American actor Ashton Kutcher believes that Hollywood does not impose unreasonably high standards of beauty, but that society is responsible for the increasing need to look perfect.
Kutcher currently stars in the science fiction series "TheBeauty", in which a drug allows people to transform into the most attractive version of themselves.
Speaking to BBC News, the 40-year-old actor said he doesn't believe the film and television industry "creates pressure for everyone to look the same."
"Entertainment is a reflection of society," he emphasized.
Among the many characters and actors in the series, he says, there are those who are "traditionally handsome", but also those who are simply "very interesting".
"It doesn't make them any less beautiful, it just breaks the mold," Kutcher added.
The main driver of today's perfectionism is the feeling that people are constantly in front of cameras, exposed to the views and judgments of others, the actor claims.
Kutcher in the science fiction series "TheBeauty" plays a tech billionaire who is responsible for introducing beauty injections, which he himself received in an effort to look significantly younger.
However, he soon faces the side effects of the drug, which are sexually transmitted and cause internal combustion in those infected.
Kutcher recently highlighted the similarity between the aforementioned series and the horror film "The Substance" from 2024, which was nominated for an Oscar, and stars his ex-wife Demi Moore.
He says Moore, who won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role, "did a phenomenal job."
“I'm very proud of her,” Kutcher said.
Series "TheBeauty", adapted from the comic book by Ryan Murphy, creator of "American Horror Story", is set in modern times and deals with the most current social issues.
The series also features singer Meghan Trainor, who has spoken publicly about losing weight with the help of the weight loss drug Maungjaro.
She briefly appears as a character obsessed with losing weight.
Many of the conversations Kutcher had with Murphy during filming were about the drugs Maungjaro and Ozempik.
He recalled that they talked about how people were “rushing to get these drugs and paying for them, and that not necessarily due to diabetes or high blood pressure", as well as all the possible consequences that these preparations can have.
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Ashton Kutcher, who has been married to Mila Kunis since 2015, emphasizes that cosmetic surgery is becoming more socially acceptable.
"Before, if you got Botox, you wouldn't tell anyone. Now people say, 'Let's have coffee and Botox,'" the actor says.
Data from the United Kingdom shows that 27.462 cosmetic procedures were performed in 2024, which is five percent more than the year before.
More than 10.000 non-surgical treatments, such as fillers and Botox, have been performed by members of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
"Beauty today is associated with security, success and power."
"Now influencers can have millions of followers and real power just by using a phone and expressing what they like or don't like," Kutcher added.
His colleague, Jeremy Pop, said the new series asks the audience: "How much would you give or sacrifice to experience the ultimate in beauty or success? It's a commentary on our culture and where we are right now."
Many critics have noted similarities between the events in the series and real life.
"'TheBeauty' criticizes our world of Instagram, cosmetic procedures and weight loss injections," said Anita Sajn in a review for Telegraf.
"The series is science fiction, but above all in the details," she added.
In addition to Ashton Kutcher and Jeremy Pope, the series stars Rebecca Hall, who told the BBC that the series is reminiscent of Oscar Wilde and his work "The Picture of Dorian Gray", in whose film adaptation she starred.
"The series raises the question - if we constantly strive for some external version of beauty, we will never be satisfied and it can drive us crazy," said Hall.
Her heroine in the series is an FBI agent, tasked with discovering why some of the most beautiful people in the world are dying randomly and brutally.
Partnered with a younger FBI agent, played by the series star Ix men, Evan Peters, the character of Rebecca Hall, is fighting an internal battle - whether she is attractive enough.
The actress, who is 43 years old, said that working on the series made her think about the direction society is heading.
“There’s a sense that we all need to fit into a certain standard,” Hall said.
"It's crazy, because in the end we'll all look exactly the same, and then we'll immediately start looking for a new ideal of beauty," he adds.
Today's social reality is strange - "if you have enough money, you can look practically whatever you want," Hall concludes.
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