The Kids Are Alright

by Christine Champagne

Actor: Ashton Kutcher

He Plays: The gorgeous but gullible Michael Kelso

His Character Is Like: Vinnie Barbarino on "Welcome Back Kotter"

Ashton Kutcher can relate to the bored suburban teenagers on "That '70s Show" perhaps better than any of his other castmates. "I lived it," says the 20-year-old, who grew up in Homestead, Iowa, a town of 100 people. "There was nothing to do. It was all about friends and making our own fun," recalls Kutcher. "So it was a keg in a cornfield and cow-tipping." Kutcher studied biochemical engineering for a year and a half at the University of Iowa before he began modeling in New York, doing ads and runway work for the likes of Calvin Klein, Gucci and Versace. But, like most models, he really wanted to act. "(Modeling) paid the bills until I could get a job," says Kutcher, who was offered a role on NBC's new series "Wind on Water" but turned it down in favor of this part. Smart choice.

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