Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher has made a surprising and somewhat "embarrassing" admission about the unconventional research methods he employed to prepare for his latest television role. The actor, who returns to screens in a major new series, disclosed that he studied the manifesto of infamous domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, as part of his character development process.
Kutcher's Villainous Turn in The Beauty
The 47-year-old actor features prominently in Ryan Murphy's fresh body horror thriller, The Beauty, which has launched on FX and Hulu. Kutcher stars alongside Evan Peters in the series, which follows FBI agents investigating a mysterious and deadly sexually transmitted virus. This pathogen transforms ordinary individuals into their most attractive physical versions, but with horrifying and lethal consequences.
Kutcher portrays the character Byron Forst, also known as 'The Corporation', a ruthless tech billionaire and entrepreneur. Forst is the creator of the original substance called The Beauty, which serves as the root cause of the show's central chaos and terror. The character is depicted as a merciless business magnate willing to employ any means necessary to protect his trillion-pound empire and legacy.
Unconventional Research Through a Banned Book Club
In preparation for this complex villain role, Kutcher engaged in some highly unusual research. He revealed during a press conference that he is a member of what he termed a "banned book club", where participants read texts that might cause embarrassment if perused in public settings like the subway.
"I'm in a banned book club where we read books that you would be embarrassed to read on The Subway," Kutcher explained. "Because you wouldn't want people looking at you." It was through this club that he studied Ted Kaczynski's notorious manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future.
Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, conducted a nationwide postal bombing campaign between 1978 and 1995 that killed three people and wounded twenty-three others. His targets were individuals he believed were advancing modern technology and industrial society. After being arrested in 1996 and pleading guilty in 1998, Kaczynski died in prison in 2023 at age 81.
Finding the Villain's Rationale
Kutcher described how reading the Unabomber's manifesto helped him understand the mindset of someone who commits terrible acts while believing they are justified. "You can follow his train of thought for a lot of it," the actor noted. "I didn't agree with a lot of his train of thought, but you could follow it."
He pointed to a specific moment in the text where the rationale breaks down: "Then you get to Article 94, where he's like 'So I needed to kill a bunch of people, so people would actually listen to what I was saying' and then you go 'Okay, you jumped the shark there.'"
This examination of extremist thinking proved valuable for Kutcher's approach to his character. "Every so-called villain can rationalize their behavior," he concluded. While Byron Forst differs significantly from the Unabomber, both characters employ questionable methods that they justify as serving a greater purpose.
Portraying a Character Who Believes He's the Hero
Kutcher emphasized the importance of understanding his character's perspective from the inside. "As the person portraying this character, I have to look at the character as a good guy that's doing a good thing," he explained. "I have to look at the character as someone who thinks 'This will help people live better, happier, more fulfilled lives.'"
This psychological approach allowed Kutcher to create a more nuanced and believable portrayal of a tech billionaire who sees himself as a benefactor to humanity, despite the horrific consequences of his actions within the show's narrative.
The first three episodes of The Beauty are currently available for streaming on Disney+ in the UK, offering viewers a chance to see Kutcher's researched performance as the complex villain Byron Forst. The series represents a significant return to television for the actor, known for his roles in That '70s Show and Two and a Half Men, now taking on a darker and more psychologically complex character in Ryan Murphy's latest horror creation.
