In Hollywood, certain calls demand attention. Ryan Murphy’s was one of them and it brought Ashton Kutcher back into focus. The actor was last seen in the Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine opposite Reese
Witherspoon. Following the film, Kutcher stayed away from the spotlight for nearly three years. The actor admitted that he “didn’t feel like it was the time to come back.”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kutcher spoke candidly about the reasons behind his extended break from acting. He shared, “Honestly, I have young kids and I’m very involved in their lives, coaching flag football and doing all these things. And I have a venture capital firm that I run. I was like, ‘I’m not!’ I was like, ‘I’m not interested in doing anything right now.’”
However a call from Murphy shifted the course.
When Ryan Murphy Had An Intriguing Pitch For Aston Kutcher
Murphy, who co-created The Beauty with Matt Hodgson, approached Kutcher with what the actor describes as a compelling pitch. “I mean, he’s one of the greatest writers on the planet, and you go, ‘All right, let me have a conversation,’” Kutcher recalled.
He added, “I sat with him and he told me what this was about, and we had a deep conversation about GLP-1s and what’s happening with Ozempic and Mounjaro and cosmetic surgery — and all the lengths that people are going to in order to become what they define as the most beautiful version of themselves.”
The Jobs actor recalled Murphy framing the central question of the series by asking, “What if there was a shot that just made you do that? What would you be willing to pay for it?”
The Doctor Odyssey co-creator then revealed he had written Kutcher’s character specifically for him. “You are this character and I want you to play it,” Kutcher said.
About Aston Kutcher’s Character in The Beauty
Ashton Kutcher portrays a powerful tycoon known as The Corporation, first seen aboard a lavish yacht in Croatia, leading a lavish life built on a trillion-dollar empire. His character introduces a drug called The Beauty, which promises extraordinary beauty and eternal youth to those who take it.
However, the drug comes at a steep cost, with dangerous side effects that mirror the moral decay at the heart of his empire. This corruption seeps into his personal life as well, especially his strained relationship with his wife, Franny Forst (Isabella Rossellini), who strongly condemns his actions. In a haunting line from the trailer, she tells him, “Every night I pray for your death.”
Kutcher’s Character is Inspired by Elon Musk?
Given The Corporation’s vast wealth and power, many have speculated that the character may be inspired by real-life billionaires like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg, However, Kutcher is quick to dismiss those assumptions.
“This guy’s nothing like Mark. Some people have asked me about Elon Musk, and this is not based on Elon Musk. He might be the closest in wealth. I think The Corporation is the richest person in the world. Maybe Elon will be second — but after Starlink goes public, he might go back to first,” Kutcher said with a laugh.
The series features an ensemble cast including Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Ashton Kutcher and Rebecca Hall, and premiered on FX and Hulu on January 21.
