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Topher Grace Reacts to The Waterfront Villain Role Being 'Written' for Him, Says 'Wife Would Understand' How He's a Sociopath
Topher Grace reveals why he loved playing villain in Netflix’s The Waterfront, sharing how creator Kevin Williamson wrote the dark role just for him.
Topher Grace is embracing his dark side in a big way. In a recent TODAY interview, the That ’70s Show star shared how Kevin Williamson, the creator of Netflix’s new crime drama The Waterfront, wrote the villain role just for him. Grace joked about the moment, saying, “My wife got it,” when asked how it felt to be asked to play a 'charming sociopath.'
In The Waterfront Netflix drama, Grace plays Grady: a wealthy, tech-bro turned poppy-farm drug lord. Kevin Williamson actually wrote the character with Grace in mind. Grace revealed on TODAY: “The creator Kevin Williamson, who I'm a huge fan, he wrote 'Scream' when I was in High School and 'Dawson's Creek'. He's amazing, and he called me said the most deductive thing you can say to an actor, I wrote this with you in mind. Then you have to do it.”
Williamson echoed that sentiment in interviews, praising Grace’s 'unexpectedness' and saying: “Give a funny man a gun and see what he does with it." In Entertainment Weekly, he noted the unpredictable nature of Grace’s performance: “You just never know if he's going to hug you or shoot you.”
From Eric Forman to Netflix villain
Best known as Eric Forman on That ’70s Show, Grace has taken on varied roles since. After sitcoms and romantic comedies, he played Eddie Brock/Venom in Spider‑Man 3 (2007), the serial killer Edwin in Predators (2010), and David Duke in BlacKkKlansman (2018). In The Waterfront, he fully embraced his darker side.
Topher Grace shared why he’s drawn to villains: “Bad guys are better. When you are playing a good guy, the audience is kind of your partner in it. You're an avatar for them in that situation. But when you are playing a bad guy, there is no rules.”
Grace also talked about the atmosphere on set, sharing that some characters in the series are self-aware of the show they’re in. He shared that he personally enjoyed adding humor by constantly complimenting everyone on how good-looking they were, pointing out that it felt unusual to him because he had never done a television drama before. He joked that it was funny how so many problems could exist in one town where everyone looked so attractive.
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