TV thriller series The Beauty: interview with Rebecca Hall, Ashton Kutcher and the cast

The Beauty is the thriller series currently airing. The plot focuses on some international top models who begin to die in mysterious and gruesome circumstances. FBI agents “Cooper Madsen” (Evan Peters) and “Jordan Bennett” (Rebecca Hall) are sent to Paris to uncover the truth, and discover a transmissible virus that transforms people into physically perfect beings, but with terrifying consequences.

The cast also includes Ashton Kutcher, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope. The series has been airing on Disney+ since January 22, 2026.

How did you approach this TV series where the concept of beauty borders on horror?

Rebecca Hall. When I was a young actress in career, I went to Hollywood, where people regularly told me I had very British teeth. It was code for: fix them immediately. I liked the way they overlapped in front, and it was an imperfection I was quite fond of, so—in a very stubborn way—I did not do it. For a long time. Obviously things change as you get older and actually my teeth started to break, and in the end I gave in and had Invisalign. So, you know, but they are still not perfect. And I am so happy about that.

Ashton Kutcher. If we look at the world today and observe what is available, there is a drug you can inject yourself with that makes you lose weight. There are all kinds of creams, ointments and topical products you can put on your body that promise younger skin. You go to the gym, train, there are also cosmetic surgeries you can do, whether it is putting on Invisalign or doing a rhinoplasty, with which you can cosmetically improve yourself. And indeed people travel all over the world. There is cosmetic tourism now, where you can travel to a different country and get the same procedure for less money or whatever. If you take these things and combine them with some genetic engineering, you realize the differences. Why is it socially acceptable to change your teeth and wear braces, but it is not socially acceptable in some way to get a rhinoplasty? And I think the challenge of the TV series is: how far can you go risking? You know, there could be side effects. I really think this show could be called “The Judgment” as much as it is called “The Beauty.”

Anthony Ramos. As Rebecca said, beauty is different for everyone. Like people who buy the most beautiful car or get the best apartment or house, which they cannot necessarily afford. And there is this endless chase for something that is beautiful. I have to have it because I need to stay cool and I need to stay relevant, so I have to have it even if I cannot afford it, I will sacrifice something just to have it because it keeps me alive. But essentially, we are just trying to survive.

What is your relationship with your body and the way it is displayed in acting?

Ashton Kutcher. I have a twin brother. My twin brother was born with cerebral palsy. When we were 12 years old, he had a heart transplant. And our lives, in a way, came from the same family, the same place. We were in the same classes, with the same friends. I left my hometown, I did modeling and then entered the world of acting and had a successful career. One day he came to me and said perhaps the most important thing anyone has ever told me. While I was becoming more successful, I was doing everything possible to help him and tried to offer him different kinds of support in different ways: “You know, every time you feel sorry for me, you afflict me. This is the only life I will ever know.”

For me that was like an awakening. One thing about the difference between compassion and empathy and feeling sorry for someone. But secondly, it was a kind of great realization. We are all living the only life we will ever know. I have always lived only in this body. I have always had only one mind. And that is all I know. When I was a child, I did not feel like an attractive person. Nobody told me, and I was not. I just felt like a really poor kid who did not quite fit in. Then one day, when I was nineteen, someone came up to me and said: hey, you should be a model. I laughed because I thought they were joking with me. Then I started working, building confidence in how you appear over time. I think some days we feel beautiful, and other days no. And some days, no matter how you look, you can feel really ugly. In any case, the concept of beauty is still relative.

Do you think artificial intelligence will change the actor’s work?

Jerry Pope. As an artist, I want to believe there is space for nuances. They will continue to spur new experiences to emerge, to go to new places, not just stay at home in front of a PC. I want to believe that experiencing something in real time is more thrilling than watching it online. I think the moment we are currently in is interesting and wild. I also think I am curious to see where this leads us. I mean, at dinner last night we were having a conversation about my parents’ generation. They did not have the internet: it might seem crazy to me today, but the younger generation might be very well prepared for the army of artificial intelligence. I don’t know. But I want to believe deep in my heart that there is still a specific nuance of the artist. I will continue to create the ability to meet and read and talk and interact with human beings.

Can technology change the perception of beauty?

Anthony Ramos. I did not have to worry about this when I was a child. I did not have to scroll my thumb on the screen to see how someone was a trend. Imagine growing up—especially if you are a child—and having to face this unconsciously, because now it is normal. I cannot imagine having to live this way. I am super passionate about technology, but I also feel compassion for kids now who have to face all this: now for them Instagram is normal, and then you have Snapchat. And then there are so many channels popping up, and it is difficult for a child to figure out who they are, being alone every second: it is the world telling them who they should be.