- - Ashton Kutcher Says Tom Ford Fired Him from a Gucci Campaign Because He Looked 'Too Fat' in a Speedo at 178 Lbs.

Tereza ShkurtajJanuary 17, 2026 at 6:00 AM

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Theo Wargo/Getty; Karwai Tang/WireImage

Ashton Kutcher; Tom Ford. -

In a recent interview with ET, Ashton Kutcher reflected on his early modeling career and the pressures of chasing unrealistic standards

The 47-year-old actor recalled being fired from a Gucci campaign at 19 and emphasized that insecurities affect “everybody,” no matter how successful they seem

In FX’s upcoming series, The Beauty, Kutcher plays a tech billionaire behind a miracle drug that “makes you hot”

Before Ashton Kutcher was gracing the screen, he was walking the runway as a young model.

In a recent interview with ET, Kutcher and The Beauty costars Jeremy Pope and Anthony Ramos were asked if they ever found themselves chasing an unrealistic “idea of perfection” and how it affected them.

Kutcher, 47, noted that everyone has insecurities and "it doesn't matter who you are or what you look like."

"I started modeling when I was, like, 19, and I was hanging out with what I consider to be some of the most beautiful people in the world," he shared. "And what I realized really quickly is, everybody had an insecurity.”

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Kutcher then shared a striking memory from his early modeling days, recalling a time when his body didn’t meet the standard of one of fashion’s biggest names.

“I remember, I got an exclusive campaign for Gucci when Tom Ford was running it. And I showed up, I flew to Italy for the runway show, and he puts me in, like, a pink Speedo.” Kutcher told ET. “And I was, like, 178 lbs. – I know exactly how much I weighed – 178 lbs."

"[Ford] was like, ‘He's too fat.’ And then I got fired!" he added.

Kutcher noted that Ford simply "had a specific thing he wanted to see," and the experience taught him not to get caught up in other people's opinions of him. In fact, the Two and a Half Men actor said he and the designer, who worked as Gucci's Creative Director from 1994 to 2004, later laughed about the situation.

“I laugh with him about it now, and he's like, ‘You were too fat.’ I was like, ‘Dude, I was 178 lbs! Like, what are you talking about?’” Kutcher says with a laugh.

“But he had a specific thing that he wanted, that he wanted to see, [which] in his eye was the right thing. It didn't mean I was less, but it just meant that I wasn't that for him for that moment," he added.

His candid reflection highlighted the pressure many face in industries that often equate worth with appearance, but he emphasized that it shouldn’t be the case. While Kutcher now laughs at the memory, he acknowledged the lesson it taught him about insecurities.

"If you look in the mirror long enough, you'll find something you don't like - or that you think could be better or that you think could be different," he shared, once again noting that "everybody" has insecurities no matter who they are.

Gucci did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Eric Liebowitz/FX

Ashton Kutcher in 'The Beauty.'

Kutcher’s early modeling experience resonates with his latest project, The Beauty, an FX thriller exploring society’s obsession with image and perfection.

According to the official synopsis, Kutcher’s character, “The Corporation,” is a “shadowy tech billionaire who has secretly engineered a miracle drug dubbed ‘The Beauty,’ who will do anything to protect his trillion-dollar empire.”

Costarring Bella Hadid, Evan Peters, Rebecca Hall, Pope, and Ramos, the show delves into the ways people manipulate appearances and curate identities to fit impossible standards.

The Beauty is scheduled to debut on FX and Hulu on Disney+ on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”