunis) chagrin.
Interestingly enough, long after the series ended its run, RadarOnline reported in 2014 that Kutcher was brainstorming a comeback project for Simpson that would pair her with his wife (and former "That '70s Show" co-star) Mila Kunis. "Ashton has an excellent professional relationship with Jessica and is eager to revive her on-air career — by pairing her with Mila in a movie comedy," a source told the outlet.
However, as that source accurately predicted, there was also a very high probability that the project would never come together. "The thing with Ashton — and everyone knows this — he often talks a bigger game than he can actually deliver," said the source, noting that a further complication was the fact that "Jessica has ZERO intention of ever acting again but Ashton's convinced he'll get her to sign on if he finds the right project."
The many '70s stars of That '70s Show
For viewers of "That '70s Show" who actually lived through the 1970s, one of the show's fun features was its propensity to bring in stars who were big during that decade for guest spots. Among these were iconic shock rocker Alice Cooper, who played himself in the 2001 episode "Radio Daze." Other '70s-era personalities who guested included Shirley Jones (a.k.a. the mom on "The Partridge Family") and actor/singer/guitarist Charo, who played themselves in the same episode.
In fact, there were many more, such as Marion Ross, best known for playing Marion Cunningham on '70s TV hit "Happy Days," who played Red's mom, Grandma Forman (her TV husband, Tom Bosley, also guested), and "The Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce, who appeared in two episodes. In addition, "That '70s Show" also welcomed "Brady Bunch" bros Barry Williams and Christopher Knight, Jamie Farr (a.k.a. Corporal Klinger on "M*A*S*H), soul singer and actor Isaac Hayes, "Falcon Crest" star Morgan Fairchild, game show hosts Bob Eubanks and Monty Hall, Don Knotts (best remembered as "Three's Company" landlord Mr. Furley and Barney on "The Andy Griffith Show"), and Lyle Waggoner, onetime cast member of "The Carol Burnett Show" and founder of Star Waggons. Groovy.