One of the most unforgettable faces from ’80s action cinema—and later a beloved sitcom curmudgeon—was spotted looking worlds away from his tough-guy roles during a rare outing in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Now 81, the actor rose to fame as the chilling villain Clarence Boddicker in 1987’s RoboCop, and followed it up with a memorable turn as CIA operative Robert Griggs in Rambo III.
But for a whole generation, he’ll always be Red Forman—the gruff, no-nonsense dad from That ’70s Show, where he sparred lovingly with Ashton Kutcher’s dim-witted Kelso and delivered classic one-liners with perfect timing.
He even reunited with Kutcher years later on The Ranch, slipping right back into the role of a grumpy father figure with ease.
Dressed casually in a bright blue polo and slacks, the Wisconsin native looked relaxed and content—nothing like his stern on-screen personas.
Can you guess the star?
If you said Kurtwood Smith, you’re absolutely right!
Back in 2023, Kurtwood Smith opened up about his audition for That ’70s Show — and the instant chemistry he shared with his future TV wife, Debra Jo Rupp.
‘She was already cast, and they were casting my role. I was the last person cast,’ he told Smashing Interviews.
‘So when I went in to read the final reading, I don’t know what his position was at the time, but he had a really big office (laughs). So I read with Debra Jo there. I guess we must’ve hit it off, you know.
‘I thought she was very funny, and she was. We had a great time.’
Smith, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley, graduated from Canoga Park High School in 1961.
He earned a B.A. from San José State and an M.F.A. from Stanford.
He later taught theater arts at Cañada College before diving into acting full-time.
Beyond That ’70s Show, Smith’s career spans decades — from playing a KKK leader in A Time to Kill to memorable roles in Dead Poets Society, Star Trek, and even voice work in Green Lantern: First Flight and Fallout Tactics.
He also voiced Carpenter K. Smith in AMC+’s Ultra City Smiths.
And Kurtwood is actually his real first name.
According to a past interview on The Caroline Rhea Show, Smith’s mother was a fan of a country singer named Kurt (or Curt) back in the 1940s.
She felt that ‘Kurt Smith’ sounded too short, so she added ‘wood’ to the end — making him likely the only Kurtwood out there.
