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That '70s Show character guide

Who is Michael Kelso in That '70s Show?

The handsome, hopelessly dim member of the That '70s Show gang, a lovable goofball whose pranks, falls off the water tower, and messy love life keep Point Place busy.

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Michael Kelso's Sitcomdle clue card

The five clues the game shows when Michael Kelso is the answer or a guess.

Show
That '70s Show
Debut
1998
Network
FOX
Role
Main
Gender
Male

Michael Kelso has not been a daily answer yet. Play today's Sitcomdle.

Show
That '70s Show
Played by
Ashton Kutcher
First episode
“That '70s Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired August 23, 1998
Role
Main cast
Network
FOX
Occupation
Pretty boy, later police cadet and Playboy Club guard
Show run
1998 to 2006

Michael Kelso is the good-looking, not-so-bright friend who always seems to be one bad idea away from disaster. Played by Ashton Kutcher in his breakout role, he spends much of the series in an on-again, off-again romance with Jackie Burkhart.

On That '70s Show, Michael Kelso's story runs through Jackie Burkhart (Ex-girlfriend), Eric Forman (Friend), Steven Hyde (Friend), Fez (Best Friend), Donna Pinciotti (Friend), and Red Forman (Friend's Father).

Michael Kelso from That '70s Show: Sitcomdle character card

Who is Michael Kelso?

Kelso is one of Eric Forman's oldest friends and a permanent fixture in the Forman basement. He is tall, long-haired, and very aware of how pretty he is, and he is introduced in the pilot as the loud, dim-witted part of the group. When the show begins he is dating Jackie Burkhart, the rich, bossy girl he can never quite keep happy.

The show offers a few running explanations for his lack of brainpower, including being held back a year in first grade and being dropped on his head as a baby. He is also a creature of tradition: he has fallen off the Point Place water tower every year since junior high.

Personality and comedy

Kelso is the textbook lovable lunkhead. He is vain, impulsive, and easy to talk into almost anything, but he is rarely mean, and his total confidence makes even his worst ideas strangely fun to watch. He pulls pranks, gets hurt, and bounces back by the next scene.

Now and then the show lets him surprise everyone with a flash of real insight or an unexpected knack for math, and then he goes right back to being Kelso. Ashton Kutcher's physical comedy and boyish charm carry the character, and by seasons six and seven Kelso has grown into one of the show's central figures.

Key storylines

Kelso's early arc is about Jackie and his inability to stay faithful to her. He cheats with Pam Macy in season one and later with Eric's sister, Laurie, and when Jackie catches him kissing Laurie goodbye, she dumps him. They get back together more than once, but at the end of season four, with Jackie pressing him about marriage, he takes off for California with Donna. By the time he returns, Jackie has fallen for Hyde.

In season six he learns that Brooke, an older former schoolmate he claimed to have hooked up with at a concert, is pregnant, and their daughter Betsy is born in season seven. He also enters the police academy and briefly becomes a cop before losing the job. Early in season eight he takes a security job at the Playboy Club in Chicago and moves away, but he comes home for the New Year's Eve finale.

Behind the scenes and legacy

Kelso was Ashton Kutcher's breakout role, and it launched a long career in film and television. Kutcher stayed a regular through season seven, then returned for the first four episodes of season eight to give the character a proper send-off, plus a guest spot in the finale.

TV Guide later named Kelso one of TV's most lovable lunkheads. Kutcher returned for the premiere of That '90s Show in 2023, which reveals that Kelso and Jackie ended up together after all and have a son, Jay.

Key Michael Kelso episodes

  1. “Ski Trip”Season 1, Episode 13Jackie dumps Kelso after he is caught with Pam Macy, then starts to regret it.
  2. “Kiss of Death”Season 2, Episode 20Kelso tries to end his fling with Laurie, but Jackie catches their goodbye kiss and breaks up with him.
  3. “Love, Wisconsin Style”Season 4, Episode 27Feeling pressured by Jackie, Kelso flees Point Place for California with Donna.
  4. “What is and What Should Never Be”Season 5, Episode 3Kelso finds out about Jackie and Hyde in the worst possible way.
  5. “Young Man Blues”Season 6, Episode 9Kelso starts at the police academy.
  6. “Misfire”Season 8, Episode 4Kelso takes a job at the Playboy Club in Chicago and says goodbye to the gang.

Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.

Michael Kelso's catchphrase

  • “Burn!”

More lines fans still quote: famous sitcom catchphrases and who said them.

Michael Kelso: frequently asked questions

Who plays Kelso in That '70s Show?

Ashton Kutcher plays Michael Kelso. The role made him a star, and he was a regular from the 1998 pilot through season seven.

Why did Kelso leave That '70s Show?

Ashton Kutcher left after season seven, but he came back for the first four episodes of season eight. In "Misfire," Kelso takes a job at the Playboy Club in Chicago and says goodbye, then returns for the finale.

Do Kelso and Jackie end up together?

Not on That '70s Show, where Jackie ends the series with Fez. The sequel That '90s Show reveals that Kelso and Jackie later married and had a son named Jay.

Who is the mother of Kelso's baby?

Brooke Rockwell, a former senior at Kelso's high school, is the mother of his daughter, Betsy. Brooke's pregnancy is revealed in season six and Betsy is born in season seven.

Test yourself: Michael Kelso quiz

5 questions about Michael Kelso. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.

  1. Question 1

    Which landmark does Kelso keep falling off as a running gag?

    1. The water tower
    2. The Forman garage roof
    3. The high school bleachers
    4. The Hub's sign
    Show the answer

    Answer: A. The water tower

    Kelso is the usual victim, and in the final season the new guy Charlie becomes the one character to fall off and not survive.

    See question 6 in the full quiz

  2. Question 2

    What does Kelso yell, out of sight of the camera, whenever Hyde roughs him up?

    1. "Uncle!"
    2. "I'm okay!"
    3. "Ow, my eye!"
    4. "Not the face!"
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. "Ow, my eye!"

    The gag repeats across the series, and the flashbacks in "Class Picture" use it again and again.

    See question 14 in the full quiz

  3. Question 3

    What is the name of Kelso's baby daughter, born in season seven?

    1. Leia
    2. Betsy
    3. Laurie
    4. Brooke
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. Betsy

    Betsy's mother is Brooke, a librarian, and in the final season Kelso takes a security job at the Playboy Club in Chicago.

    See question 17 in the full quiz

  4. Question 4

    Who plays Michael Kelso in That '70s Show?

    1. William Jackson Harper
    2. Ashton Kutcher
    3. Ron Howard
    4. Tony Hale
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. Ashton Kutcher

    Ashton Kutcher plays Michael Kelso.

  5. Question 5

    In what year did Michael Kelso first appear on That '70s Show?

    1. 1994
    2. 1996
    3. 1998
    4. 2004
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. 1998

    Michael Kelso debuted in 1998, in "That '70s Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1). That year is the Debut clue in the game.

Take the full That '70s Show quiz (20 questions)

Sources and corrections

Reference pages used for this guide, including character, cast, and episode details.

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