‘That ’90s Show’ Would’ve Happened With or Without Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith
Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith reprise their roles as Kitty and Red Forman in the Netflix series That ’90s Show. But according to the Kitty Forman actor, the That ’70s Show spinoff would’ve happened regardless of her and Smith’s involvement. Find out why.
‘That ’90s Show’ cast features several ‘That ’70s Show’ stars
That ’90s Show would have felt inauthentic without the return of the original cast. The Netflix series puts Red and Kitty at the forefront, but plenty of other That ’70s Show characters make their return.
Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama, Topher Grace, and Laura Prepon all reprise their roles in That ’90s Show. The spinoff also features appearances by Tommy Chong, Don Stark, and Jim Rash as Fenton.
Debra Jo Rupp said ‘That ’90s Show’ could have been brought back with any of the original cast
In a recent interview with Vulture, Rupp spoke about the That ’70s Show revival. The WandaVision actor thinks the streaming giant could have made the spinoff series with or without her and Smith’s cooperation.
“That ’90s Show could’ve been brought back with any of the original kids, but they’re so busy and have a lot of moving pieces in their careers,” Rupp said. “They’re young and active, and they should be.”
Rupp remembers being “shocked and then a little honored” when showrunner Gregg Mettler and writers Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, and their daughter Lindsay Turner reached out about That ’90s Show. “There was a lot to consider,” she added, noting she no longer lived in California.
Debra Jo Rupp did ‘That ’90s Show’ for several reasons
After careful consideration, Rupp ultimately chose to reprise her role as beloved TV mom Kitty Forman. Despite not living in California anymore, she thought 10 episodes of That ’90s Show was considerably less than a 20-something episode season of That ’70s Show.
On top of that, Rupp simply loves playing the role. “I love Kitty,” she told Vulture. “There are no rules. The show needed a grounding force to bring it back.”
Kitty Forman actor didn’t think ‘That ’70s Show’ would ever see a revival
Rupp was also shocked about the call to play Kitty again because she didn’t think That ’70s Show would ever return. “When That ’70s Show ended I took pretty much everything from the set,” Rupp said.
“I had the cheese-grater lights in my basement; I had Kitty’s sweaters and nursing shoes. I never thought it would come back.”
Ironically, Rupp barely remembers the ’90s. She called it a “transformational decade” where she moved to Los Angeles, learned to drive again, and set out to become a television actor. Still, Rupp was excited about returning to do the show set in the decade she can hardly recall.
Stream all 10 episodes of That ’90s Show with Debra Jo Rupp on Netflix.
