Kurtwood Smith starred as Red Forman on “That ’70s Show” from 1998 through 2006 and its short-lived sequel, “That ’90s Show,” from 2023 to 2024. Though he’s known for playing the grisly character with a distaste for the younger generation, Kurtwood Smith is a doting grandfather in real life.
His grandson Ryan recently graduated from high school, and Kurtwood Smith shared a rare glimpse into his family life to commemorate the occasion.
Kurtwood Smith Shows Off His Grandson’s Major Milestone
Actor Kurtwood Smith was first married to Cecilia Souza, with whom he had two children. After their divorce in 1974, he went on to marry Joan Pirkle. Though his family maintains a more private life, Kurtwood Smith adores being a grandfather. Fans occasionally see him out with his grandson, Ryan.
Ryan recently graduated from high school, which prompted high praise from his famous grandfather.
“Couldn’t be prouder of my grandson Ryan! Congratulations 🎉👨🎓on graduating from @phsburbank 🎓🥁Can’t wait to see what’s next!” the actor shared on Instagram. In the photo, he proudly wraps an arm around his grandson, beaming from ear to ear.
Fans applauded the young man in the comments. Many made jokes and references to Smith’s iconic character on “That ’70s Show,” who frequently threatened to kick his son into shape.
“Can you imagine being so lucky to say your grandpa was Red Forman!? 👏” one Instagram follower quipped.
“Congratulations! The ol’ foot can rest for a bit!” a fan laughed.
“Congrats to Ryan for not getting the OL Foot 😂😂👏👏👏👏” another joked.
Back in August, the “That ’70s Show” star also honored his grandson Ryan with a special birthday shoutout.
“Happy Birthday to my favorite drummer…and grandson 🎉🎂🥳” the 82-year-old captioned an Instagram video of Ryan playing the drums.
The Popular Sitcom Star Wasn’t Sure He Was Cut Out For Television
Kurtwood Smith cemented his role in sitcom history for playing Red Forman. However, he originally imagined himself as a stage actor.
“Even if I’d stretched myself back then to think about being on television, I wouldn’t have imagined it’d be in a sitcom. I didn’t see myself there at all. When I started acting, I was all about the stage,” he shared with Business Insider in 2023.
“I was a little insecure on the first episode of ‘That ’70s Show,’ but I got some pretty good laughs out of it, and then it just continued on. I didn’t necessarily think, ‘Oh, I’m pretty funny,'” Smith continued. “We had great writers on that show, and we have great writers on ‘That ’90s Show.’ I tried not to make the mistake of thinking, ‘Oh, this is all me being funny,’ because it’s not. It’s the situation that the writers give us.”
While speaking with Collider in 2023, Smith revealed that people often request that he call them his most iconic insult.
“It’s just, it’s amazing to me that guys… Maybe one woman asked me to call her a dumbass, but pretty much it’s guys and they come up and they go, ‘Hey man, can you call me a dumbass?’ And what I used to say was, ‘Anybody who wants to be called a dumbass is a dumbass,'” he explained. “And then I’d call them a dumbass, and they’d be happy. Yeah. But I don’t know why. I have no idea what that comes from. I think they feel that it kind of pulls them in, makes them a little tiny bit a part of the show.”
