NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Why a That '70s Show reboot wouldn't work

By Hannah Paine
news.com.au·
2 Jul, 2018 12:23 AM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The cast of That '70s Show.

The cast of That '70s Show.

There's one question Wilmer Valderrama gets asked constantly — will That '70s Show get the reboot treatment?

"I get asked that every single time I sit down for an interview in the last two years," he told news.com.au with a laugh.

"For some reason more in the last two years than ever, I think because we are near the 10 year anniversary."

While Valderrama remembers his time as hapless foreign student Fez with fondness, the actor doesn't think a reboot of That '70s Show would work for one important reason.

"Most of the reunion shows and reboot shows have one thing in common, they're not accessible, you can't find them anywhere," he explained.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They're not necessarily in syndicated TV and they're definitely not being streamed as though they were a normal show.

"That '70s Show is still one of the most syndicated shows around the planet, so you can still find it on television.

"And furthermore Netflix has now relaunched the show, and it does incredibly well on Netflix worldwide. So it's tough to revive a show that is still very much alive."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

If a reboot did eventuate, Valderrama says he could see Fez working in the 1990s as a famous hairdresser with his own line of shampoo.

"If you ask me Jackie (played by Mila Kunis) and Fez would still be together most likely, they would probably have like nine kids," he added.

Wilmer Valderrama and Lindsay Lohan. Photo / Getty Images
Wilmer Valderrama and Lindsay Lohan. Photo / Getty Images

Valderrama began his role on That '70s Show in 1998 when he was just a teenager, the show launching him to international stardom by the time it wrapped up in 2006.

But the fame also came with a catch-22, as Valderrama found it hard to shake his sitcom character.

Discover more

Entertainment

That '70s Show star accused of raping Scientologists

02 Nov 11:10 PM
Entertainment

Lindsay Lohan to star in her own MTV reality show

22 Jul 07:32 PM
Entertainment

ALF set to get reboot treatment

02 Aug 07:13 PM
Entertainment

The Hills cast announce reboot without Lauren Conrad or Kristin Cavallari

21 Aug 08:39 PM

"I did get told just do the funny accent, just play those characters why not? People like it, people want to see you as that," he said.

"The fans will always be wild about the next thing [and say], 'That's no way that's the guy who played Fez'. But the industry can be very harsh where once they put you in a box, it's almost impossible to get out of it."

In the end Valderrama said he shunned roles similar to his That '70s Show character in big blockbuster movies.

"I had some really, really tough conversations with my agent and we turned down a lot of money and turned down a lot of characters," he said.

Besides the struggle to leave his character behind, Valderrama also had to come to terms with his fame when social media and tabloid sites TMZ and Perez Hilton exploded on to the scene.

"Internet made news like light speed faster than before, before you could intersect news before it got to print and then a week later it came out," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"[Now] seconds later someone knows what you did, what you ate, what you are wearing. We were there when it wasn't and we were there when it was."

Valderrama and his That '70s Show co-stars, which included Ashton Kutcher and Topher Grace, quickly became tabloid favourites.

"We fell at a time in our careers where tabloids really caught fire and it was all about your personal life. And that was tricky because we were so young and we didn't know what we were doing," Valderrama said.

"We were just showing up to work and people liked what we were doing, and all of a sudden people were in your face and you were like, 'I'm a normal person you know I make mistakes too.'''

A now-infamous interview with American radio shock jock Howard Stern in 2006 made international headlines when Valderrama discussed intimate details of his relationships with famous women, including Lindsay Lohan and Mandy Moore.

Recently Moore revealed she had been hurt by Valderrama's claims that he had taken her virginity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When asked about Moore's reaction, Valderrama declined to respond, citing his friendship with the This Is Us star.

"I love her so much and I'm not going there. She's one of the most special people in my life and I'm not going to fuel anything that's too old to recap," he told news.com.au.

Valderrama has joined the cast of NCIS. Photo . Getty Images
Valderrama has joined the cast of NCIS. Photo . Getty Images

Now after a six year absence from television and a slew of gritty roles in independent films, Valderrama is taking on his biggest role yet with NCIS.

In Australia to promote his role as Nick Torres with Network 10 and attend the Logies, the actor said he felt blessed to get a role that was tailored to him.

"I put a lot of humour into my character, but also he's got a darker tone that most of the characters on NCIS don't share," Valderrama said.

Despite NCIS being one of the world's most popular TV shows, Valderrama hadn't been intimidated about joining the cast.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I've been doing this for 22 years, so joining NCIS was kind of an exciting new chapter more than anything and working with Mark Harmon is a dream and working with this cast is a blessing," he said.

"It's refreshing to be on a show that knows itself so well and audiences trust with their one hour a night."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM
Entertainment

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM
Entertainment

Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

16 Jun 11:30 PM

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM

The Kiwi actor has been part of the Star Wars universe for more than 20 years.

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM
Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

Doctor to plead guilty in Matthew Perry drug case, faces 40 years

16 Jun 11:30 PM
Why 'Prime Minister' is a must-watch for political enthusiasts

Why 'Prime Minister' is a must-watch for political enthusiasts

16 Jun 06:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP