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Christopher "Topher" Grace
Born	Christopher Grace
Other names	Topher

Christopher "Topher" Grace (born July 12, 1978) is an American actor, perhaps best known for playing the lead role on the situation comedy That '70s Show as Eric Forman during the show's first seven seasons. Grace is portraying Spider-Man villain Venom in the film Spider-Man 3, due to be released in May 4, 2007.

Biography

Early life

Grace was born to John Grace (a business executive) and Patricia (an office worker and assistant to the schoolmaster of the New Canaan Country School in New Canaan, Connecticut); he has a sister, Jenny. Grace grew up in Darien, Connecticut, where he knew actress Kate Bosworth and was sometimes babysat by actress Chloe Sevigny, who also later appeared with him in high school stage plays. He chose to go by the name Topher in high school after becoming frustrated with his full name being abbreviated as Chris; he dropped the Chris and kept the Topher.

Grace attended the Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts and Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, where he was noticed by the producer of That '70s Show (whose daughter also attended the school) while playing the leading role of Pseudolus in a local stage production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Career

Grace was cast as Eric Forman on Fox's That '70s Show, which debuted in 1998. The sitcom was successful and Grace became well known among television watchers; he played the role until 2005, after which he left the series to pursue feature film work. The series was renewed for another season despite his absence before its ending in 2006. Grace would make a guest appearance in the last episode.

Grace briefly attended college at the University of Southern California, but left during his freshman year to concentrate on his television work and to pursue a career in film. He played a prep school student who uses cocaine and introduces his girlfriend to crack in director Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000), as well as having uncredited cameos in Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001) and Ocean's Twelve (2004). He also appeared in director Mike Newell's Mona Lisa Smile (2003).

In 2004, Grace had the starring role in two major feature films; he played the leading roles in the Robert Luketic directed Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! and the Paul Weitz dramedy, In Good Company, in which he played an ambitious but troubled corporate executive. That same year, Grace also starred in the film P.S., which received only a limited theatrical release.

Grace's work in P.S. and In Good Company was recognized by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures in the category of "Breakthrough Performance by an Actor". In 2005, Grace hosted Saturday Night Live.

Grace's latest film is Spider-Man 3, directed by Sam Raimi. Raimi said Grace's role in the film would contrast the good-natured comedic roles he has played in the past. He plays Edward "Eddie" Brock, Junior, who later becomes the malevolent Venom. The Sandman is the film's main villain but the online supporters of Spider-Man 3 feel that Venom will upstage the Sandman.

Grace's next production, the 1980s retro comedy Kids in America, starts shooting in Phoenix, Arizona on the week beginning 19 February 2007. Grace also co-wrote the script and will be co-producing the film. In addition, he will soon star in The Crusaders, a drama about the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, playing real-life civil rights lawyer Jack Greenberg, opposite Terrence Howard, who will play Thurgood Marshall.

Personal life

Grace is currently rumored to be dating Ivanka Trump.

Selected filmography

Trivia

• Grace's That '70s Show character, Eric Forman, was a Spider-Man fan, and now the actor plays the villain Venom in Spider-Man 3.

References

1. Faris, Fogler "Kids" again in comedy film Reuters, February 8, 2007.
2. "EurWeb". FILM/THEATER BITS: Diesel dumps ‘Water’; Howard adds ‘Grace’; Yoba is ‘Beautiful’; ‘Amajuba’ off-Broadway; HHTC gains momentum. Retrieved June 26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
3. Ivanka Trump & Topher Grace Cozy Up | Ivanka Trump, Topher Grace : People.com

External links

• Topher Grace at IMDb
• Topher Grace Fansite
• Fansite
• Topher Grace at TV.com
• New York Magazine interview (January 24, 2005)
• IGN Films interview (December 22, 2004)
• Cinema Confidential interview (October 19, 2004)
• BlackFilm interview (October, 2004)
• About.com interview (January, 2004)

• American film actors
• American television actors
• Connecticut actors
• People from New York City
• 1978 births
• Living people