Biopics usually present people as saints, and in this, Steve Jobs comes across as a true visionary. Ashton, how did you feel about the character and did you ever meet him in real life?
Ashton Kutcher: Well, I never met him. But I have a lot of colleagues and close friends who did. A lot of my friends admired him, and I, too, admire the work that he did.
One of the first things you learn as an actor is to never judge a character. We, as human beings, are flawed. Most of the time, most of the decisions and choices we make, we feel like we’re making the right decision. We feel like we’re behaving in the right way.
So there were some things that Steve Jobs approached in a blunt way. But it was that same blunt choice that allowed him to create the amazing products he created. That same demand for perfection that allowed these teams to create these products that we all take for granted. Those products take that blunt honesty and focus and determination to create. I think that blunt care came out of concern for the consumer and the product he was creating.
Joshua Michael Stern: I’d like to say that when you hear that answer, it captures the reason why a director like myself would cast him. When you’re trying to create a story about a man, the actor needs to come to the table with an understanding of how he wants to inhabit his skin. He has to be able to justify the actions in a way, because one person’s eccentricities are that person’s normalcy.
So he really had an understanding and an empathy from the very beginning. He tried to understand how you have an obsession. Steve’s obsession was the computer, and so much more had to fall to the side.
For me, as a director, when I first met Ashton, he came into this knowing that. I think that was most important. He got it.
Ashton, it was uncanny how you resembled Steve. What was the process of playing him on screen?
Ashton Kutcher: I wanted to honor this guy. Since I knew people who knew him, I had pretty good insight into how he was. Since he’s so well documented, I couldn’t afford to not resemble him. I started by learning everything I could about him. I read books and watched videos and listened to people tell tales. The script was also an extraordinary resource.
Joshua Michael Stern: It was funny, because it wasn’t until way after the fact that when I took my first meeting with Ashton, he was already channeling Steve. He did so much research on Steve and was doing his mannerisms, and was already playing with the physicality.
He went on a fruitarian diet, and ended up having to go to the emergency room right before we started shooting. To immerse yourself in Steve Jobs, it’s an intense thing. So I would call him every once in awhile and ask, “Are you sure you’re okay?” (laughs)
What happened in the emergency room?
Ashton Kutcher: I went on this fruitarian diet. I read the book by Arnold Ehret that Steve read, called Mucusless Diet Healing System, which was his dietary bible. It talked about the value of grape sugar and that was probably the only pure sugar you could have in your body.
I think the guy who wrote that book was pretty misinformed. (laughs) My insulin levels got pretty messed up and my pancreas kind of went into some crazy, the levels were really off and it was painful. I didn’t know what was wrong.
Ashton, since you mentioned Walt Disney, is there anyone else you’d like to portray on screen?
Ashton Kutcher: I haven’t really thought about it. This character was a great opportunity for me. It was the perfect convergence of my personal interest and my craft. But he was a really complicated person to play. He was an anti, or flawed, hero. It’s fun to play flawed heroes, because they’re real and relatable, and it makes you feel better about your flaws.
Ashton, what personality traits do you have that are similar to Steve Jobs?
Ashton Kutcher: Well, I have a passion for technology. I went to school to become a biochemical engineer. I also have a passion for art and creativity. I think Steve understood and appreciated both of those things. I also love solving big problems.
Joshua Michael Stern: A lot of the people Ashton deals with are in the tech field and are creating apps. It seems like a lot of what he discusses is how to make life easier, such as with apps and T-shirts to invest in. It’s about how to make life easier and better for everyone, so that we can focus on other things.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Ashton Kutcher and Joshua Michael Stern for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to catch Jobs when it’s released in theaters on Friday, August 16.