This Pop Star Got Into Acting With a Guest Role on ‘That ’70s Show’
We often hear the whereabouts of the original cast of That 70s Show. But there were a few actors that made short-lived appearances that don’t get as much attention. One such person was a pop star when she landed a guest role. Jessica Simpson rose to fame as a singer, but her time on the show paved a new path for acting and for a business venture. What character did she play alongside Ashton Kutcher, where did that role lead her, and what is she up to nowadays?
Jessica Simpson’s time on ‘That 70’s Show’
Simpson showed up in Season 5 of the show. She portrayed Annette, a California girl who comes back to Wisconsin. The character was brought in as a new love interest for Kelso (played by Kutcher) after he and Jackie Burkhart (portrayed by Mila Kunis) split up the previous season.
Annette reminds the others of Jackie when it comes to the way they talked and behaved, showing the audience that the strong feelings Kelso had for Jackie never went away — they were just transferred. Meanwhile, Jackie moved on with Hyde.
The relationship only lasted through a few episodes. Kelso went on to date others, though, of course, he and Jackie ultimately get together on screen (and off) following the events of That ’70s Show.
Where did that role lead her?
While the role on the show was likely a way of cashing in on her popularity at the time, it still led to other acting opportunities, utilizing her gift of comedic relief.
She acted in movies such as Employee of the Month and Blonde Ambition. But, the role she’s most known for is the reality series she starred in with her then-husband Nick Lachey. The Newlyweds Nick & Jessica aired in the later part of 2003 and depicted their married life as newlyweds.
It only lasted three seasons before the pair divorced, and the show ended in 2005. Simpson was pursuing a different career path in fashion and credits her role as Daisy in The Dukes of Hazard for helping her figure herself out and have the confidence to pursue something new in her life while ending her marriage with Lachey.
The singer’s acting roles slowed down, but she continues to have fond memories of them. She continued to act and sing, but fashion became her passion in life. She also met and eventually married Eric Johnson, a former NFL player.
What is Jessica Simpson up to nowadays?
Simpson puts a lot of her time and effort into being a wife and mom of three kids, but she’s also spending time in her company. After a failed partnership a few years back, she nearly lost her business entirely. It was in the last few years that she fought hard to gain ownership back into her own company, according to Forbes.
Her hard work paid off, and in 2021 she’s once again the owner of The Jessica Simpson Collection. Today, she’s busy regrowing that business and making crucial decisions for future plans with the company. She wants to start a boy’s and men’s line of clothing, shoes, and accessories. Down the road, she plans to add home interior to the collection as well and possibly bring in a health & wellness line too.
As for music, Simpson isn’t singing as much as she did when she met Nick Lachey, but she still belts out a song or two every now and then. She publishes YouTube videos on her channel of cover songs to tunes like “Particles”, so she’s not entirely out of the singing game. In fact, she plans to do more in the future.
