Debra Jo Rupp of ‘That ’90s Show’

Greatest referred to as Kitty Forman on “That ‘70s Present,” Debra Jo Rupp has donned Kitty’s iconic feathered wig as soon as once more for the Netflix sequel “That ‘90s Present.” The ultimate episodes of the unique sequence aired nearly 20 years in the past, but Kitty and her husband Purple (performed by Kurtwood Smith) stay ageless.

Rupp has some ideas about Kitty’s unchanging coiffure: “I, as Debra Jo Rupp, have had the identical hairdo for 40 years and I guess you’ve got too. You discover the one that you just go, ‘You already know what, this seems OK and I don’t need to danger getting one thing I can’t reside with for the subsequent few months.’ So we had a protracted discuss Kitty’s hair and it is form of iconic. She thinks it’s fairly! I do know it’s unhappy — it’s so unhappy — however I believe that is how she thinks she seems the prettiest. So we went again to it. It’s slightly flatter and slightly softer — however not a lot.”

Rupp’s different credit embody the whole lot from “Massive” (as Tom Hanks’ secretary) to “Associates” (as Phoebe’s sister-in-law) to the Marvel sequence “WandaVision” (she’ll be returning in “Agatha: Coven of Chaos”). Plus: “Seinfeld,” “Gray’s Anatomy,” “This Is Us” and an intensive checklist of stage credit.

When requested a few worst second in her profession, she recalled an early audition for Aaron Spelling — the super-producer behind reveals similar to “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Love Boat,” “Dynasty,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Melrose Place” and “Charmed” — not lengthy after she first arrived in Los Angeles.

My worst second …

“This should have been the ‘90s. Aaron Spelling had all these reveals that have been, like, the ‘stunning folks.’ He was doing a brand new present — and I don’t assume it ever went; I don’t assume it ever grew to become something — however anyway, he was doing a brand new present and I went in and I auditioned for it.

“I had no thought why I used to be there as a result of I used to be not a kind of stunning folks. I can’t keep in mind the present, it may need been alongside the strains of a ‘Charlie’s Angels’ factor. I really feel prefer it was for some form of detective possibly? The character labored in an workplace. So I may by no means be an Angel, however I may very well be a Bosley or no matter. One thing like that.

“So I am going in and audition for it, and I’ve fairly a unique tackle the character as a result of that’s simply who I’m, as a result of I’m bizarre. They usually form of checked out me and went, ‘Huh. That’s form of attention-grabbing.’ The director went, ‘That’s very attention-grabbing.’

“And hastily I get a callback. And I’m like, oh my god! It’s for Aaron Spelling! Even my agent was in shock! We’re all in shock!

“So I am going to this callback (laughs) and I’m out within the ready space to go in and it’s all these stunning girls. I imply, tall, beautiful girls. And right here is me, this brief, stubby, 45-year-old. And I’m considering: That is simply terrible.

“I stroll in and there are in all probability 50 folks all sitting in chairs alongside the again wall of this large, large room. I’ve by no means seen so many individuals in an audition ever in my life. Within the heart is Aaron Spelling.

“And he’s wanting down at my image. After which he seems up. And he seems proper at me. After which he goes: ‘Huh.’ (Laughs) And nobody says one phrase. Nobody says ‘hey,’ nobody says one phrase to me. Nobody has ready him.

“And I believed: That is actually simply terrible.

“So (laughs), I take a look at him and go, ‘Effectively, I’m the opposite approach to go.’

“However nobody responds! It’s crickets. Nobody does something. They’re simply frozen as a result of they’re so frightened of him. I would have laughed! And he simply stares at me. Simply stares at me. And I believed, this isn’t going properly in any respect.

“There was part of me that was slightly indignant as a result of nobody caught up for me! Even the casting director didn’t say, ‘Hello, Debra Jo!’ There was simply nothing. Nothing. And I believed, properly, that’s form of — I’m not going to say the phrase, nevertheless it was not good.

“So no longer solely am I not your bodily kind, however I’m going to learn your phrases in a manner that you just’ve by no means heard them earlier than. Anger will be good in these conditions. So I do it — I believe there have been two scenes and he had me do one. I end it and there was full silence.

“After which the casting director seems at Aaron Spelling. He seems down. And the casting director says, ‘Thanks, Debra.’ You already know it’s dangerous once they don’t ask you to do the second scene.

“However right here’s the factor: To me, it was actually humorous. It was simply actually, actually humorous: They didn’t get me. They didn’t get it in any respect. And I believe part of me simply went: You poor folks!

“Anyway, I had a superb humorousness about that one. And I went out to the car parking zone and generally we’d name the casting administrators to get suggestions. However after I acquired within the automobile and known as my agent, I mentioned: ‘We won’t be calling them for suggestions. We are going to simply let this go.’

“However I do generally take into consideration standing in that cavernous room with all of those folks lined up towards the wall simply gazing me. And I form of puzzled what the beautiful folks thought when that occurred as a result of the beautiful folks change into one thing else when that occurs — they’re getting stared at. It was simply not nice.”

Does it really feel like Hollywood’s emphasis on “stunning folks” doesn’t depart room for people who find themselves engaging however aren’t essentially fashions?

“I don’t understand how a lot of that I did to myself, you understand? I didn’t seem like what I believed the beautiful folks appeared like. So I’m fairly certain that I did numerous this myself, going: Look, you don’t seem like that, don’t go for these roles — go for what you assume is in your lane.

“I believe that once we’re youthful — and 40s isn’t that younger, however I believe I used to be gradual to develop up — I believe we do it to ourselves actually, loads. As a result of I take a look at these fantastic actors we love to look at now, they’re not all good with their eyes this far aside or no matter. So I believe we do numerous it to ourselves, even in Hollywood.”

Was she shocked Spelling didn’t interact in any respect — to say hey or snicker at her joke?

“I believe he was in shock. There have been all these stunning, stunning folks coming in to learn — after which there was me studying those self same phrases. I believe he didn’t know what to do. I don’t assume he was being imply, I simply assume he was somewhat shocked!

“So I learn it in a manner that they had by no means considered, as a result of it’s important to. Both that or it’s important to stroll out of the room — and I’m not going to try this. I’m doing the audition. As a result of in my head it’s like: You by no means know, possibly he’ll go, ‘Oh, I see what they noticed!’

“Effectively, that’s not what occurred.”

The takeaway …

“I believe I may have been defeated. It was very intimidating. However to me, it was the humor of the state of affairs.

“So I believe the takeaway for me was: If you will get by way of that, you will get by way of something. I believe I grew to become extra fearless.”

Nina Metz is a Tribune critic

nmetz@chicagotribune.com