Twin brothers Michael Kutcher and Ashton Kutcher walk the red carpet in July 2013.Photo:Adam Bettcher/Getty
Adam Bettcher/Getty
Ashton Kutcherand his brother, Michael, are twins, but they had different life experiences growing up.
Ashton (born Christopher Ashton Kutcher) and Michael were born on Feb. 7, 1978, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Diane and Larry Kutcher. As the siblings grew up, Michael was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 3 and dealt with major health complications in his youth, including heart failure that required a transplant at 13 years old and open-heart surgery after a blood clot was discovered a few years later.
Fast forward to 1997, Ashton was a biochemical engineering student at the University of Iowa when a modeling scout suggested he enter a competition — and he won, leading to his signing with an agent, per theLos Angeles Times. The following year, he landed the hit sitcomThat ‘70s Showat the age of 19.
In 2022, Ashton recalled feeling guilty for his early success while Michael was struggling on an episode ofThe Checkup with Dr. David Agus. “I’m like, ‘How do I get to be this lucky?’ ”he said. “For my brother to be born with cerebral palsy, then have a heart transplant, then have this random blood clot … you’re like, ‘Who has to go through that?’ ”
According to Ashton, it was Michael who helped him to overcome that mindset. “I moved to New York and was starting to get some traction with my career and Mike came out to visit and stay,” he said. “He looked at me, and he said, ‘Every time you feel sorry for me, you make me less. … This is the only life I’ve ever known, so stop feeling sorry for the only thing I have.’ ”
The experiences brought the brothers closer, with Michael calling his twin his most trusted pal. “I consider him my best friend,” he said in a February 2012 speech, per the Associated Press (viaSt. Paul Pioneer Press). Ashton, in turn, has called Michael his hero.
Here is everything to know about Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother — Michael Kutcher — and his relationship with the actor.
Michael was born five minutes after Ashton
Ashton Kutcher and his brother Michael on the Paramount+ series “The Checkup with Dr. David Agus.".Paramount+
Though the two brothers arrived several minutes apart, Ashton was bigger, weighing 10.5 lbs. Meanwhile, Michael weighed only 4 lbs., and he regularly jokes that Ashton stole all his food.
Ashton and Michael also have an older sister, Tausha Kutcher Kordisch, who was born three years before them. Today, she lives with her own family in Louisiana, where she runs her own business as a culture consultant, helping companies build positive atmospheres, per herLinkedIn.
Ashton has joked about how Michael has a higher IQ
Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael takes a selfie on a plane.Michael Kutcher Instagram
Michael Kutcher Instagram
In aWiredinterviewin February 2023, theYour Place or Minecast member revealed that his brother, who has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount Mercy University, might be a better test taker.
“My mom always told me that my brother did better than I did in the IQ test, which always kind of peeved me a little bit,” he quipped.
Ashton stood up for his twin brother growing up
In May 2021, Michael shared withTodaythat he was bullied for his cerebral palsy as a child and that his twin defended him. He remembered one incident in which a group of kids began to call him a slur while he and Ashton were riding bikes.
“My brother picked a fight with them. He stood up for me. He wanted them to treat me with respect,” Michael recalled. “And that meant a lot.”
“Sometimes they’d say no and Chris would go, ‘Well, then I’m not coming,’ ” he said.
They’ve had important conversation as their lives have changed
Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael poses with a dog.Michael Kutcher Instagram
On their episode ofThe Checkup, Michael recalled being jealous of his twin’s move to the Big Apple.
“Until he went out to New York when we were in our 20s, I always felt like we were one,” he said. “I wrote him a letter and I was like, ‘I feel like a piece of me just went away.’ ”
Although Michael felt “jealous” of his brother at the time, his frustrations were resolved after a heart-to-heart with Ashton.
“We both kind of came head to head with our differences and it was through a conversation where we were like, ‘Why aren’t we as close as we used to be?’ ” Ashton said.
Michael began speaking about cerebral palsy with Ashton’s encouragement
Michael toldTodaythat he was “very angry” when Ashton revealed his diagnosis during a 2003 interview.
“I remember speaking to him about it,” Michael said in May 2021. “I didn’t want to be the face of CP. I never talked about it.”
He ultimately changed his outlook when he met others experiencing the same condition as him, particularly a 5-year-old girl named Bella. Shortly after, Michael was asked to be a speaker at a gala, and he agreed.
“I realized I needed to let go of the shame I felt and be a champion for people like Bella,” he told the outlet. “I was finally ready to tell my story and I knew because of my twin, I’d have a big reach."
Michael added, “Chris did me the biggest favor he’s ever done because he allowed me to be myself."
Michael’s work inspires Ashton
Michael Kutcher and brother Ashton Kutcher walk the red carpet before the 2013 Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “So the World May Hear” Awards Gala on July 28, 2013.Adam Bettcher/Getty
Although Michael is not an actor, he is in the public eye as a motivational speaker.
He is a spokesperson for theCerebral Palsy Foundationand an advisor at Joshin, a coaching company that helps curate inclusive and accessible workplaces. Michael has also been a spokesperson for the Be the Gift donor registration program.
Seeing him act as an advocate for others has inspired Ashton throughout the years.
“My brother’s daily actions remind me that life isn’t about running around challenges — it’s about running through them,” the actor toldToday. “Mike has a relentless work ethic and a deep compassion for others.”
Michael is a husband and father
Ashton Kutcher’s twin brother Michael with his son Jackson.Michael Kutcher Instagram
In 2021,Todayreported that Michael lived in Colorado with his wife and their three children, including son Jackson.
Michael posted anInstagram tributeto Jackson on his birthday in 2022, writing: “I am forever grateful for our friendship and the lessons you’ve taught me over the last 18 years. … As a father, I’m so proud to witness your accomplishments and the young man you’ve become. You, my friend, are my greatest accomplishment!!”
source: people.com
