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Christopher Ashton Kutcher was born on February 7th, 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 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, 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, Kutcher accepted. The first prize, which Kutcher grabbed, was a trip to New York, where other competitions would take place.
Once Kutcher arrived to New York, he decided he would not be returning to Iowa. 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 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 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, 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.
Kutcher already has five movies lined up, including the remake of the family comedy, Cheaper by the Dozen, and The Butterfly Effect, which he also executive produced.
In 2003, he also served as creator, host and producer of the successful MTV show Punk'd, in which 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 on Valentine's Day in Las Vegas, where Moore married Bruce Willis, who will give away the bride to Kutcher in the traditional way.
Ashton 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 Filmography
Actor
• A Lot Like Love (2005)
• Guess Who (2005)
• Texas Chainsaw Massacre/Butterfly Effect (2005)
• The Butterfly Effect (2004)
• Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
• Just Married (2003)
• My Boss's Daughter (2003)
• Texas Rangers (2001)
• Coming Soon (2000)
• Down to You (2000)
• Dude, Where's My Car/Trapped in Paradise (2000)
• Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
• Reindeer Games (2000)
• That 70s Show - Season Two (1998)
Co-Producer
• My Boss's Daughter (2003)
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