3 months ago 10th May 08:15
In both his professional and personal life, it is fair to say Kutcher has taken on a level of responsibility beyond his years.
As such, you get the sense this actor is eager to break out of his comedy confines and prove his worth as a serious actor. He has made attempts before. 'The Butterfly Effect', in 2004, dealt with such comically bereft subjects as the nature of memory and childhood trauma, but was promptly followed up by romantic comedies 'A Lot Like Love' and 'Guess Who'.
More recently he starred in Emilio Estevez's critically acclaimed directorial debut 'Bobby', the story of the assassination of US senator Robert F. Kennedy, a film which also featured Moore.
However, with a cast crammed full of notable names including Heather Graham, Helen Hunt, Anthony Hopkins and Laurence Fishburne, it was always going to be difficult for Kutcher to use his relatively minor to role to change any industry perceptions.
The trouble is, when it comes to rom-coms Ashton has proved himself immensely likable to both male and female filmgoers, installing himself as one of Hollywood's most reliable leading men in the genre. When film bosses see a successful formula, they are loathe to mess with it.
Kutcher admits he was looking to avoid comedy before the lure of a promising script and working with Cameron Diaz proved too much.
He said: "I really was kind of set on not doing a comedy. Then I read the script for 'What Happens in Vegas' and was like, 'hold on'. I was laughing out loud. When that happens you have to stop and go, 'OK, something's working here'. So Fox executive Emma Watts said, 'What's it going to take to get you to do this movie', and I said, 'Give me a great director and a great co-star' and we'll work out the rest of the script. So she called me back a day later and said, 'Cameron Diaz is doing the movie.' "
Kutcher and Diaz make for the perfect comedy pairing, both specialising in combining huge sex appeal with slapstick goofiness.
Kutcher is certainly a fan of his co-star, insisting she is "the only genuine leading lady in comedy".
'What Happens in Vegas' calls for a love/hate chemistry from its leads which is difficult to pull off, but they do so with aplomb.
The plot hangs on a fairly original premise from writer Dana Fox - two strangers, Jack and Joy, drunkenly get married and bag themselves a $3 million jackpot the next day. In usual circumstances a swift Britney Spears-style annulment would be on the cards, but this being the movies the pair are sentenced by a New York judge to "six months hard marriage" before they can be granted their divorce and the fortune split.
Both are blessed with the obligatory rom-com best friend, Jack in the form of misanthropic lawyer Hater, played by Rob Corddry, and Joy in the shapely form of Tipper, portrayed by Lake Bell.
Joy and Jack's love/hate relationship is mirrored by that of their friend's, with the notable absence of the love part of the equation.
The casting proved to be a huge success, with Cameron declaring: "The movie was filled with so much comedic talent, it brought everybody's game up much higher. It was a totally electric working environment."
The genuine warmth among the actors was evident on the red carpet of the London premiere of the film, where Corddry, Bell and Kutcher expressed their clearly heartfelt sadness at Diaz's absence due to the recent loss of her father Emilio to pneumonia.
The film looks to be a sure fire box office success, further cementing Kutcher's status as a one of Hollywood's two biggest go-to stars for romantic comedy (the other being Matthew McConaughey). Should he maintain the desire to mix his CV up with more serious fare, Kutcher could do worse than look at the career of Diaz, who has managed to nail down the role of comedy queen while also finding time to star in indie cult classic 'Being John Malkovich' and Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York' over the past decade.
Kutcher will imminently get the chance to exercise his serious thespian chops in 'Personal Effects', in which he stars opposite Kathy Bates and Michelle Pfeiffer. The dramatic love story will see Kutcher play a young man attempting to seek vengeance for the murder of his sister, who becomes sidetracked by Pfeiffer's beautiful older woman who possesses similar personal demons.
It is the sort of leading role in an adult-themed film which could be Kutcher's perfect opportunity to break out into a different realm of movie stardom. Should he approach the task with the sort of level-headed professionalism with which he has conducted his life and career thus far, it would be a brave man to bet against him getting exactly where he wants to go.
By Robbie McIntyre
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