The Flick Chicks Interview: Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche

The two-story Sky Villa at The Palms has a capacity of 250, but on this day the 9,000 square foot, $40,000-a-night luxury suite was filled with two larger than life individuals. Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche were seated at a round table in one of the suite’s more intimate settings to talk to the Flick Chicks about working together on their latest film, Spread.

Spread is the story of Nikki (Kutcher), a young, attractive L.A. drifter who targets, flatters, and ultimately lives off of wealthy women. He has no car or home of his own, but gets to live a temporary life of luxury for as long as he’s welcomed into his latest conquest’s bed. Samantha (Heche) is a successful attorney who finds herself in his calculating arms.

Anne Heche and Ashton Kutcher

The Ashton Kutcher who now sits in front of me has maintained Nikki’s look, a more sophisticated version of the way you’re used to seeing him. His demeanor is serious, and he makes direct eye contact frequently. The role of Nikki is a departure for the 31 year old and he wants you to know about his character (or his character’s lack of character). Kutcher cited survival alone as Nikki’s objective, not calculation. His periodic narration throughout the film details the how-tos and whys of behaving to score a spread. If a little opulence came his way during the process, who is he to turn it down?

“I made a conscious effort in not judging my character. To him, it was a means for survival,” said Kutcher, who also tried to portray Nikki within a “fabric of honesty.” You can tell the role is an important one for him; he does not take the character’s actions lightly.

Anne Heche

There’s lots of skin in the film and the actors’ exposure level is high. When asked about the physical preparation it took, the eternally slender Kutcher merely looked down and smiled, as if that didn’t apply to him. Heche laughed aloud and replied, “I ate lettuce for weeks!” Both actors felt the film was a realistic portrayal of a certain slice of L.A. life – those who have it all, and those who want in on that deal.

Although part of the film is said to take place at Peter Bogdanovich’s former house, that was simply an homage to the director, whom Kutcher remembers seeing on the Dick Cavett show as a youth and finally getting to meet. The place is grand though, referred to as a “nice spread” by a delivery boy in the film. The word “spread” also has other connotations, and the multi-level meaning resonated with Heche.

Ashton Kutcher

Kutcher and Heche are enthusiastic about their latest project and sit together like old pals. They frequently share asides and laugh at each other’s comments. There’s a real fondness there, fortunate for the two co-stars who took on what your humble correspondent called “very daring roles.”

Heche appreciated the remark. Kutcher just smiled.