The Kelso family has a long history in Point Place, Wisconsin, and theThat ’70s Showfranchise has introduced several of its members. Of course, this began with Michael Kelso, one of the original teenagers who frequented Eric Forman’s basement in the 1970s. In later seasons ofThat ’70s Show, other Kelsos were brought into the mix as well, and this only continued with the Netflix spinoff seriesThat ’90s Show, which introduced the next generation of Point Place teens.
The families ofThat ’70s Show’s teenswere typically left off-screen, which is true for the Kelsos. It’s implied that Michael had a rather large family, with his parents having had a total of five sons and one daughter. However, only one of his siblings was ever seen on screen, so little is known about the others. Michael’s mother is never seen inThat ’70s Showeither, though we know Mrs. Kelso existed since she would sometimes attach notes for the Formans to Michael’s lapel. Aside from these mysterious and unseen Kelsos,several are still featured in theThat ’70s Showfranchise.
That ’90s Show Cast, Character & Cameo Guide
Here’s a breakdown of the cast, characters, and cameos of That ’90s Show parts 1 - 3, including the returns of That ’70s Show’s many cameos.
Michael Kelso
Michael Is The “Original” That ’70s Show Kelso
Michael is the Kelso with whomThat ’70s Showfans will be most familiar. Played by actor Ashton Kutcher, the character is attractive and charismatic, though he is, for lack of a better word, an idiot. His foolishness is often the center of jokes, and his lines make up some of the most memorable and hilarious quotes ofThat ’70s Show. Still, Michael had some rather heartwarming moments on screen, especially in later seasons when he faced some rare tough decisions.
ThoughMichael dated Jackie on and off throughoutThat ’70s Show, he hooked up with Brooke Rockwell near the end of the series, and the pair wound up having a baby together. This drastically changed Michael’s life, and he moved away from Point Place to be closer to Brooke and the baby, becoming a police officer to support his little family. It’s unclear what became of this career, butThat ’90s Showrevealed that Michael eventually moved back to Point Placeand married Jackie Burkhart. The pair had at least one child together and continued to live near the Formans in the 1990s.
Casey Kelso
Casey Kelso Is Michael’s Older Brother In That ’70s Show
Michael Kelso’s older brother, Casey Kelso, was first introduced inThat ’70s Showseason 4. He and Donna dated for a short period, at which point the gang (and audiences) got to know him a little.Casey is older than Michael and isn’t quite as moronicas his little brother. However, he is even more of a womanizer, using his casual and cool demeanor to get girls hooked before never calling them again. Casey was in the army before dating Donna, but there’s no indication of what sort of career he pursued after. In all, his greatest passion inThat ’70s Showseems to have been his Trans Am.
Casey Kelso has yet to appear or be mentioned inThat ’90s Show, though he’s a prime opportunity for a cameo.
John Kelso
John Kelso Is Michael & Casey’s Father (Jay & Betsy’s Grandfather)
John Kelso, the father of Casey, Michael, and their four siblings,was only featured once inThat ’70s Show. He came to the Point Place high school for career day in season 1, though it was clear that Michael had no idea what his father actually did for a living. John seemed like a kind man and had a surprising amount of patience for his son. He also seemed significantly more intelligent, though Red often said the Kelso kids were just as stupid as their parents. Since Red considered most people to be morons, however, it’s difficult to say how accurate this is.
Lisa & Ron Kelso
Lisa & Ron Are Jay’s Aunt & Uncle
ThoughThat ’70s Shownever revealed any additional information about Michael and Casey’s other siblings,That ’90s Showpart 3 included a little teaser. At one point, Jay mentioned that Nate’s new hairstyle looked just like his Aunt Lisa, whom he described as a middle-aged woman with the same cut. Later, Jay fell off the Point Place water tower (a tradition in theThat ’70s Showfranchise) and deliriously mistook Nate for his “Uncle Ron.”
Jackie Burkhart was an only child in That ’70s Show, so this aunt and uncle must either be Michael’s other siblings or married to them.
Jackie Burkhart was an only child inThat ’70s Show, so this aunt and uncle must either be Michael’s other siblings or married to them. Regardless, this makes them members of the Kelso family that were previously unknown beforeThat ’90s Show.
Betsy Kelso
Betsy Kelso Is The Daughter Of Michael & Brooke Rockwell (Sister To Jay)
Betsy Kelso is Michael’s oldest child, born before theending ofThat ’70s Show. She was the product of a concert hookup between Michael and Brooke Rockwell, an intelligent young woman with a promising future. Betsy was born in Chicago, where she lived with her mother, Brooke, and Michael for a time. Very little is known about Betsy’s life through the ’80s and first half of the ’90s. However, her appearance inThat ’90s Showpart 3 sheds some light on the character’s young adult life.
Betsy turned up inThat ’90s Showpart 3 when Nate hooked up with her (not knowing she was Jay’s sister). Through these episodes, we learn a little about the character, who is similar toThat ’70s Show’s Laurie Forman. Betsy is far cleverer than other Kelsos but just as promiscuous. She’s highly confident and unconcerned with the feelings of others, so she doesn’t care a bit that her relationship with Nate was causing quite a riff in theThat ’90s Showfriend group.
Betsy has been set up as a recurring character inThat ’90s Show.
Jackie (Burkhart) Kelso
Jackie Kelso Is Wife To Michael & Mother To Jay
Though not born into the Kelso family, Jackie Burkhart married in at some point between the events ofThat ’70s ShowandThat ’90s Show. In fact, it’s revealed that she married in and divorced out multiple times. In the first episode ofThat ’90s Showseason 1, Jackie popped in on the Formans with her husband, Michael, who mentioned that they are on their third marriage. This is unsurprising, given the pair’s relationship inThat ’70s Show. They always seemed made for one another, but their combined selfishness and tendency for infidelity meant they often ran into trouble.
…being a Kelso hasn’t made her any less bossy.
Still, it’s sweet to see that Jackie and Michael have continued to be a constant presence in each other’s lives, and the idea that their son, Jay, dates Eric and Donna’s daughter, Leia, is heartwarming as well. There’s little indication regarding whatJackie is like as a mother, butit’s evident inThat ’90s Showthat she hasn’t changed much since she was a teenager—being a Kelso hasn’t made her any less bossy.
Jay Kelso
Jay Kelso Is The Son Of Michael & Jackie (Brother To Betsy Kelso)
Jay Kelso is the son of Michael and Jackie and one of the main characters ofThat ’90s Show. It’s assumed that he was born in Point Place, though he at least lived there in the 1990s, attending high school with Nate, Gwen, Nikki, and Ozzie. Jay is like his father in many ways. He inherited the Kelso-womanizer gene, and before meeting Eric Forman’s daughter Leia, he was known to hook up with girls and never call them again. However,Jay is more intelligent than Michael Kelso. He can sometimes be oblivious or slightly bone-headed, but he is rather philosophical and tries his best to be responsible.
Jay has taken a significant step forward for the Kelso family as a whole.
Jay seems to take great pride in being a Kelso, though his relationship with Leia leads him to change his womanizing ways. He’s also a better friend than Michael. WhileThat ’70s Show’s Kelsoshowed little loyalty to his friends (and enjoyed pranking them and laughing in their faces), Jay’s relationship with his best friend Nate is akin to a bromance, and there are several instances inThat ’90s Showin which he proves he would do anything for his pals. In this way, it seems that Jay has taken a significant step forward for the Kelso family as a whole.
that 70s show
Cast
That ‘70s Show was one of Fox’s most popular sitcoms upon its release in 1998. Starring Topher Grace (Eric Forman), Laura Prepon (Donna Pinciotti), Mila Kunis (Jackie Burkhart), Danny Masterson (Steven Hyde), Wilmer Valderrama (Fez), and Ashton Kutcher (Michael Kelso), That ‘70s Show revolves around the teens’ mishaps as they grow up in Point Place Wisconsin in the 1970s.
