Ashton Kutcher’s return to Hollywood described as ‘desperate’

Ashton Kutcher is reportedly trying to revive her career in Hollywood after falling out of favor with the industry in recent years.

The “Two and a Half Men” star has reportedly alienated fans and potential employers due to his involvement in several high-profile controversies. Among them was his public support for the actor Danny Masterson following Masterson’s conviction for raping two women, as well as the actor’s long-standing association with the troubled rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Now, according to reports, Ashton Kutcher is hoping to re-establish himself in the spotlight with a role in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX television series, “The Beauty.”

Ashton Kutcher seemed destined to become one of Hollywood’s greats after gaining widespread fame for his role as Michael Kelso on the hit sitcom “That ’70s Show.”

In the years that followed, he wasted no time in cementing his star power through a series of romantic comedy films, his MTV prank series Punk’d and replacing Charlie Sheen in the lead role on “Two and a Half Men.”

Much of that momentum seemed to fade in recent years, as the actor found himself embroiled in some of Hollywood’s most controversial stories.

However, he is hoping to make a comeback with an upcoming role in Ryan Murphy’s new FX television series, “The Beauty,” a move that has been called “desperate.”

“Now he is pinning all his hopes on his new series to put him back in the spotlight,” a source told the daily. Daily Mail about the actor. “He hopes people can forgive and forget the shameful things he was involved in over the years.”

Kutcher’s fall from Hollywood grace was due to a combination of factors, although two incidents in particular stand out.

In 2023, after actor Danny Masterson was convicted of raping two women, Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, received widespread backlash for submitting letters of support to the court calling for leniency in sentencing.

Although the couple later apologized for their actions, Kutcher’s perceived closeness to Sean “Diddy” Combs dealt a further blow to his public image after the rapper was accused of several sexual offenses and later convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Well aware of his waning popularity, Kutcher is said to be more than ever “desperate to redeem himself”.

“He knows he fell out of favor over the years, both in Hollywood and with the public, because of some inappropriate and ill-advised choices. He and Mila noticed they were getting fewer and fewer invitations to Hollywood events,” the source added.

With the upcoming series premiering next month, Kutcher has already started promoting the project with great enthusiasm.

He discussed the show during a Q&A at New York Comic Con in October and also shared teaser posts on Instagram, breathing new life into an account that was largely dormant for the first half of the year.

However, as expected, some netizens flooded the comments section with questions about his past controversies, which seemed to have left Kutcher wondering if he would be accepted again.

“He’s embarrassed by his past transgressions,” the source noted of Kutcher.

They added, “He knows the Masterson and Diddy episodes are still fresh in his mind. He’s so nervous he’s literally asking his friends if they think he’ll ever be accepted again. He’s desperate to save his image.”

During the Q&A in October, Kutcher also hinted at another reason why his acting career has faced challenges.

He blamed his polished appearance for the reason, although he didn’t reveal exactly what roles this cost him.

“I think every role you get is partly about how you look, right?” he told the participants, according to People Magazine.

“That’s a very big part of what you imbibe as a character. And so, there are roles that I got because of my looks, and there are roles that I didn’t get because of my looks,” Kutcher added.

According to the actor, facing such situations repeatedly can sometimes seem “frustrating”, but his experience as a producer has helped him better understand the decisions behind them.