Topher was born and attended public schools in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. This upscale suburb of Detroit was the setting for the show within a show in the WB satirical comedy series Grosse Pointe (2000) which was created by Darren Star as a spoof of his own hit series Beverly Hills 90210. Grosse Pointe was also the location of the 1997 dark comedy Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) starring John Cusack.