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She grew up in the 70s, but her life wasnt quite like Kitty Formans.
Money was always a huge problem, she tells Bustle.
Shed sneak off to auditions whenever she could.
I would just say to people, I have to go to the bank.
And then I would disappear for an hour, Rupp recalls.
You know, take the subway really fast.
Go to the audition.
Take the subway back.
Clark gave her a rug shampooer as a consolation prize, but Rupp didnt own a rug.
I stared at him, she says.
And my mother called, and she was horrified.
She said, You couldnt say thank you to Dick Clark?
You couldnt smile?!
Below, Rupp shares tiny kitchen-approved hosting hacks and the one anachronism she pressedThat 70s Showwriters to change.
Take me back to 1979.
What was your life like?
I was still feeling my way.
I was always worried.
Its gonna be fine.Because all the angst and the worry didnt help anything.
Were you one at 28, or did you still feel like the kids in the basement?
Id be the upstairs person.
I knew everything, and I would stare at my parents in disbelief at what they couldnt do.
I was so obnoxious.
What did your average night out look like?
It definitely had a bar.
And dinner, sometimes.
There was usually a Mexican restaurant with frozen margaritas and tortilla chips.
And that was the night out because I could be thereforever.
And what about at home?
Kitty is such a good host.
Were you an entertainer among your friends?
I had some tiny homes, but I could do dinner parties.
Maybe once a year.
But when I did it, I knew how to do it.
They involved getting plywood from a trucking company to make the table big enough for people to sit around.
And there were always tablecloths and flowers.
And the food was good in a very, very, very tiny kitchen in New York City.
What was your go-to outfit at the time?
My prettiest was this black velvet dress long, with huge shoulder pads.
And then, glitter and sequins around a V-neck.
And then I hadFarrah Fawcetthair.
Id wear that dress for five years, every holiday season.
Do you like any of the fashion trends coming back from that era?
In the late 70s, shoulder pads were coming in.
I see those coming back a little bit.
That, Ilove.Bell bottoms, Ive always hated.
I have no legs!
So the bell part was at my knees.
I am the language police.
And I do the same thing on90sbecause the writers on both shows are younger.
And theyd look at me like I was a crazy person!
As the cast onThat 70s Showgrew into their 20s, did you see yourself in any of them?
No, because our circumstances were so different.
I would say Mila [Kunis] because Mila had her first kiss on the show.
And then Laura [Prepon] was a little bit of a partier, and I was too.
At her age, I think thats just natural.
Did anything on the show feel reminiscent of your own experience?
Oh, so much of it.
The girls insecurities am I pretty enough?
All that dating stuff, everything they worried about.
And I think thats one of the reasons the show was such a success.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onJan.
