Man Candy Monday: Ashton Kutcher

Who is Ashton Kutcher? The Vital Stats:

Name: Christopher Ashton Kutcher
Nicknames: Ashton, Ash, Kutch
Height: 6’2″
Age: 33
Born: February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Profession: Actor, model, producer, television host
Status: Married to actress, Demi Moore
Filmography (year, title, role):

As An Actor:

1998-2006: That ’70s Show (Michael Kelso) – television series
1999: Coming Soon (Louie) – feature film
2000: Down to You (Jim Morrison) – feature film
2000: Reindeer Games (College Kid) – feature film
2000: Dude, Where’s My Car? (Jesse Montgomery III) – feature film
2001: Just Shoot Me! (Dean Cassidy) – television series, 1 episode
2001: Texas Rangers (George Durham) – feature film
2002: Grounded for Life (Cousin Scott) – television series, 1 episode
2003-2007: Punk’d (himself) – television series
2003: Just Married (Tom Leezak) – feature film
2003: My Boss’s Daughter (Tom Stansfield) – feature film
2003: Cheaper By the Dozen (Hank) – feature film
2004: The Butterfly Effect (Evan Treborn) – feature film
2005: Guess Who (Simon Green) – feature film
2005: A Lot Like Love (Oliver Martin) – feature film
2005: Robot Chicken (various characters) – television series, voice
2006: Bobby (Fisher) – feature film
2006: The Guardian (Jake Fischer) – feature film
2006: Open Season (Elliot) – feature film, voice
2008: Miss Guided (Beaux) – television series, 1 episode
2008: What Happens In Vegas… (Jack Fuller) – feature film
2009: Spread (Nikki) – feature film
2009: Personal Effects (Walter) – feature film
2010: Valentine’s Day (Reed Bennet) – feature film
2010: Killers (Spencer Aimes) – feature film
2011: No Strings Attached (Adam Franklin) – feature film
2011: New Year’s Eve (Randy) – feature film
2011-present (continuing): Two and a Half Men (Walden Schmidt) – television series

As Producer:

2003-2007: Punk’d – television series, executive producer/host, 69 episodes
2003: My Boss’s Daughter – feature film, co-producer
2004: The Butterfly Effect – feature film, executive producer
2004: You’ve Got a Friend – television series, executive producer, 8 episodes
2005-2008: Beauty and the Geek – television series, executive producer, 48 episodes
2005: A Lot Like Love – executive producer
2007: Adventures in Hollyhood – television series, executive producer, 8 episodes
2007: Miss Guided – television series, executive producer, 7 episodes
2007: The Game Show in My Head – television series, executive producer, 8 episodes
2007: The Real Wedding Crashers – television series, executive producer, 7 episodes
2007: Room 401 – television series, executive producer, 8 episodes
2008: Pop Fiction – television series, executive producer, 5 episodes (3 aired)
2008-2009: Opportunity Knocks – television series, executive producer, 9 episodes
2009: The Beautiful Life – television series, executive producer, 5 episodes
2009: Spread – feature film
2010: Killers – feature film – executive producer

Ashton Kutcher. Where to even start? This man is absolutely gorgeous. I have been a fan since That ’70s Show and that affection has only grown over time. Ashton was discovered at seventeen years old and soon after began his career in modeling. At the time, he’d been attending the University of Iowa as a biochemical engineer student although he dropped out to pursue modeling. That gamble paid off as that career led to acting, producing and everything else Ashton is known for now.

Perhaps the thing that is most appealing about Ashton – beyond the gorgeous face and body, of course – is the fact that one gets the feeling that Ashton is just Ashton. There is no pretense. He doesn’t try to be something he isn’t to gain respect or to sell more movie tickets. While he hasn’t always taken chances in his acting career, no one can accuse him of being anything but ambitious. He takes on roles, it seems, that he thinks he’ll enjoy instead of roles that will win him awards and fatten his bank account. That isn’t a path many actors choose to take and that’s probably a big part of the reason Ashton remains relevant while many of his peers have fallen off.

The Butterfly Effect remains to this day my absolute favorite Ashton Kutcher film and marked the first time I really took Ashton seriously as an actor. Until this movie, I’d really only seen him as the pretty guy that make me laugh as Michael Kelso and while I liked that, The Butterfly Effect offered something new. He turned in a powerful performance that was perfect for the role. It would’ve been easy to over play the drama but Ashton nailed it.

Ashton is the kind of actor critics love to hate and that’s a shame. Movies like No Strings Attached were instantly panned by critics and it’s hard not to wonder if they even watched the movie. No Strings Attached may not have been an Academy Award caliber film but it was fun and romantic – perfect for date night or just an evening in with girlfriends. Ashton’s performance was wonderful; always funny but also strong in the dramatic parts as well. He is far more talented as an actor than most people give him credit for. Will he ever take home a little gold man for Best Actor? Perhaps not, but I wouldn’t say it’s outside the realm of possibility; especially as Kutcher continues to grow and mature.

While we may never see Ashton take a top prize at the Academy Awards, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see him take home an Emmy for his new role as Charlie Sheen’s replacement on Two and a Half Men. Ashton is a skilled comedic actor with excellent timing and delivery. The real strength of Two and a Half Men was always the chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer; chemistry I think we’ll see again when Ashton takes over on the show. I’m looking forward to see how he does and am rooting for him to succeed even though I am a pretty big Charlie Sheen fan.

Since marrying actress Demi Moore, Ashton has started to shake of the ‘mimbo’ persona that seemed to dog his career from the start. Speaking out for things he believes in, working to forge a strong presence in the world of business and social media and using his Twitter account to shed light on issues such as the fight against child slavery, Ashton is seen in a completely different light now. He is no longer just a pretty face. He’s gaining respect and it’s well deserved.

Before we get to the Ashton Kutcher pictures, let’s talk about next week’s Man Candy for a moment. This week’s poll was pretty close with Ashton narrowly taking the win. This week, the second and third place finishers, (Chris Hemsworth and Blake Shelton respectively) are up against two newcomers, Weeds star Hunter Parish and Conan the Barbarian/Game of Thrones star, Jason Mamoa. Make sure you vote! Don’t like the options? Add one of your own by clicking ‘other’ and entering your choice. Vote in the poll by clicking the big freaking link below.

VOTE FOR YOUR MAN CANDY!

You can vote as many times as you want and it’s one hundred percent free. You don’t even have to sign up for anything! Easy, right? Just click to vote, close the window after submitting your vote and click the link to vote again. Help your favorite guy take home the victory and come back next week for more Man Candy Monday hotness! Okay – now on to the Ashton Kutcher gallery! Remember, click an image to see it full size.