He landed his big break in 1998, after being cast as Michael Kelso in the hit sitcom, That '70s Show. That role would propel him to stardom in the early '00s. However, these days, Ashton Kutcher is making wine to save lives, rather than spending time in front of the camera. He's also focusing on other ventures, including tech investments. He's built a $200 million empire.
Many people doubted that Ashton's career would last in Hollywood, simply because he was a typecast actor who was usually hired to play the same sort of role. Not to mention the fact that the box office numbers for his films were beginning to decline. This was an indication that his star power had taken quite a hit over the years.
While he hasn't quit acting entirely, it's evident that Ashton's priorities have shifted over time. Could these factors be the reasons why the 42-year-old doesn't act as much anymore? Here's the lowdown...
13 He Was Named The Most Active Celebrity Investor
In February 2020, Business Insider named Kutcher the most active celebrity investor in Silicon Valley and, arguably, the most experienced tech investor in Hollywood. His approach is to turn up-and-coming companies into major firms; so far, he’s done a tremendous job. He's grown each and every investment he’s made over the years.
12 He’s Been Acting Since His Early Adult Years
Ashton was just 21 when he landed the role of Michael Kelso on the hit TV show, ’That ‘70s Show,’ which ran from 1998 to 2006. During this time, Kutcher was also being cast in a host of comedy flicks. His celebrity status was at an all-time high. Of course, he also met his future wife, Mila Kunis, while filming 'That '70s Show'.
11 His Debut On ’TAAHM’ Was Heavily Criticised
Fans of ’Two and a Half Men’ had high hopes for the actor when he replaced Charlie Sheen on the CBS sitcom. Unfortunately for Ashton, his performance as Walden Schmidt was criticized by viewers and TV critics alike. They felt that Ashton wasn’t bringing much to the show. ’TAAHM’ ended its 12-year run in 2015.
10 Many Of His Movies Bombed At The Box Office
Ashton has always had a tough time getting good reviews for his projects. In 2000, he starred in the moderately successful, 'Dude, Where’s My Car?', which was followed by 2003’s 'Just Married' with Brittany Murphy. As you surely already guessed, critics shredded both films.
9 He’s Been Typecast In Hollywood
Ever wondered why Ashton Kutcher was usually playing the same character in his films? Well, Hollywood executives had clearly typecast the actor; he usually played roles that involved romance and comedy. Some examples are the following movies: ‘What Happens In Vegas,’ ‘Valentine’s Day,’ and 2011’s ‘No Strings Attached.’
8 His Recent Movies Have Been Low-Budget
A sizable budget doesn’t necessarily mean the movie will be successful, but considering the fact that Ashton had been acting so for long, it’s interesting that his most recent films were all created with low budgets. Could that be because Ashton is no longer in demand?
7 His Netflix Show Was Plagued By #MeToo Protestors
In 2016, Ashton returned to the small screen once again, for Netflix’s ‘The Ranch’, alongside ‘That ’70s Show’ co-star, Danny Masterson. But the show was plagued by negative headlines, due to women claiming they had been sexually assaulted by Danny. All this bad press resulted in Danny's departure from the show after two seasons.
While Ashton was not mentioned in the allegations against his pal, his return to TV was ultimately affected by terrible media coverage of Masterson.
6 He’s Raised Child Trafficking Awareness
While his acting career slowed down, Ashton started focusing his attention on using his platform to end child trafficking and sexual exploitation around the world. In 2009, he founded the DNA Organization with his then-wife, Demi Moore. The organization's name was later changed to Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children after their divorce. To date, he’s helped over 6,000 children.
5 His Nikon Endorsement Deal Inspired Him To Invest
Again, while the acting roles were slowing down, Ashton was smart enough to realize he still had fame and money attached to his name, so he leveraged that by using his status and wealth to invest in startup ventures in Silicon Valley. This all came about after he signed an endorsement deal with Nikon, which grew his interest in getting into the equity game.
4 He Was Named One Of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People
Through his work as a tech businessman and active investor, Ashton was named one of TIME’s Most Influential People - this is an impressive accolade. Some say that getting such recognition is no different from an actor winning an Oscar, but for entrepreneurs, so congratulations are definitely in order.
3 His Investment Grew From $30 Million To $250 Million
While a good number of his films have bombed at the box office, Ashton is proving to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to turning startup companies into businesses worth millions.
Since he started his two capital funds, titled A-Grade Investments and Sound Venture, Ashton has built a portfolio that went from $30 million to $250 million, and those numbers are still rising.
2 He’s Spending More Time With His Kids
It’s rare not to see Ashton Kutcher spending quality time with his two children, Wyatt and Dimitri. Now that his interests are more focused on building tech companies, he’s no longer stuck on a film set for months on end. There’s little doubt that, while Mila Kunis’ career is still booming, they are able to manage family much more easily.
1 He’s Still Earning Money From The Revival Of ‘Punk’d’
As the creator of the former MTV show,‘Punk’d,’ which originally aired from 2003 to 2007, Ashton will certainly be earning a nice residual income, especially since the reality series moved over to Quibi in 2020.
Kutcher is still credited as the creator of the show, along with Jason Goldberg, so even though fans won’t see him in any of the episodes, he’s definitely earning a nice income just from having his name attached.
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