Abhiroop Das
While FX’s ‘The Beauty‘ is frontlined by FBI agents Cooper Madsen and Jordan Bennett tracking down a sexually transmissible super-drug, the spotlight is often stolen by Byron Frost, the show’s charming but Machiavellian antagonist. A mega-billionaire with companies in just about every field, Byron is driven by nothing but self-interest, which is why the creation of the Beauty captures his attention like nothing else. As one of its very first recipients, he has first-hand experience of the potential this treatment has for humanity, and as he prepares to monopolize its flow around the globe, his narcissism soon gives way to an actual god complex. As a result, Cooper and Jordan have no choice but to up their game and track him down before it’s too late, and he takes over the entire world.
Byron Frost is Not a Reference to Any Real-Life Billionaires
Byron Frost, deemed the richest person in the world of ‘The Beauty,’ is a fictional character created by Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson specifically for the show. Notably, in the comic created by Jason A. Hurley, Jeremy Haun, and Thomas Nachlik, the corporation behind the Beauty itself serves as the antagonistic force. The character of Byron, as such, is the show’s attempt to narrow the focus and let a single figure channel some of the larger themes and plotlines. Throughout the show, he is depicted as an openly villainous agent of chaos, who doesn’t shy away from using his wealth to get what he wants. This dramatized depiction entirely originates from the writers’ pens, and it has been confirmed that no real-life billionaire is the main inspiration for the character.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Ashton Kutcher cleared the air about any potential parallels being drawn between Byron and billionaires in real life. He stated, “This guy (Byron) is nothing like Mark (Zuckerberg). Some people have asked me about Elon Musk, and this is not based on Elon Musk. He might be the closest in wealth.” Further reiterating the crafted nature of the character he portrays, Kutcher said that Byron isn’t modelled after a single individual, but is rather a fictionalized study of people in positions of immense power. This also suggests that the on-screen billionaire is not meant to be a composite figure either, but is actually rooted in a narrative-based examination of modern evil.
While Kutcher noted that he doesn’t usually play villains, he was specifically drawn to the unique premise that ‘The Beauty’ has to offer. Reportedly, he sat down with Murphy to discuss recent developments such as “Ozempic and Mounjaro and cosmetic surgery.” The ‘Two and a Half Men’ actor blended this interest with his desire to essay a character who has too many resources at his disposal, and the result is the version of Byron that we see on-screen. In a conversation with Vanity Fair, Kutcher expressed his joy in portraying a “superhuman capability that is not ten steps removed from today, but two steps removed from today.” This description aptly summarizes Byron’s role in the narrative, as while he may not be based on any real-life billionaires or tech magnates, he is still a realistic rendition of the archetype.
Read More: Is The Beauty a True Story? Is the Beauty Based on a Real Drug or Virus?
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