Ashton Kutcher has enjoyed success as both a model and an actor. Now, he owns a $10 million mansion in Santa Barbara, California, but where did the star spend his childhood?
Kutcher grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with his mother, father, sister and twin brother. The family relocated to Homestead, Iowa, during his teenage years.
Find out more about the actor’s early years and his subsequent fame below.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Ashton Kutcher was born in Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids, in 1978.
Around 126,000 people live in Cedar Rapids, which is described as the ‘City of Five Seasons’. In 2017, the city was named the best place for children in America.
Cedar Rapids is described as having “world-class arts and culture” with an “exciting energy”. Another notable person to have grown up in the city is actor Elijah Wood.
Its economy is largely backed by manufacturing, and it is the largest corn processing city in the world. It is perhaps little surprise, therefore, that Kutcher’s father was a factory worker.
He grew up with an older sister, named Tausha and a twin brother, who suffers from cerebral palsy. He has spoken about his experiences of being a twin, and his feeling of guilt regarding his differences from Michael.
“From the moment I came into this world I had to share it with someone. I shared every birthday, every Christmas, I shared my bedroom, I shared my clothes, I shared everything I had in this world and I didn’t know that there was another way because I always had my brother with me,” he says.
“I spent years and years feeling bad about it, our inequalities,” he explains, but says that his brother has also taught him valuable life lessons. “We all have the equal capacity to love one another, and my brother taught me that.”
He speaks fondly about his home city, saying “I think that the greatest natural resource in Iowa isn’t the corn, it’s the people.”
“The people of Iowa have a genuine care, a genuine compassion and a genuine interest in making other people’s lives better. That’s a value that you don’t get when you leave Iowa.”
When Kutcher was a teenager, his parents separated, and the family moved to Homestead.
Rise to Fame
In 1997, Kutcher won the ‘Fresh Faces of Iowa’ modelling competition, which soon led to bigger feats. His modelling career took off, and he worked with huge brands including Calvin Klein.
His big break into acting came when he was cast in ‘That 70s Show’. The actor played the character of Kelso and worked alongside future spouse Mila Kunis.
He went on to feature in the sitcom ‘Two and a Half Men’, as well as a string of high profile movies. The actor has worked alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Cameron Diaz and Natalie Portman.
Throughout his career, he has been linked with a number of high profile love interests. Notably, he married Demi Moore, however the two split in 2011.
Following the breakdown of his own marriage, he revealed he was able to view his parents’ separation differently. “I understood, finally, my parents’ divorce in a whole different way,” he told Vanity Fair.
In 2012, Kutcher embarked on a relationship with Mila Kunis, his former ‘That 70s Show’ co-star. They welcomed their first child, named Wyatt, in 2014 and married the following year in Oak Glen, California.
They post regular snaps together on their respective Instagram pages.
Now, Kutcher earns his living from venture capitalism. He was an early investor in companies including Uber, Skype and AirBnB, and now co-owns the company A-Grade Investments with friends Guy Oseary and Ron Burkle.
The company describes itself as “a venture capital fund…to opportunistically invest in technology start-up companies.”
Kutcher has undeniably found success in multiple industries, however, Iowa remains home. “My family is still [there]. Coming home for me is like coming for anyone else.”