Ashton Kutcher says The Beauty villain is not based on Elon Musk

Movieweb reports Ashton Kutcher has denied that his character Byron Forst, the billionaire known as the Corporation in Ryan Murphy's series The Beauty, is based on Elon Musk or other real-life figures.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Kutcher said, "It's not based on any individual." He added, "This guy's nothing like Mark [Zuckerberg]. Some people have asked me about Elon Musk, and this is not based on Elon Musk. He might be the closest in wealth. I think The Corporation is the richest person in the world. Maybe Elon will be second — but after Starlink goes public, he might go back to first. But it's not based on him. It's not based on any individual. There's an air about people in very powerful positions — they have so much at their disposal that it appears as if everything they're doing has this effortlessness to it. I hope to imbue that on camera."

The Beauty, described as a body-horror sci-fi about a substance that makes people more beautiful before killing them, premiered earlier this week; the source lists a release date of January 21, 2026 and notes it will air on FX and Hulu. Kutcher said he took the role to work with Murphy, saying, "I mean, he's one of the greatest writers on the planet, and you go, 'All right, let me have a conversation,'" and called the part "a fun challenge" to justify seemingly unjustifiable decisions on screen.

Key Topics

Culture, Ashton Kutcher, The Beauty, Ryan Murphy, Byron Forst, Elon Musk