Debra Jo Rupp wasn’t ready to let go of her irritable, occasionally kooky and decidedly overprotective mother character Kitty from “That ’70s Show.” When the Emmy-winning Fox sitcom wrapped after eight seasons, as many years and 200 episodes, the “WandaVision” (and soon to be “Agatha: Coven of Chaos”) actress took anything and everything she could from the set .
“When we finished ’70s Show, I just cried for a month and then I did everything I could,” Roop told TheWrap in an interview. “I couldn’t get a Vista Cruiser because Wilmer [Valderrama, who reprises his role as Fez] He took it, but if I could, I would.
Now, Roop and her on-screen husband Kurtwood Smith — as patriarch Red Forman as ever — are reunited with “’70s” cast members Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Don Starks, Tommy Chong and Valderrama. all of whom make guest turns on “That ’90s Show”. In the Netflix spinoff, the couple, now grandparents, open their basement (with love to Kitty, with displeasure to Red) to a new generation of burnouts and outcasts, led by Callie Howarda’s Leah Forman.
For both Roop and Smith, getting back to their beloved roles was as easy as baking cupcakes for Kitty and sticking your feet up a criminal’s ass for Red. Read on for TheWrap’s Q&A with the stars as they get nostalgic about the show’s legacy and detail everything they stole from the prequel set:
TheWrap: How were you both approached with the idea of the spinoff and what were your initial thoughts on it? Was there a challenge for you getting back into this world, or was it just about finding your rhythm?
DJR: I knew it was probably going to be very comfortable because the art director called me over to the house and said, ‘I hear you have some ‘That ’70s Show’ items from the set that you took with you.’ Everyone knew I didn’t steal them, but I obviously had a hard time saying goodbye because most of the things he brought were in my basement. I also took a cheese grater light in the kitchen. I took all the lights home. I had purple grapes. I had these orange things in the back den that no one had ever seen. I had Kitty’s recipe stuff – did you know I had it all?
KS: I’m trying to figure out what kind of defense is this? Do you think this will hold up in court? ‘I took these things, but I did not steal them.’
DJR: I didn’t steal them – they knew.
KS: ‘I took the car, Your Honor, but I didn’t steal it.’
DJR: otherwise also-
KS: ‘The owner knew I had it, I had my gun pointed at him the whole time, took it.’
You were borrowing them for a long time.
DJR: I had all this stuff and some of it I had to send back. I had all of Kitty’s sweaters, I had Kitty’s nursing uniform. I had to send it all back. Now I have it back, so it’s not a big deal.
KS: What were you going to do with the nursing uniform?
DJR: I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I was having trouble saying goodbye, and the nursing uniform was important to me.
KS: Ok.
DJR: Every slide that was ever taken from that show, honest to god, I just cried for a month when we finished “That 70s Show” and then I took everything I could. I couldn’t get the Vista Cruiser because Wilmar took that one, but if I could have it, I would have it. So I knew there was going to be a lot of familiarity on set, and I knew Kitty, and I knew this guy would be with me. So I was all set. it was easy.
Kurtwood, if you want to add anything else?
KS: I didn’t have enough room in my car to stash all the stuff Debra took.
DJR: I travelled, I traveled a lot.
KS: Some things: Green Bay Packer stuff and some shirts.
DJR: I have some of his shirts. I took that too.
KS: i should have taken Nurse’s uniform. Everything is ready.
What was it like having this mini reunion with all the cameos happening? What was it like being back on that set, with Laura, Wilmer, Mila, Ashton?
DJR: It was very emotional for me, I cried. They didn’t all come together. They actually came one after the other. And everyone would come into the living room and come into the kitchen, and I’d cry and we’d take a little break so I could compose myself. And then we’ll move on. It was very emotional. You know, it was eight years and these kids grew up on set. And I’m very proud of them. I’m so proud of them and — they’ve had great careers, but the kind of people they turned out to be. i have worked with [them] For eight years, a long time for some, but it was very emotional and obviously really, really happy.
KS: It’s great to have them back, people we’ve spent all our time working with. He has moved on and blossomed in his own way, and so it’s great to see him taking on the role again. We have seen him occasionally during that time at different times in our lives. Separately we worked on Ashton’s show ‘The Ranch’. Used to see them — one year at Father’s Day brunch with Topher.
DJR: I felt like we were back in our roles. When you’re at home with your parents, I can be 10 years old in a second; You say the wrong thing to me – Mom or Dad – I’m 10 years old. I thought the roles never changed. We were still mom and dad. He was still respected. I mean it was really cool.
What are you most excited about for both new and old viewers to experience with this show – if this is their first introduction to these characters or like me, they’re coming back for a second time?
KS: I think the thing that made the show work so well was that the comedy came out of all the characters – as opposed to just the jokes and stuff. It’s really a show about family, about this particular family, and about how a family becomes one big family: The kids in the neighborhood are almost as much kids as your kids. This is an important truth, especially in suburban living. I think we have a lot clearly on ‘That ’70s Show’ and I think that’s true for this show.
