Wilmer Valderrama will not be returning for Season 2 of “That ’90s Show” despite being a recurring character for the debut season of the “That ’70s Show” spin-off — but he’s got a good reason.
“There’s no time!” he told People in an interview published Saturday. “We’re pushing 20 episodes a season [on ‘NCIS’], but at the same time, it’s the kids’ jobs.”
Those kids in question are Callie Haverda, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Reyn Doi, Sam Morelos and Maxwell Acee Donovan (original series stars Kurtwood Smith and Debra Jo Rupp reprise their roles).
“This is their show now, and I think it was important that we came and pay respect to their show and have fun with the legacy of what we did,” Valderrama continued. “At the same time, it was really about, you know, now seeing them take it over.”
The actor also thanked show creators Mark Brazill, Bonnie Turner and Terry Turner for making “a character that allowed me to fly in ways that I never thought was possible creatively.”
Valderrama revealed that the trio asked him to weigh in on where Fez would be in the 1990s. “They asked me, ‘Oh, what do you think Fez would be doing right now if it was the ‘90s?’ And I said he’d be the Paul Mitchell of Wisconsin,” the actor explained.
The actor also admitted that there was one major hurdle when it came to initially bringing the character back: his iconic voice, something he hadn’t attempted since he was 26. “I don’t care how much fun or who asked me to do the voice,” he recalled. “I never did it, you know? And so when I had to do the table, I was like, ‘OK, here we go.’” However, it turned out that slipping back into it was “like riding a bicycle.”
Ultimately, Valderrama was joined by former “That ’70 Show” costars Laura Prepon, Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Tommy Chong and Don Stark in varying capacities when Season 1 of the spin-off dropped in January 2023.
“That ’90s Show” returns June 27 on Netflix.
