Kutcher: I'm not trying to fill Sheen's shoes
Ashton Kutcher is a modern-day Renaissance Man, with his movie, television and social media ventures, but this Monday, all eyes will be on him as he makes his debut on the hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men."
"Early Show" co-anchor Chris Wragge caught up with Kutcher to talk about the season premiere -- and the pressure.
So what does it feel like to be the new man on "Two and a Half Men"?
"I feel like the luckiest guy in the world," Kutcher said.
And what was it that was so appealing to you about getting back into television?
"I just offhandedly mentioned to a friend (that), if they offer me that job, I'd take it," Kutcher said. "It's always sort of nice to jump on something that's already moving and successful and people already have an appetite for. It just seemed like the best job in the world"
Perhaps too good, Wragge remarked, for its previous occupant, Charlie Sheen. His eight-season run as hard-living Charlie Harper came to an end after a series of now-infamous feuds and rants.
But Kutcher is quick to say he's not trying to fill Sheen's shoes.
"Here's the thing," Kutcher said. "Charlie was incredible on the show and I can't, there's no way I'm going to replace Charlie Sheen. I'm not playing his character. But it's the same people that have been making people laugh the last eight years are going to keep making people laugh."
When asked if he was anxious at the first taping of the show, Kutcher said, "I was just trying to remember my lines. The audience was pretty teed up, so it kind of felt like it really didn't matter what I did. People were just happy to have the show back."
Kutcher sports a beard for the character. When asked about it, he said it's "a bit of a Jesus thing," saying with a laugh, "Well, in the first episode, I am resurrected from the dead so ... it should be interesting."
There's been plenty of speculation about the season premiere, but lips are sealed. All we know about Kutcher's character is that he'll play Walden Schmidt, an Internet billionaire with a broken heart.
Wragge asked about Kutcher's apprehension about the situation at the show.
"I had apprehensions for several reasons. I have a relatively successful film career, and I knew it would shut down that for a minute. I had a little apprehension about that because, when you have a good thing going, you don't want to put the pause button on it."
That's especially since Kutcher is more comfortable with the fast pace of his career since he first landed the role of lovable dimwit Michael Kelso on "That '70s Show" in 1998.
After a string of films, Kutcher became a media mogul with his own production company, Katalyst, in 2002, where he produced and starred in MTV's hidden camera series, "Punk'd."
Wragge asked the star if he's ever afraid he'll be tricked. Kutcher said they'd have a hard time trying.
"I'm still pretty on it. I still scan the rooms that I walk into make sure there aren't cameras around," he said. "It's really hard to punk someone who doesn't go off the handle."
Along with his production company, Kutcher is one of social media's pioneers, investing in more than a dozen tech start-ups, further enhancing his media empire. Last year, Time magazine called him one of the most influential people in the world for his contributions to emerging online entities.
Wragge asked, "What would be better for you? An actor with two Oscars on his mantle or an actor who's one day mentioned in the same vein as a Mark Zuckerberg for what he's done from a technology standpoint?"
Kutcher said, "Why can't you have both? You're talking to the wrong guy man. I believe in both."
Wragge remarked, "People, when they're listening to this, because you are so tech savvy say, 'This guy is a little bit more of a tech geek than I thought."'
"Well, now," Kutcher said. "I'm playing a tech geek on TV, so everyone will know."