Ashton Kutcher Reveals Who He Thinks Is Setting Unreal Beauty Expectations & It’s Not Hollywood

Ashton Kutcher is pushing back against the idea that Hollywood is the primary source of unrealistic beauty standards, suggesting instead that the real pressure comes from a society obsessed with constant self-documentation.

Speaking to the BBC while promoting his new sci-fi series The Beauty, the 47-year-old actor argued that the entertainment industry simply reflects the world around it rather than creating the need for a uniform look.

Entertainment is a reflection of society, Kutcher stated, explaining that modern perfectionism is driven by the fact that almost everyone is “on camera all the time” thanks to social media. He pointed out that while some actors fit the “traditionally handsome” mold, others are simply interesting, which doesn’t make them not beautiful, it just makes them break a mould.

In The Beauty, Kutcher plays Byron Forst, a tech billionaire who introduces a revolutionary drug that transforms people into their most attractive physical selves. His character has personally used the injection to appear younger but soon faces gruesome side effects. Kutcher noted that “cosmetic enhancement is becoming socially accepted day by day,” comparing Botox to a casual coffee date. Beauty is tethered to security, success and power, right? he reflected.

His co-star Rebecca Hall shared a more cautious perspective, warning that the quest for a manufactured standard of beauty can be a never-ending cycle. There’s this notion that there is a standard we should all go out and buy, Hall remarked. It’s madness because then we’ll all end up looking exactly the same and then we will immediately pivot to finding something else beautiful.

The series, created by Ryan Murphy, serves as a dark satire of our current culture of “tweakments” and weight-loss drugs. Kutcher even acknowledged the parallels between the show and the 2024 body-horror film The Substance, starring his ex-wife Demi Moore. He praised her award-winning performance in that film, stating, I’m so proud of her.

Aside from his role as “The Corporation” in The Beauty, Ashton Kutcher has been maintaining a high profile in both entertainment and tech throughout early 2026. He is currently starring in the dramatic film The Long Home, where he plays Nathan Winer Sr. alongside an ensemble cast. Fans are also seeing him move deeper into production, serving as an executive producer for multiple new series under his partnership with Ryan Murphy.

Beyond the screen, Kutcher continues to lead Sound Ventures, which has recently expanded its focus toward artificial intelligence. He remains one of Hollywood’s most successful venture capitalists, recently closing a fund aimed at supporting startups like OpenAI and Anthropic.

His personal life with wife Mila Kunis also remains a topic of fan interest, especially as they continue to balance high-profile careers with a grounded approach to raising their two children.

Kutcher’s take is an interesting flip on the usual “Hollywood is bad” narrative, but it might overlook how much those “reflections” in media still influence what society considers perfect in the first place. It is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation where both influencers and traditional stars keep moving the goalposts.

Do you agree with Ashton that social media and “being on camera” are bigger drivers of beauty standards than movies and TV? Share your thoughts in the comments.