Ashton Kutcher admitted that his appearance as a model may have actually hindered his acting career.
Asked about playing a “bubbly supervillain” on the FX series “The Beauty” at a New York Comic Con panel last Saturday, he said, “I think any role you get, part of it is the way you look, right? That’s a huge part of what you bring to the table as a character.”
“And some roles I got because of the way I looked, and some roles I didn’t get because of the way I looked,” he continued.
Kutcher, 47, said she has been “unlucky” to miss out on important roles because of her appearance, adding, “It can be frustrating sometimes.”
However, the “That ’70s Show” alum said he now understands the casting decision. “I’m trying to tell a story with a picture, so the picture has to create an emotion in the audience,” he explained.
He also said his role in The Beauty was “complex” and “subtle.”
“Not to give too much away, but almost all of us have incredibly nuanced roles, and in some way, we’re either ourselves or something we’re not at any given moment,” he said of the thriller series, which is set to debut on Hulu in 2026.
“It creates a latent ability to embody any insecurities you may have and hide them, push them down and not show them to anyone in the world.”
The father of two called his role on the series “one of the great joys of my career.”
During an appearance at New York Comic Con, the actor also commented on the double standards in cosmetic enhancements. This theme will be explored in future series.
“People can go to the dentist and get braces installed and get their teeth fixed,” he says. “I can’t judge that…but the moment someone gets a rhinoplasty, it’s like, ‘What did you do?'”
He added, “It’s good to improve your teeth, but why not improve your face and nose?”
Series creator Ryan Murphy calls The Beauty “a sci-fi medical show about a new virus that mutates, is sexually transmitted, and transforms you into your absolutely perfect version of yourself,” Variety reported.
“And the question is, how far are you willing to go to be beautiful? What are you willing to sacrifice for that? Does it matter?”
Kutcher rose to fame on the FOX network’s hit comedy “That ’70s Show,” which ran from 1998 to 2006. The former professional model, who has since married her co-star Mila Kunis, 41, has since appeared in big-screen roles such as “Just Married,” “No Strings Attached,” and “Parenthood.”