Ashton Kutcher is in action-hero mode

Best known for light, comedy films, Ashton Kutcher now tries the action genre for the first time in Touchstone Pictures' new thriller "The Guardian." He plays Jake Fischer, the former swimming champion whose strength as a swimmer is exceeded only by the power of his youthful confidence.

"The Guardian" is a riveting, white-knuckle story of hardcore courage and selfless sacrifice set inside the never-before-seen world of Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers - a special breed of men and women who risk their lives against the biggest storms and most monstrous waves in service to the motto: "So that others may live!" Previously seen only as the unsung, daredevil heroes who saved thousands in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's deadly floods, the lives and teamwork of Rescue Swimmers come to the fore in this heart-stopping adventure.

Kutcher was instantly compelled by the script for "The Guardian" - and saw that it offered an unusual opportunity. "I was definitely looking to do something that was a total departure from what I've done before, and this is definitely that," says Kutcher. "I was also looking for the chance to work with actors who I look up to and who I could learn from. And this film not only offered many opportunities for me to learn and stretch myself, that's also what it's about - one generation learning from the one just ahead."

Kutcher also was inspired to dig deeper behind the exploits of the Rescue Swimmers. "The guys in the Coast Guard are the kind of heroes who don't talk about themselves," notes the actor. "And I hold very high regard for those kinds of people."

Kutcher threw himself with total devotion into the role, knowing he would need to undertake the same kind of grueling training Coast Guard swimmers really go through. "If I was going to do a film about Rescue Swimmers and portray these kind of heroes, I wanted to do them proud," he comments. "I definitely didn't want to have somebody else come in and double for me. I figured that these guys are saving lives for a living and for me, as an actor, to get into shape and be able to portray them is small potatoes and the least I could do."

Co-star Kevin Costner enjoyed the opportunity in to watch Kutcher bring the character of Jake full circle - from tough kid to heroic man - with his own unique touches. "Ashton has an ability to sense the dramatic opportunities that aren't necessarily on the page, seize them and translate them into dramatic moments on film, thereby making the picture jump a level," Costner says.

Andrew Davis was very impressed with Kutcher's devotion to the role. "He did an amazing job preparing for this movie. We needed to find a spunky, worldly kid capable of taking on the mantle of a great Rescue Swimmer - and that's exactly who Ashton was," says the director. "I think he gained ten or fifteen pounds of pure muscle in his training."

Now showing across the Philippines, "The Guardian" is distributed by Buena Vista International through Columbia Pictures.