ashton kutcher

christopher ashton kutcher was born on february 7, 1978, in cedar rapids, iowa, five minutes before his fraternal twin brother, michael. At age 13, parents Larry Kutcher and Diane Portwood divorced, shortly before his brother was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a deadly disease that eats away at the heart's muscles. Michael was given about six hours to live, but survived with a transplant.

This compelled young ashton kutcher to enroll in the biochemical engineering program at the University of Iowa in 1996, where he would pursue a cure for the disease. But in previous years, he showed interest (and promise) in a whole other profession: he starred in a seventh grade play, and in his senior year was given the lead role in a production of Annie.

To help pay for his college education, ashton kutcher worked part-time at several odd jobs, like sweeping the floors at a General Mills factory (where his father worked) and skinning deer. But everything changed one night, when at a local bar, a model scout approached him and suggested he sign up for the Fresh Faces of Iowa modeling competition. Taken back, ashton kutcher accepted. The first prize, which ashton kutcher grabbed, was a trip to New York, where other competitions would take place.

Once ashton kutcher arrived in New York, he decided to stay. He signed up with the Next Agency modeling agency, which removed "Christopher" from his name, as they already had too many male models with that first name.

In no time he was doing the grand circuit -- Paris and Milan -- and strutting for big names like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Versace. But ashton kutcher always had his eyes aimed at another city: L.A.

In 1998, he auditioned for two upcoming TV shows: Wind on Water and That '70s Show. Amazed that he was offered major roles in both, ashton kutcher struggled to choose one. He finally went with Kelso, a decision he certainly celebrated when Wind on Water was canceled shortly after its premiere. That '70s Show, on the other hand, became a Nielsen hit.

While he was becoming a star to look out for on TV, ashton kutcher started small on the big screen, with minor roles in Reindeer Games and Down to You, both in 2000. But that same year he scored big as Jesse Richmond, the protagonist in the ridiculous comedy Dude, Where's My Car?, earning him an MTV Breakthrough Male Performance nomination.

Holding strong on TV, he also had a major role alongside fellow "heartthrob" James Van Der Beek in Texas Rangers (2001), and co-starred with Brittany Murphy in Just Married (2003). A self-described workaholic, he starred in and co-produced My Boss's Daughter, with Tara Reid as his love interest.

After a bit part in 2003's holiday comedy remake, Cheaper by the Dozen, ashton kutcher co-starred with Amy Smart in the hit 2004 thriller, The Butterfly Effect, for which he also served as executive producer.

In 2003, ashton kutcher also served as creator, host and producer of the successful MTV show Punk'd, in which ashton kutcher and his posse play pranks on celebrities. The show won him two 2003 Teen Choice Awards for Best Reality/Variety Host and Choice Reality Hunk (he also won the Choice TV Actor award, for That '70s Show).

ashton kutcher's biggest recent hit, though, has been in the tabloid headlines, when he began dating Hollywood sex symbol Demi Moore. Rumor has it that the two will wed, but whether or not that is true, the fact remains that they are a "serious" couple.

ashton kutcher previously dated model/actress January Jones and his Just Married co-star Brittany Murphy. He lives in the Hollywood Hills with his pets, where he's a hobby carpenter.

ashton kutcher has two films lined up for 2005 -- A Lot Like Love and The Dinner Party (which he is also producing) -- and is lending his voice to the animated film, Open Season, set for a 2006 release. He will also return to his modeling roots, as the face of Zoo York clothing.

ashton kutcher may be just another teen star, but he stands out from the usual pack with his diversity of interests. He is a biochemistry student turned model turned actor turned producer turned "It" boy. Barring the biochemistry and modeling bits, he still keeps a solid hand on the latter three Hollywood domains.

ashton kutcher was discovered by pure chance. He was simply at the right place (an Iowa bar) at the right time (when a model scout happened to be there). Though he could have gone with whatever else fate offered, he made the most of the opportunity and sought out the best way to achieve his goals.

Now with more than six seasons of That '70s Show under his belt, and boasting a handful of film credits and his own MTV show, ashton kutcher has a solid footing in Hollywood. Maybe just solid enough to keep from disappearing off the celebrity map like so many of his teen star predecessors.

This good ol' country boy from America's rural heartland is hard to dislike. Any guy who portrays a goofy high school stoner so well has got to be all right. According to co-star and TV beauty Mila Kunis , ashton kutcher is very "levelheaded" and "doesn't walk around with a big head." In fact, every time he leaves L.A. to visit his hometown, he can be seen shoveling the roof.

You have to admire the guy's ambition as well. He says he wants to leave his mark as the hardest working actor out there -- and his track record shows it. He was in three movies in 2000 and another three in 2003. He has also started producing films, which is no simple task.

While his first few roles were limited to the archetypal goofball, he widened his range a bit with Texas Rangers , in which he played a post-Civil War cowboy taking arms against the Spanish militia in the South. But he also has a knack for drama, as seen in 2004's thriller, The Butterfly Effect .

For a guy who describes himself as awkward around girls, he obviously pulls off the "charming nervous guy" shtick pretty well. Not only was he handpicked by a modeling scout in a bar, he has also dated some of Hollywood's finest women.

His first flame was model turned actress January Jones, whom he met at an Abercrombie & Fitch shoot. He dated this blonde babe -- who starred as Cadence Flaherty (Michelle's sister) and Stifler's crush in American Wedding -- for three years.

Then he moved on to the lovely Ashley Scott from the blockbuster action flick S.W.A.T . Next up was the always energetic Brittany Murphy (of 8 Mile fame). But his real catch was Demi Moore , the long-standing sex goddess of Hollywood, who, in her 40s, is still a knockout. There are even rumors that Demi and ashton kutcher are engaged -- whether or not that's true, the fact that they've been dating since the summer of 2003 proves it's more than a fling.

ashton kutcher was able to do what few in his place did. He didn't just settle for the fame that fell in his lap; he took what he had and multiplied it like a savvy entrepreneur. His credentials speak for themselves.

As a model he traveled the world and sauntered the catwalk for today's biggest designer names. He then landed the role of Kelso in That '70s Show , which is still going strong, and signed on for two more years at nearly $250,000 per episode.

It took no more than three minor movie roles for ashton kutcher to star in his first big feature, Dude, Where's My Car? . Since then, he was seen in Texas Rangers, Just Married , and My Boss's Daughter . In 2003, he had an uncredited role in the holiday comedy remake, Cheaper by the Dozen , starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt.

In 2004, he starred in the thriller The Butterfly Effect , proving that he could be the leading man in a blockbuster.

In 2005, you can catch him in A Lot Like Love and The Dinner Party (which he is also producing), and he is set to lend his voice to the animated feature Open Season , to be released in 2006.

And if that's not enough, he hosts and produces MTV's Punk'd , which has carried his name even farther.

While ashton kutcher may stand out a bit from other actors of his ilk, he is still a teen star. Their overabundance in showbiz decreases the average value of each, and ashton kutcher must accept this reality. If he keeps working as hard as he does, and manages to discover a wide range of acting skills, he just might stick around and maintain his fame, rather than fade away like other ephemeral celebrities.

ashton kutcher also seems to be invited to every restaurant opening and celeb after-party, and as one of the members of the new "Rat Pack" (along with P. Diddy ), ashton kutcher is definitely Hollywood's latest "It" boy. And did we mention that he's dating freakin' Demi Moore? That alone boosts his coolness rating at least 10 notches.

ashton kutcher disappoints in this category. For a man who modeled for the high priests of fashion, ashton kutcher can't seem to put together a decent ensemble. Faded jeans, old denim jackets and trucker hats are just not what one wears to movie premieres, much less when one is a recognized star. Plaid shirts with clashing T-shirts or mismatching shirts and ties are inexcusable.

Maybe ashton kutcher is sticking to his Heartland values. Maybe he's rebelling against the very fashion establishment he once endorsed. Whatever it is, we don't buy it.

But we have to give him credit where credit is due: ever since he began dating Demi Moore, he has been spotted stepping out in some pretty stylish suits.

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