Why did Topher Grace leave That 70s Show?

Question

My husband and I have an ongoing argument, and we’ve decided to let someone else to help resolve it. Anyone share some of your opinions on why did Eric leave That 70s Show?

Answer 1

Topher Grace played young Eric Foreman in That 70s Show for seven seasons, beginning in 1998. He dropped out of USC when he got the part and began acting full time. The only acting he had done previously was in school plays, but that bit of experience paid off because it was seeing him in one of those plays that made the creators of That 70s show ask him to take on the role of Eric.

After playing Eric for seven years, Topher wanted to spread his acting wings and took on the role of Eddie Brock aka Venom in the movie Batman 3. Venom was a completely different character than Eric Foreman and required a different look. Topher worked out vigorously for six months prior to filming the movie and put on 24 pounds of muscle. Not the right look for the slightly built Eric Foreman, so it would have been difficult to play the two roles simultaneously. His departure from the show was explained by having Eric choose to go to Africa to further his chosen career of teaching.

Topher did return for the final episode of That 70s Show at the end of the eighth season.

Answer 2

In many minds Topher Grace will always be the lovable, geeky, Eric Foreman from That 70s Show. When he left the show after its seventh season, he was already in serious danger of becoming typecast as the boy next door. By taking on the role of Eddie Brock, or Venom, in the movie Batman 3, he got to display a completely different style of acting.

Topher Grace was only 20 years old when That 70s Show went on the air. By the time the seventh season rolled around, he was no longer a boy but had grown into a 27 year old man and wanted to play roles that displayed that growth.

There were and still are rumors that the reason why did Topher Grace leave That 70s Show, depart the role of Eric was partly due to the fact that he didn’t feel really accepted or liked by the rest of the cast, but the truth is he was simply more of an introvert than the others. He didn’t like to spend as much time partying as his cast mates.