Ashton Kutcher on Mila Kunis and Steve Jobs role

MANILA, Philippines – “I am going to do everything in my power to have this relationship [with Mila] be private,” said Ashton Kutcher in an article on UsMagazine.com.

The 35-year-old actor has become more guarded about his personal life after splitting with ex-wife Demi Moore in November 2011.

He says privacy is one thing that can help his new relationship with actress Mila Kunis whom he met more than a decade ago when they co-starred in the sitcom “That 70’s Show.”

“You know, I’ve learned the hard way how valuable privacy is,” he explained. “And I’ve learned that there are a lot of things in your life that really benefit from being private. And relationships are one of them.”

Kutcher was equally terse and secretive when ELLE asked him how his relationship was with Moore’s 3 daughters: “There are some things that are better left private.” 

He then added cryptically, “Someone once told me, ‘If anyone wants to be rich and famous, let them be rich first and see if they still want to be famous.’”

Criticism for “jOBS”

The hunky actor has also had to face negative criticism about his portrayal of Apple co-creator Steve Jobs in the upcoming film “jOBS.”

Watch Ashton Kutcher play Steve Jobs in this “jOBS” clip:

“People fill in the blanks really fast. They go, ‘Oh my God, he’s on a show [Two and a Half Men] and [plays] stupid, so he must be stupid,’” said Kutcher.

“I can’t control that, nor do I try to, nor do I want to. There’s something advantageous about having people underestimate your intellect, insomuch as a lot of things are revealed to you. They assume you don’t know what you’re talking about, then all of a sudden, you do. And the next thing you know, you have information you wouldn’t normally have.” 

The film’s director, Joshua Michael Stern, stands by his decision to cast Kutcher in the iconic role. He said that casting backlash would have been inevitable regardless of which actor played the part.

As for Kutcher, playing Jobs was a welcome challenge.

He said, “It was something I was scared to do. That indicated to me that it was a good thing.”

The actor looked back at his career and at the decisions he made that contributed to his image as an actor. His immense popularity with young viewers is thanks to his role in movies like “Dude, Where’s My Car?” “What Happens in Vegas” and “Just Married.”

“You know, I didn’t really go the starving-artist route. I kind of went and did massive, commercial things. [Two and a Half Men] is a very commercial show. But it’s very fun to do. I’m surrounded by an amazing group of people. And I can be home for dinner.” –With reports by Pia Ranada/Rappler.com