Ashton Kutcher was born on the 7th of February, 1978, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He dabbled in modeling but was destined to become an actor. Ashton's appearance as Michael Kelso in the late 1990s retro sitcom, That ’70s Show, was the first role that brought him fame.
His next popular show was MTV’s, Punk’d. He went on to star in many films, including No Strings Attached, Jobs, Dude, Where's My Car?, What Happens In Vegas, A Lot Like Love, and the like. He appeared in the popular Netflix series, The Ranch, in 2016.
In 2010, he was featured on Time Magazine’s 'Top 100 Most Influential People' list. Let's not forget his marriage to Demi Moore, which lasted eight years. He and his former wife founded a philanthropic organization named the Demi and Ashton Foundation (it's since been renamed), to help eliminate the sexual exploitation of children worldwide.
Ashton Kutcher is now married to Mila Kunis and the two have two kids together. Now, it's time to take a look at this famous man’s early life, to see how he became who he is today:
14 An Array Of Nicknames
Ashton Kutcher’s nickname was ‘Chris’ when he was a child. This was the short form of his real name, Christopher Ashton Kutcher. He decided to give up the first part of his name when he began modeling, as the agency he signed with already had a model named Christopher. His middle name was a little more unique. His current nicknames are Ash and Kutch.
13 He Has A Twin Brother
Ashton Kutcher has a twin brother. Ashton was born a few minutes before his sibling, Michael. Unfortunately, Michael had cerebral palsy. Ashton is extremely attached to his brother. Michael had to have a heart transplant at age 13, after a serious viral infection. Ashton later disclosed to People magazine that he would have donated his own heart to his brother to keep him alive.
12 Changed Life After Parents’ Divorce
Larry and Diane Kutcher (Ashton and Michael’s parents) split up when the kids were 13. Ashton’s life changed after that. His father went away, and Ashton, Michael, and their older sister, Tausha, stayed with their mother. Their mother married again, and the family moved to a small farm village called Homestead.
11 An Actor Living In Homestead
At Homestead, the kids continued with their studies. Along with his studies, Ashton began acting in school plays. He was, at that point, an actor in the making. However, when he grew up a little, he became a rebel. He would party with friends. Ashton was even caught by the police once, breaking into the school - he was charged with attempted burglary.
10 Taking Up Odd Jobs
After graduating from Clear Creek-Amana High School, Ashton attended the University of Iowa to study biochemical engineering. After his initial 'all-fun' days, he eventually realized he had to push himself harder. He got serious about his studies. He had to finance his education himself so he began doing odd jobs to earn money. At that time, he worked as a sweeper in a factory, a butcher, and even a janitor.
9 He Wished To Find A Cure For Heart Ailments
Ashton wished to study biochemical engineering as he had the aim of finding a cure for cardiomyopathy, a heart ailment from which his twin brother suffered for years. However, destiny had something else in store for him. His good looks were going to win him modeling assignments.
8 His Modeling Career
In 1997, Ashton was scouted by a talent agent and encouraged to try modeling. That year, he took part in a modeling contest called Fresh Faces of Iowa...and came out as the winner. Later on, he lost a Male Model of the Year competition to Josh Duhamel.
Modeling opened up new opportunities. He dropped out of university and moved to New York, where he enrolled with a modeling agency.
7 Working With Big Brands
During his modeling years, Ashton Kutcher worked with big brands like Calvin Klein, Joe Boxer, and Abercrombie & Fitch. He walked the runway for the high-fashion brand, Versace. Though he became an actor thereafter, he got back to modeling again in 2008, when he promoted brands like Pepe Jeans London. In 2011, he modeled for Colucci fashions in Brazil.
6 Acting Is What He Was Meant For
Ashton got his big break in Hollywood in 1998. He was offered a role in the retro sitcom, That 70s Show, which was originally named, Teenage Wasteland. He played a character called Michael Kelso who was living in a small town in Wisconsin. He was loved by the fans for his strikingly good looks and witty acting. After this, there was no looking back for him. He starred in a series of reality shows and movies.
5 Landing The Right Job
Ashton had the choice of auditioning for Teenage Wasteland (later called The '70s Show) or another NBC pilot, called Wind on Water. Ashton had a busy schedule and decided to go to the Teenage Wasteland audition only. This turned out to be a good decision because the other pilot did not take off.
4 Quitting Smoking For A Role
Ashton Kutcher used to be a smoker. He disclosed that he quit smoking in 2006, for his role in The Guardian, by reading a book by Allen Carr. The book was titled, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking. However, he probably began smoking again later - there is a famous story about him blowing cigarette smoke into Mila Kunis’ mouth on their first date.
3 Possessing Guns As A Teenager
In a tweet, Ashton Kutcher once revealed that he possessed guns when he was as young as 12. He belonged to a middle-class family and had two other siblings, one of whom was unwell. Besides, his parents split when he was 13. His owning guns could be a result of being a little neglected as a child and having a wild group of friends. He is now in complete favor of the stricter gun laws.
2 A Religious Man
Since he was very young, Ashton Kutcher has been a religious man. His co-star in No Strings Attached, Natalie Portman, disclosed to USA Today in 2011 that Ashton would study Kabbalah. His wife, Mila Kunis, called him a ‘very religious’ person in an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast. She and Ashton celebrate Shabbat on Fridays.
1 Marriage To Demi Moore
Though he already established himself as a model and an actor, Ashton Kutcher's marriage to the very famous Demi Moore (in 2005) gave a massive push to his career and popularity. She was 15 years older than he was, and she had three children from her ex-husband, Bruce Willis. This was one high-profile marriage that everyone talked about. They divorced in 2013.