Topher Grace | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Grace in 2019 | |
| Born | Christopher John Grace (1978-07-12)July 12, 1978 (age 47) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Christopher John "Topher"Grace (/ˈtoʊfər/TOH-fər; born July 12, 1978), is an American actor. He is known for his roles asEric Forman in the sitcomThat '70s Show (1998–2005) andEddie Brock /Venom in the filmSpider-Man 3 (2007). He has also starred in the filmsTraffic (2000),Mona Lisa Smile (2003),Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004),In Good Company (2004),Valentine's Day (2010), andPredators (2010).
Grace also played the lead role in theABC comedy seriesHome Economics (2021–2023) and has had supporting roles in films such asInterstellar (2014),BlacKkKlansman (2018), andHeretic (2024)
Christopher John Grace was born inNew York City[1][2] on July 12, 1978.[3] His mother, Pat, was the assistant toNew Canaan Country School's headmaster; his father, John Grace, was aMadison Avenue executive.[4][5] He has a sister named Jenny.[6] His mother is of Irish descent, whilst his paternal grandmother came from a German-Jewish family with links to the Polish town ofKępno.[7][8] Grace was raised anEpiscopalian.[9]
He grew up inDarien, Connecticut, where he became friends withKate Bosworth in middle school and was babysat byChloë Sevigny, who later appeared with him in high school plays.[6]
Grace was cast asEric Forman on Fox'sThat '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 inthe final episode.[10][11] 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."[12]
Grace played aprep school student who introduces his girlfriend tofreebasing in directorSteven Soderbergh's 2000 filmTraffic, as well as having uncreditedcameos as himself in Soderbergh'sOcean'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 toldFlaunt magazine in 2007.[citation needed]
He planned to cameo inOcean's Thirteen. However, due to his role inSpider-Man 3, he had to abandon these plans. As Grace said, "I was doing reshoots onSpider-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."[13] He appeared in directorMike Newell's 2003 filmMona Lisa Smile.[14]
In 2004, Grace played the leading roles inWin a Date with Tad Hamilton! andIn Good Company. That same year, he starred inP.S., which received only a limited theatrical release. Grace won theNational Board of Review's 2004 award forBreakthrough Performance Actor for his work inIn Good Company andP.S.[5]
On January 15, 2005, Grace hostedSaturday Night Live.[5][15]
In 2007, Grace portrayedEddie Brock/Venom inSpider-Man 3, directed bySam Raimi. Grace himself was a fan of the comics and read the Venom stories as a child.[16] In 2009, Grace became the subject of a recurring column on the entertainment/pop culture siteVideogum, entitled "What's Up With Topher Grace?"[17]
In 2010, Grace appeared in the ensemble comedyValentine's Day and played the character of Edwin inPredators.[18]
In 2011, Grace appeared in the 1980s retro comedyTake Me Home Tonight.[19] He co-wrote the script and co-produced the film. Grace also starred oppositeRichard Gere in the spy thrillerThe Double.[20]
In 2012, Grace starred alongsideMary Elizabeth Winstead andMatthew Gray Gubler in the social filmThe Beauty Inside, which won aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding New Approach to an Original Daytime Program or Series in 2013. The film was directed byDrake Doremus and written by Richard Greenberg.[21]
In 2014, Grace starred in theindie thrillerThe Calling, alongsideSusan Sarandon,[22] and appeared inChristopher Nolan's sci-fi adventureInterstellar, in a supporting role.[23]
In October 2013, Grace joinedHBO comedy pilotPeople in New Jersey withSarah Silverman, but in January 2014, the pilot was passed on.[24][25]
Grace co-starred in the comedy filmAmerican Ultra (2015), alongsideJesse Eisenberg andKristen Stewart, playing a CIA agent.[26] That same year, he co-starred inTruth, withRobert Redford andCate Blanchett, based on the story of CBS's60 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.[27]
In January 2018, Grace joined the supernatural-thrillerDelirium, 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.[28] In August 2018, Grace portrayedDavid Duke in the biographicalcrime filmBlacKkKlansman, directed bySpike Lee, alongsideJohn David Washington andAdam Driver.[citation needed] In 2019, he played Billy Bauer in the 2nd episode ofBlack Mirror’s 5th season, titled "Smithereens". In 2020, Grace was cast inABC'sHome Economics pilot.[29] On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Grace would have a guest appearance in the follow-up sitcom,That '90s Show.[30] In 2024, Grace starred in the horror filmHeretic[31] and in 2025, he starred in the action thrillerFlight Risk.[32]
Grace has long held an interest in makingfan edits of popular films, particularly those involvingStar 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.[33]
In 2012, he edited theStar Warsprequel trilogy into one 85-minute film,[34] titledStar Wars: Episode III.5: The Editor Strikes Back[35] and showed it to select audiences. The edit utilized original footage, music from theClone Wars series, and a portion fromAnthony Daniels' audiobook recordings.[36]
In 2014, he created a cut ofBoogie Nights that served as a reconstruction of the character Brock Landers' fake movieAngels Live in My Town.[37]
In 2018, he created his own edit ofThe Hobbit, stating that "I think that maybeThe 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."[38] He specifically edited this as a way to relax while portrayingDavid Duke inSpike Lee'sBlacKkKlansman.[39]
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 filmBack to the Future. Later that year, he and Yorkes were commissioned byPixar to edit a retrospective forToy Story 4, which was titled "Toy Story 4 Ever" and released on Pixar's YouTube account.[40]
Grace started dating actressAshley Hinshaw in January 2014. They were engaged in January 2015[41] and married nearSanta Barbara, California, on May 29, 2016.[42] They have two children and were expecting a third as of September 2022.[43][44][45]
Grace is a supporter of themicrofinance organizationFINCA International.[46]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Traffic | Seth Abrahams | |
| 2001 | Ocean's Eleven | Himself | Uncredited cameo[47] |
| 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[47] | |
| 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 | |
| 2026 | How to Make a Killing | TBA | Post-production |
| TBA | Misty Green | TBA | Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–2005 2006 | That '70s Show | Eric Forman | Main role (seasons 1–7); Uncredited cameo (season 8)[48] |
| 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[49] |
| 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 withLaura 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 |
