As soon as the news went public that Netflix would be giving That ‘70s Show fans another peek into that universe through the spinoff That ‘90s Show, fans were no doubt instantly waiting to hear about various cast members returning in some capacity or another. With Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp ruling the roost once again as Red and Kitty Forman, respectively, it seemed likely that the comedic follow-up series would find a way to incorporate other legacy cast members, and that news was confirmed by the streaming service (with the trial-bound Danny Masterson as the obvious, though still supportive, exception) on April 30. And we didn’t even have to wait a full two days to see Wilmer Valderrama back in butt-shaking action as Fez.
While Wilmer Valderrama is usually promoting his current TV hit, CBS’ stalwart drama NCIS, the actor changed things up for an absolutely Fez-tive Instagram post. It would appear that at some point after Valderrama signed on to appear in That ‘90s Show with four of his former co-stars, he broke out some boxes of Fez’s costumes — although I feel the character would be offended at his fashion being described in such a way — and hilariously confirmed that the clothes do indeed still fit. Check out the video, set to “I Will Survive,” below!
Honestly, it’s hard to tell if Wilmer Valderrama was rediscovering his character’s clothing, or if fans were watching the “real” Fez pulling his own 20-year-old outfits out of storage. It’s quite the tease, since the video makes me as eager as can be to see the actor putting on a full fashion show with a wide variety of looks. Probably not any turtleneck sweaters in that bunch, though, since it’s difficult-bordering-on-impossible to show off tufts of chest hair while wearing a turtleneck.
Props to the That ‘70s Show vet for still being able to fit in things that he wore while in fictional high school, especially when pants that fit as snugly as Fez’s are part of the wardrobe. If I could possibly still fit in my teen-era jeans, it would only be because I bought them super-oversized at the time, and not because my physique shares anything in common with Valderrama’s.
When the actor puts his hands on his hips and pops his butt to the side, it doesn’t take much imagination to hear the “oohs” and “woos” that would be coming from a rambunctious studio audience if Fez made a similar move during an episode. Wilmer Valderrama knows what the people want, clearly.
Thankfully for all the fans and Netflix subscribers out there, showrunner Gregg Mettler and That ‘70s Show co-creators Bonnie and Terry Turner also knew what the people wanted, and they found a way to bridge the generation gap between grandparents Red and Kitty and their granddaughter Leia (played by Callie Haverda). Not only will Wilmer Valderrama’s Fez be around to presumably still misunderstand American proverbs, but we’ll also see other guest stars such as Topher Grace, Laura Prepon, Mila Kunis, and Ashton Kutcher, with everyone reprising their original roles.
It was only two weeks or so before Netflix made its big announcement, while also sharing a first look from the spinoff, that Wilmer Valderrama directly addressed the prospect of reprising Fez in the streaming continuation. Of course, he played it completely coy at the time, without cluing anyone in on the fact that he’d probably already signed the dotted line to appear in That ‘90s Show ahead of that moment, or at least had discussions about it.
Personally, I’m now looking forward to O.G. star Don Stark to share a video similar to Wilmer Valderrama’s, where he’s dressed to impress once more as Bob Pinciotti. That actor hasn’t yet been confirmed (or even rumored) to return, but everybody knows it’s not a real party without Bob. Incidentally, I feel like he would be the kind of dude who got really obsessed with beepers in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
With no release window yet set for That ‘90s Show, fans will have to wait until Netflix offers up more details to start planning for Fez’s wide-open shirt collars. In the meantime, read up on Valderrama's other future streaming project, which will see him playing another character with a "Z" in his name.
