Topher Grace: An Ode

Topher Grace is one of those actors that I have a hard believing anyone particularly *loves* or *hates*. He's cute, funny, harmless and is really stellar at playing the unassuming boy that wants the girl. But this safe area tends to breed indifference in movie-goers, and I happen to think Grace deserves a little better than that. I personally am a big fan of the guy and in an effort to get you to love him too, see his movie this weekend, and make it a success so he can star in more movies, I'm gonna tell you exactly why.

There Aren't Enough Nerdy Leading Men

We have plenty of clinical dorks and slobs and losers and jerk types getting the leads out there, but not enough adorable nerds. In fact, I'm fairly certain there's a grand total of 3 - Grace, Michael Cera & Jesse Eisenberg. Except make that two, cause I'm not attracted to Michael Cera in the slightest. (Note: From what I've been hearing, I expect Anton Yelchin to enter this group after Sundance hit Like Crazy is released and Andrew Garfield to be the king of this type after The Amazing Spiderman.) And I don't much like it when uber undeniably hot men are trying to pretend they are sweet, sensitive and socially awkward like Grace's That 70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher most recently attempted to pull off in No Strings Attached. Believe it or not, we all buy it a lot more if the sweet nerd is played by someone who ::gasp:: actually looks like one. Grace has pulled this off with younger women (Scarlett Johansson) older women (Laura Linney), similarly aged women (Kate Bosworth) and me, in my dreams/fantasies/fan-fiction. Plus, following in the massive footsteps of folks like early Lemmon, Stewart and Hanks, Grace is extremely likable yet non threatening, a rare, but coveted quality in a leading man. Why Hollywood doesn't seem to be taking more advantage of this fact is beyond me.

He Makes Nerdy-Sexy Work in Any Decade

Typically on a TV show, I tend to have a crush on the nerd, not the "hot" one. On Buffy I loved Xander, not Angel and on That 70s Show, I loved Eric, not Kelso. And as much as I loved the bell bottoms and floppy hair, I crushed just as hard on Grace in Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (which I've obviously seen MANY times) and In Good Company, and if the Take Me Home Tonight Atomic Tom music video is any indication, I will love him just as much decked out in 80s garb. Not every actor can seamlessly pull of his distinctive type in multiple decades, but apparently the clever wirey guy who loves the girl from afar has always existed. At least in the past 40 years. Ooooh. I just decided I really want to see Topher Grace bring his awkward hotness to a period piece. Ooooh, that would be so weird. Oooooh, someone make that happen. Ooooh.

He Was The Best Part Of Valentine's Day

He was the only part of Valentine's Day. Seriously. I tuned everything else out. I have no idea what happened in that movie.

He Has An Obstacle To Overcome

Coming from a series like That 70s Show has challenges right away. Much like coming from a CW show or the Disney channel, the odds are stacked against you from the start - you have something to prove when entering the world of film. And the results have been varied. On the one hand, you have Mila Kunis, who requires no explanation other than WIN, and on the other hand, you have Wilmer Valderrama who for all I know could be raising bunnies in Nepal, in between dating women with a penchant for rehab. Ashton Kutcher is like, okay, as an actor, sure, Laura Prepon is...working and Danny Masterson opened up a restaurant or a fashion line or a restaurant/fashion line, but whatever it is, it's not acting. Long story short, the post-show careers are a mixed bag, and Grace could go either way at this point. I vote for supporting him in his efforts towards Kunis-dom in every way possible.

He Can Kick Some Ass

He has used his nerdly powers to fight Spiderman AND predators. Well, in Spiderman 3 it was mostly CG Venom doing the fighting and in Predators, Grace did more wearing glasses and whining than actually fighting anyone or anything. But, you know, in theory.

He Makes Dead Eyes Look Gooooood

Don't act like you haven't noticed his dead eyes. And don't act like they don't turn you on a little bit. Shhh, it's okay, I'm not judging.

He's A Triple Threat

Well, "triple" "threat". In that besides being an actor, he wrote the story & executive produced Take Me Home Tonight. Granted, those jobs aren't quite as daunting as writing a screenplay or actually producing a movie, but hey, it's something. It shows initiative. creativity, and if the story is any good, an entirely different kind of talent.

Not convinced? Watch this and try telling me you don't want to make out with him. I won't believe you. Okay, so upon further consideration, the entire thrust of my argument here is that I like nerds and thus think Topher Grace is really sexy and further thus want everyone to see his movie. I am totally fine with this.