Topher Grace: Where did that name come from?

Topher Grace, 28, phoned from New York City, where he was gearing up for the U.S. premiere of “Spider-Man 3.” In it, Grace plays Peter Parker’s photographer rival, Eddie Brock, who is transformed by a mysterious black substance into a villain named Venom. But as often happens when you get two Christophers together on the telephone, our talk turned to shared first names.

Q I’m a Chris. You’re a Topher. We didn’t have Tophers when I was growing up.

A “I was actually a Chris until prep school. But my parents didn’t realize that Chris Grace sounds kind of weird when you say the names together. And, as you know, you can never get people to call you Christopher. Americans are so lazy. They won’t even say your full name. I’d be like, ‘Hi my name is Christopher,’ and they’d say, ‘Hi Chris,’ and I’d be like, ‘No Chris-TO-PHER.’

Q That’s the thing: Topher sounds so annoyingly preppy to me.

A “I’ve heard people say it’s preppy. But I had never met a Topher before. I did it to be a wise a--. I do love irony, probably more than I should. I practice it in my professional and personal life.”

Q Has it always been your dream to be the bad guy in a Spider-Man movie?

A “There’s not an actor who doesn’t want to be in one of these movies. I thought the first one was great, and I thought the second one was ever better, which is rare with sequels. And I was a huge fan of the comic books when I was younger. I was reading the comic book when the character of Venom was first created — so in a way, I really felt like I had the inside track on the role. I was really excited when Sam Raimi told me he wanted me to do it. But I had to (play it) cool, because we were still negotiating my salary.”

Q Whenever I open up a copy of Us Weekly or Star, I never see pictures of you — unlike, say, some of your former co-stars on “That ’70s Show.” Why is that?

A “Well, I would say that’s a really conscious decision on my part. It’s not that I don’t go out and party and hang out with people. I’m not in a cocoon. But Hollywood is all about self-imposed restrictions. I’m really passionate about my work, and I feel like if I was in Us Weekly all the time that people wouldn’t be able to see the characters I was playing. And, look, I’m pretty boring.”

Q If you could write your own ticket, what would you be doing in five years?

A “I’m taking over the Playboy Empire. I’m living in Tahiti. I’m on my cigarette boat. I got servants. I’m doing a pound of blow every day. ... Are you kidding? I just hope I’m still acting. Honestly, I’m fine doing what I’m doing right now. I’m not one of those actors chasing the golden dragon, which is what I call the Oscar. I just want to work on stuff that I like.”