Joseph Gordon-Levitt Could Have Been in More ‘That ’70s Show’ Episodes
LGBTQ representation in Hollywood has come a long way. Gay roles in the 20th century were pretty much nonexistent, but the late ’90s and early 2000s began normalizing a situation that Hollywood had tried so hard to deny.
Unfortunately, even with the increasing number of gay roles on TV at the time, most of these parts were severely underdeveloped and sometimes abandoned. One such case is Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s role in That ’70s Show. Gordon-Levitt was supposed to have a recurring role in the series but ultimately was dropped to a guest star.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt appeared in ‘That ’70s Show’s debut season
That ’70s Show is a 1998 sitcom that was ahead of its time in many ways. The show centered around six teens growing up in the ’70s when bell bottoms were very rampant. The friends who made Eric Forman’s basement their hang-out spot drift through their high school years making memories, long-lasting bonds and rebelling against the ’60s.
Gordon-Levitt appeared in That ’70s Show Season 1 Episode 11, titled “Eric’s Buddy.” The actor played a character fittingly named Buddy, who hailed from a wealthy family and went to the same school as Eric and his gang. Buddy became friends with Eric and his buddies after he and Eric were paired for a lab project.
Buddy was considered cool and popular, with his car quickly winning over Eric. After he and Eric hang out a couple of times, the latter begins to see Buddy as more than his social status and cool car, but things get complicated very quickly.
Homophobia cost Joseph Gordon-Levitt a recurring role on ‘That ’70s Show’
Gordon-Levitt’s character Buddy, who was gay, developed a crush on Eric after listening to him complain about his complicated relationship with Donna. Believing Eric to also be gay, Buddy kisses him when they are alone in his car, and Eric is taken aback by the kiss.
The two hash things out and agree to remain friends, with Eric seemingly accepting Buddy for who he is. However, the same wouldn’t translate to audiences who didn’t take kindly to having Eric and Buddy kissing. Eric and Buddy’s kiss made history as the first-ever kiss between two male characters on primetime TV, but That ’70s Show received so much backlash for the episode that the storyline almost became its ruin.
While most of the reviews were homophobic, some were concerned that the show added the storyline for comedic effect and called it out for its tasteless manhandling of the storyline, especially regarding Eric’s reaction and consequent actions.
The negative reviews hurt Gordon-Levitt’s chances on the series as, according to Screen Rant, That ’70s Show intended to have him return for more episodes. However, with the negative reviews, the series had no choice but to cut its part to a one-episode arc.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt went on to achieve fame
A year after appearing on That ’70s Show, Gordon-Levitt landed his career-defining role in 10 Things I Hate About You, albeit a supporting part, but nonetheless important. The actor went on hiatus to focus on his studies but dropped out of college in 2004 to resume acting.
He then appeared in Mysterious Skin, Brick, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, 500 Days of Summer and Inception. 2012 was a busy year for Gordon-Levitt as he starred in the Dark Knight Rises, Looper, and Lincoln.
The actor starred in the 2016 biopic Snowden playing whistleblower Edward Snowden. Gordon-Levitt is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a Critics Choice Movie Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination.
