‘That ’90s Show’ features Greenwich actress in lead role
In 1998, audiences were glued to their TV screens watching the hijinks of Eric, Donna, Jackie, Fez, Kelso and Hyde as they navigated the pains of growing up on “That ’70s Show.” The Emmywinning sitcom ran until 2006, leaving its wake a comedic legacy (and a maligned spin-off set in the 80s with future “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” star Glenn Howerton).
Almost two decades after the original show counted down to its finale, Netflix has moved the franchise into a whole new era with “That ’90s Show.” Featuring a mix of both new and returning characters, “That ’90s Show” follows Leia Forman, the daughter of Eric (Connecticut native Topher Grace) and Donna (Laura Prepon), who visits her grandparents’ home for the summer. While visiting Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp, who reprise their roles of Red and Kitty Forman, she makes a new group of friends who all try to navigate growing up in the ’90s (sound familiar?).
One of those new friends is Gwen Runck, a riot girl and feminist who lives in Donna’s old house right next door. Portraying Gwen is Greenwich resident Ashley Aufderheide, who views the character as her “alter ego.”
“She’s bold. She’s confident. She’s a leader and she’s such a protective friend. There are a lot of layers to her,” Aufderheide said. “She could come off as kind of angry, I think, but then throughout the season, you sort of peel back her layers and see how vulnerable she is and where her rebellious side comes from.”
Aufderheide, 18, who has lived in Connecticut her whole life, said that she is finishing up school right now before leaving her home state behind. Born after “That 70s Show” premiered, Aufderheide said that she took a dive into the music of the ’90s during her research for the part, even making a “Gwen playlist” to get into character.
“When I was auditioning, I watched episodes of ‘That ’70s Show’ to just sort of see the dynamic and the vibe between the characters. I totally fell in love with the show,” Aufderheide said.
On-screen, Gwen acts as the de facto leader of the new wave of Point Place kids — stealing scenes with her bold and self-confident attitude. Though the story of “That ’90s Show” focuses on this new set of rabble rousers, the show honors its past by including cameos from stars like Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama and Tommy Chong, who all reprise their characters from “That 70s Show.”
“They are so talented,” Aufderheide said about the legacy cast members. “If I ever had a question, they were always there to answer.”
“They’re just hilarious. Not just their characters, because their characters are insanely funny and the writing is incredible, but even as people. They are oh so funny,” Aufderheide added.
For Aufderheide, it was important for the show to pay homage to its predecessor while trying to stay fresh and continuing the story in a new direction. “The chemistry between the characters in ‘That 70s Show’ was so important and was something that really stuck out to me, and I sort of want to carry that forward in ‘That 90s Show,’” Aufderheide said. “I definitely wanted Gwen to be not a cut-and-paste of any specific character from ‘That ’70s Show.’ I wanted her to be new, authentic and different.”
The Connecticut native has been in the spotlight since the age of two, first starting her career as a child model. Her first movie role was in 2014’s “Infinitely Polar Bear,” starring alongside Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana. Since then, she has been featured on both the big and small screens with roles in “Preacher,” “Going in Style” and “Emergence.” Aufderheide said that “That 90s Show” was her first time in front of a live audience, which gave her a flurry of emotions. “I had never done a live audience show until ‘That ’90s Show’ and I literally cried after the first show because I was so overjoyed,” Aufderheide said.
According to Aufderheide, 9,000 people auditioned for the role of Gwen. Despite this, Aufderheide said that the industry is full of rejection and that for anyone looking to be successful must persevere through that rejection to find the right role for them.
With the ’90s being as far removed today as the ’70s were when “That ’70s Show” was made, Aufderheide said that the intention is still there to provide a balance of heartwarming moments and comedy that momentarily take the viewer away from the struggles of today. Aufderheide added that she thinks viewers will “walk away from an episode feeling good” after watching this show, similar to its predecessor.