Back in 1998, a Fox sitcom named That ‘70s Show premiered that propelled actors like Topher Grace, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis to fame. Now fans of that series can return to Point Place in That ‘90s Show, with Season 1 being released to Netflix subscription holders back in January 2023, and the first part of Season 2 hitting the 2024 TV schedule shortly. This new series is, of course, spotlighting a new group of teenaged protagonists, so there are bound to be comparisons between them and their predecessors. In fact, Debra Jo Rupp offered a cute comparison to CinemaBlend when noting a similarity between series regular Reyn Doi and Kunis in the That ‘70s Show days.
Rupp and Kurtwood Smith respectively reprise Kitty and Red Foreman in That ‘90s Show as series regulars, and I was able to speak with them about their work on the Netflix series ahead of Season 2, Part 1’s drop. In addition to Smith explaining what convinced him this series would escape being cancelled after one season, here’s what Rupp told me when I asked the two if were any particular moments working with the That ‘90s Show cast that gave them flashbacks to when they were working with their younger That ‘70s Show costars:
I don’t if he’d be mad for saying… Well, Reyn is the youngest in the cast. In some ways, Reyn reminds me of Mila, who was the youngest on ‘70s Show… We shot our last show last night of the season, and he was highly emotional, our little Reyn. And it just reminded me of Mila on ‘70s Show. Mila would cry [at] everything. It just takes you back. They are younger than [the] ‘70s Show [cast] was, so I think they’re just reaching the age of when ‘70s Show first started. So it’s been different for me, as Kitty, as the mom, dealing with the younger group.
Reyn Doi stars in That ‘90s Show as Ozzie, the 13-year-old member (in Season 1) of Leia Foreman’s summer who’s sharp, cynical, sarcastic and rarely gets emotional, although there was that nice moment in Season 1 where he worked up the courage to tell Kitty Foreman that he was gay. In real life though, Debra Jo Rupp pointed out that Doi is very much in tune with his emotions, which made her think of the days when Mila Kunis was playing Jackie Burkhart and often crying on set. Hey, nothing wrong with letting some tears out when all of That ‘90s Show Season 2 is in the can.
While Reyn Doi is a tad older than Ozzie, it’s worth mentioning that not only was Jackie Burkhart the youngest member of That ‘70s Show group, Mila Kunis was the youngest cast member. Unlike the other actors playing these teenaged rapscallions, Kunis was not over 18 when she was cast, but rather just 14. She lied to the casting directors and told them she would be turning 18, but didn’t specify when. It worked out for her though, as they liked her playing Jackie and kept her in the role. Kunis and Ashton Kutcher cameoed in That ‘90s Show’s first episode, but don’t expect to see them in Season 2, if ever again.
That ‘90s Show Season 2, Part 1 premieres tomorrow, June 27 on Netflix, and some of the familiar That ‘70s Show faces joining Debra Jo Rupp’s Kitty and Kurtwood Smith’s Red this time around include Laura Prepon reprising Donna Pinciotti, Don Stark’s Bob Pinciotti having an expanded role and Seth Green returning as Mitch Miller. If you’d like to stream That ‘70s Show though, you’ll need a Peacock subscription.
