What If That ’70s Show Was Cast Today? Part 1

That ’70s Show is one of the greatest sitcoms of the late ’90s, and it holds a special spot as a wonderful and hilarious television series for all ages. The original cast of the show have almost all gone on to do big and important acting work. Laura Prepon was a recurring character in How I Met Your Mother and has is now in the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Mila Kunis has given a career-altering performance in Black Swan, and continues her comedic work in movies like Ted and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Aston Kutcher has done some great comedy films, but has also given impressive dramatic performances in Jobs and The Butterfly Effect.

It’s not easy to think of new actors coming in and taking these iconic and beloved roles, but hopefully these performers will be able to bring a little something familiar and a dash of something fresh.

15. Casey Kelso – James Franco

It’s not necessary to spell out why having actual brothers (see entry #13) portray these two painfully funny siblings is a great decision. Kelso is the nitwit/daredevil, and Casey is the cool, calm, and uncaring older brother. It would be great to see these two real life brothers acting off of each other, and constantly at each other’s throats.

Franco is such an extraordinary comedic talent, and adding him to an already stacked roster of actors/actresses will really help to round out the different types of humor that will be on display in a program like That ’70s Show. Franco has proven again and again, in films like Pineapple Express, The Interview, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and the Spider-Man trilogy, that he is a comedic and dramatic force to be reckoned with, and Point Place would be lucky to have him.

14. Randy Pearson – Lucas Till

Randy was Eric Forman’s replacement when he left for Africa in the show, and when Topher Grace notably left to pursue more noble acting positions. Randy was cheery and delightful in the show, and even though a massive hole was left when Eric departed, Randy managed to hold the show together, and offer enough interesting new material to keep the remainder of the series fresh and engaging.

Lucas Till is a gifted actor who seems like he is waiting for his big break, and it’s almost guaranteed that he would fit with Randy’s character well. Best known for his roles in the X-Men films, Till always shines when he’s on screen, and deserves a defining role. Perhaps being given the opportunity to come into his own in a series would be the perfect opportunity for him to grow and move forward as a potential future A-list leading man in film.

13. Kitty Forman – Mary Steenburgen

Kitty Forman is quite possible the most criminally underrated character from That ’70s Show. She always has the audience in tears, and most of the time it’s just from her incredible laugh. Kitty is the type of TV mom who feels real; she isn’t just a basic archetype – she’s an honest character with a complete arc of her own. She also cares deeply about the people in her home, and loves Red and Eric with all of her heart.

When casting Kitty, it’s crucial to find someone that you would want as your own TV mom. Mary Steenburgen is not only laugh-out-loud funny; she also has a very kind aura about her that translates into all of the television and film acting that she does. She was great as Nancy Huff in Step Brothers and as Buddy’s step-mother Emily in Elf, and those roles fit very well with Mrs. Forman’s.

12. Bob Pinciotti – Chris Sullivan

Bob is yet another in a long list of surprisingly hilarious supporting characters in That ’70s Show, and it’s important to find someone who can pull off his goofball persona and tell a mean dad joke. Chris Sullivan shows this very specific set of traits week in and week out on the critically acclaimed new drama, This Is Us. Sullivan helps to bring a lot of much needed humor to the emotionally heavy series.

It’s tough to find someone to carry the weight of being consistently leaned on for quick bursts of humor, and Sullivan does it seemingly effortlessly. He was also in Ben Affleck’s new crime drama, Live by Night, and managed to pull off a great Boston accent, so here’s hoping his Wisconsin accent is just as convincing. Also, the more television and film opportunities that Mr. Sullivan gets, the better, because he’s going to have us laughing for a very long time.

11. Midge Pinciotti – Katie Aselton

Midge is basically the mom version of Michael Kelso. She’s very attractive, but when it comes to intelligent conversation, she falls pretty short of the mark. Katie Aselton almost always plays smart and confident woman, like in her hit television show, The League. In a show filled with comedic talent like Nick Kroll, Mark Duplass, and Paul Scheer, she manages to edge them out almost on a weekly basis with her fantastic comedic timing and her ballsy attitude.

Aselton plays this type of character to a tee, and so it would be great to see her go in the complete opposite direction with Midge. Jenny is always funny in The League because she manages to outwit all of the men that surround her, and Midge is always hysterical because she can’t manage to keep up with anyone around her. We’re sure that she could pull off the switch, and like with Chris Sullivan, more Katie Aselton is never a bad thing.

10. Leo Chingkwake – Snoop Dogg

Leo is an oblivious stoner who stands out in a television show based around oblivious stoners. And there is potentially no better known stoner then rapper/actor/thespian Snoop Dogg. Leo’s main joke was that he was always thinking of something slightly off-base from the rest of the characters in the show, and that kind of scatter-brained comedy would be great for Snoop.

Also, Snoop, much like Tommy Chong is no stranger to marijuana, so there wouldn’t be a great, stretch acting-wise, for the role. In fact, maybe the director could just pay Snoop Dogg to show up, get high, and just act like he normally would in that situation. Not to mention, Snoop Dogg has been an incredible guest star in so many great comedy films, like Old School and Popstar: Never Stop Stopping, so bringing his unique comedy every so often seems like it’s well-within his wheelhouse.

9. Laurie Forman – Abbey Lee Kershaw

Laurie was actually portrayed by two different actresses during her character’s time on That ’70s Show, but she was always the adventurous, free spirited, and incredibly annoying sister. Laurie is a jerk almost exclusively, and she is always attacking Eric whenever she gets the chance.

Abbey Lee Kershaw was incredible in Nicolas Winding Refn’s new film, The Neon Demon, and she was a beautiful and catty model in the film, which feels like the perfect starting point for spring-boarding into the role of Laurie Forman. She was also a single move away from getting into a cat fight with every woman around her, which is also a staple of Laurie (like when she and Jackie battle it out in the basement). Some of the best comedic moments from Laurie happen when she is favored by Red over Eric, and Kershaw seems like the type of actress that would really excel in those scenes.

8. Pastor Dave – Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi is a film director/actor who may be very hard to convince to hop onto a long running television program, but this is a dreamer’s list already. Waititi is so profoundly funny in all of his films– most recently as a pastor in his newest film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, which made us think he would be the perfect fit for Pastor Dave.

It also wouldn’t hurt to have a phenomenal director on board, and it would be a dream to have him actually direct the series as well. His work in What We Do in the Shadows also shows his innate ability to get his audience hurting themselves laughing at his screwball and dry material. Not to mention, it’s obviously important to diversify the cast a bit more than the original series. He also just so happens to be directing a little movie called Thor: Ragnarok.