Ashton Kutcher has confessed that his striking appearance may have sometimes been a hindrance to his acting pursuits.
“For any role you land, your looks play a significant part in shaping the character,” he remarked during a discussion about his role as a “hilarious supervillain” in the FX series “The Beauty” at New York Comic Con last Saturday.
He elaborated, saying, “There are parts I’ve been cast in because of my appearance, and others I’ve missed out on for the same reason,” according to People.
Kutcher, now 47, admitted feeling occasionally frustrated, as his looks have kept him from securing more “down on your luck” roles with substantial depth.
Nonetheless, the former “That ’70s Show” star acknowledges the rationale behind casting choices. “Filmmaking is a visual medium, and the images need to evoke emotions in the audience,” he clarified.
He further mentioned that his character in “The Beauty” offers a “complex” and “nuanced” portrayal.
“Without giving away too much, almost every one of us has an incredibly nuanced role where, in some way, shape or form, we’re playing something that we are or we aren’t at any given time,” he shared of the thriller series, which is set to drop on Hulu in 2026.
“It creates this underlying ability to embody insecurities that you may have, that you hide away and you push down, and you don’t let anyone in the world see it.”
The father of two went on to call his role on the series “one of the great delights of my career.”
During his New York Comic Con appearance, the actor also commented on double standards in cosmetic enhancements — themes explored in the upcoming series.
“People can go to the dentist and get braces, and fix their teeth,” he said. “There’s no judgment over that … but then the minute someone gets rhinoplasty, it’s like, ‘you did what?’”
He added, “Why is it okay to make our teeth better but not our face better, or our nose better?”
Series creator Ryan Murphy has called “The Beauty” a “sci-fi medical show about a new virus that mutates and it’s sexually transmitted, that turns you into your absolute perfect self,” according to Variety.
“And the question is, how far would you go to be beautiful? What would you sacrifice to that, and does that matter?”
Kutcher rose to fame on the Fox network hit sit-com “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2006. The former professional model — who has since married co-star Mila Kunis, 41 — went on to star in big screen roles as well, including “Just Married,” “No Strings Attached,” and “Parenthood.”
