The Charlie's Angels Star You Didn't Realize Was Featured In That '70s Show
By Daniel Kim
As Donna's mother, Midge Pinciotti, Tanya Roberts brought an endearingly dimwitted flair to "That '70s Show." A regular presence on the show between Seasons 1 and 3, Midge exited the series after divorcing her hirsute hubby Bob (Don Stark) and leaving Point Place, Wisconsin. Roberts would return for special guest appearances in Seasons 6 and 7 (via IMDb).
While Roberts began her acting career in the 1970s, making her a shoo-in for "That '70s Show" some 25 years later, she would land her most notable role in the following decade. In 1980, Roberts replaced Shelley Hack ahead of the fifth season of "Charlie's Angels." Even her street-smart turn as Julie Rogers couldn't save the doomed show, which had taken a rating dive after several high-profile exits. The following year, she graced the cover of People with a somewhat fatalistic headline: "Charlie's Sexiest (And Last?) Angel." The subheading reads, "In the wake of Farrah, Kate, Shelley and low ratings, Tanya Roberts brings a lusty humor to a jinxed job." Season 5 would end up being the series' last.
Roberts is one of several "That '70s Show" cast members to have been part of the '70s pop culture phenomena. Billy Dee Williams of "Star Wars" fame showed up in an episode as a pastor with a soft spot for the sci-fi classic (via IMDb), and Tommy Chong famously appeared on the series. The creators also considered that when casting Roberts, though they seemed to have let her '80s stardom slide. "What's ironic is that they wanted a mother who had been a '70s star," said Roberts, "and I came [to] the Angels in the '80s" (via Pop Goes The Culture TV).
