Topher Grace

Christopher John Grace, known professionally as Topher Grace, was born on July 12, 1978, in New York City. He spent his formative years in Darien, Connecticut, where he began exploring acting in high school musicals and even attempted directing a choose-your-own-adventure film featuring his classmates. He attended Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and later the University of Southern California.

Grace’s career began unexpectedly at age 20 when he was cast in the hit sitcom “That ’70s Show” (1998-2005) as Eric Forman. This role came about because the show’s creators saw him perform in a high school play, despite his limited prior acting experience. He was a regular cast member for seven seasons, returning for a brief cameo in the series finale in 2006. This foundational role propelled him into film, starting with his performance as Seth Abrahms in Steven Soderbergh’s critically acclaimed “Traffic” (2000), a film he chose due to his admiration for Soderbergh. He also made uncredited cameos in Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) and “Ocean’s Twelve” (2004).

His career further diversified with leading roles in romantic comedies like “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!” (2004) and “In Good Company” (2004), for which he received the National Board of Review’s Breakthrough Performance Actor award. Grace took on a major antagonist role as Eddie Brock/Venom in “Spider-Man 3” (2007), a character he had connected with as a fan of the comics. He expanded into various genres, appearing in the ensemble film “Valentine’s Day” (2010) and the action movie “Predators” (2010). Grace also co-wrote and executive produced the 2011 film “Take Me Home Tonight.” More recently, he earned critical praise for his portrayal of David Duke in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) and returned to television with a lead role in the ABC comedy series “Home Economics” (2021-2023), as well as a guest appearance in “That ’90s Show” (2023).