Ashton Kutcher has Robin Williams to thank for his new success as the star of sitcom Two And A Half Men - because he remembered the funnyman's regrets after he turned his back on TV.
Kutcher admits Williams paid a visit to the set of his former TV hit The 70s Show and confessed he missed the thrill of filming a show in front of a live studio audience.
He says, "He was visiting with (actor) Kurtwood Smith, who played the father of the show, and he said to Kurtwood at that time, like, 'Man, I just wish I could go back and do a sitcom again.'
"I never forgot hearing that and when I had this opportunity, I was like, 'This is unbelievable'. I think the best thing for me, other than the amazing job and great company of these people and actually being able to act a lot, is it's really fun.
"When you do a feature (film) it's a couple of months and generally most of the time you spend waiting for lighting set-ups. And we rehearse every day and we get to be on a stage every day and perform and work on our craft and actually exercise those muscles and that craft.
"For me, I really love doing that and I really love performing and trying to find nuance in the character, trying to find different ways to express something and kind of just optimising the scene. Being able to do that and work on that craft every day is really fulfilling."
Kutcher is currently mulling over his contractual options concerning Two and a Half Men and may return for a second season of the show, on which he replaced Charlie Sheen.