Mila Kunis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mila Kunis
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Kunis in 2018
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Milena Markovna Kunis
August 14, 1983 Chernovtsy, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
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| Citizenship | US (naturalized) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Milena Markovna "Mila" Kunis (born August 14, 1983) is an American actress. She was born in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. She grew up in Los Angeles, California.
Mila started acting at a young age. When she was 15, she got a big role as Jackie Burkhart on the TV show That '70s Show (1998–2006). She has also been the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated TV show Family Guy since 1999.
Mila's first major movie role was in the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). She earned a lot of praise for her acting in the thriller movie Black Swan (2010). For this role, she was nominated for important awards like the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Golden Globe Award. Some of her other well-known movies include Max Payne (2008), The Book of Eli (2010), Friends with Benefits (2011), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) where she played the Wicked Witch of the West, and the comedies Ted (2012) and Bad Moms (2016).
Contents
Early Life and Moving to America
Milena Markovna Kunis was born on August 14, 1983, in Chernivtsi, a city in Ukraine. Her family was Jewish. Her mother, Elvira, was a physics teacher and ran a pharmacy. Her father, Mark Kunis, was an engineer who later became a cab driver. Mila has an older brother named Michael.
Her family spoke Russian at home. When Mila was seven years old in 1991, her family moved to Los Angeles, California. They left Ukraine because they felt there was "no future" for Mila and her brother there. They were only allowed to bring $250 with them.
Mila found it hard when she first arrived in the United States. She didn't know any English. She later said that her second grade felt like being "blind and deaf" because she didn't understand the language or culture. She went to Rosewood Elementary School and later to Bancroft Middle School. For high school, she had a tutor on the set of That '70s Show. She graduated from Fairfax High School in 2001.
Starting Her Acting Career (1994–2008)
When Mila was nine, her father enrolled her in acting classes. There, she met her manager, Susan Curtis. Her very first audition was for a Barbie commercial, and she got the part! Soon after, she appeared in a commercial for Lisa Frank products.
Her first TV roles were in 1994, on shows like Days of Our Lives and Baywatch. She also had small parts in 7th Heaven and Walker, Texas Ranger. She appeared in movies like Santa with Muscles and Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves.
Becoming Jackie on That '70s Show
In 1998, when Mila was 14, she auditioned for the role of Jackie Burkhart in the TV show That '70s Show. The rules said actors had to be at least 18. Mila told the casting directors she would be 18, but didn't say when. Even when they found out her real age, the producers still thought she was the best for the role. The show was very popular and ran for eight seasons. Mila won two Young Star Awards for her acting in the show.
Voicing Meg in Family Guy
In 1999, Mila started voicing the character Meg Griffin in the animated show Family Guy. The show's creator, Seth MacFarlane, chose her because he liked her natural voice. He said that Mila, being 15 when she started, sounded like a real teenager, which was perfect for Meg. Mila has said that Meg is like "the scapegoat" of the family. She was nominated for an Annie Award for her voice acting.
First Movie Roles
In 2001, Mila appeared in the movie Get Over It. In 2002, she starred in the horror film American Psycho 2. She later said she was embarrassed by this movie.
In 2008, Mila starred in the comedy film Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She had to improvise some of her lines. The movie was a big hit and critics liked her performance. She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.
Later in 2008, Mila played an assassin named Mona Sax in the action movie Max Payne. She trained in guns, boxing, and martial arts for the role. The movie did well at the box office, but some critics felt Mila was not the right choice for the part.
Big Movie Success (2009–Present)
Action and Drama Roles
In 2010, Mila starred with Denzel Washington in the action film The Book of Eli. The movie made a lot of money, and many critics praised Mila's acting, saying she showed a new side to her talent. She also had a small role in the comedy Date Night that year.
Mila received many awards and nominations for her role in the 2010 film Black Swan. She played a rival ballet dancer to the main character, played by Natalie Portman. For this role, Mila trained very hard, doing ballet for four hours a day, seven days a week. She also lost a lot of weight and even got some injuries during filming. The movie was highly praised and made a lot of money. Critics loved Mila's performance, calling it a "surprise package." She won an award at the 67th Venice International Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Romantic Comedies and Other Films
In 2011, Mila starred with Justin Timberlake in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits. The movie was a success, and critics enjoyed the chemistry between Mila and Justin.
In 2012, Mila co-starred with Mark Wahlberg in the comedy Ted. This movie was directed by Seth MacFarlane, who created Family Guy. Ted became Mila's most successful movie financially, earning over $549 million worldwide.
In 2013, Mila played Theodora, one of three witches, in the Disney movie Oz the Great and Powerful. She acted alongside James Franco. The movie was a big commercial success.
Mila also started her own production company called Orchard Farm Productions in 2014. This company creates TV shows.
In 2015, she starred with Channing Tatum in the science fiction film Jupiter Ascending.
In 2016, Mila starred in the comedy Bad Moms with Kristen Bell and Christina Applegate. The movie was very popular and made a lot of money. Because it was so successful, they made a sequel called A Bad Moms Christmas, which came out in 2017.
In 2018, Mila starred in the comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me with Kate McKinnon. In 2020, she appeared in the film Four Good Days, and critics praised her performance. In 2022, Mila produced and starred in the Netflix movie Luckiest Girl Alive. Her acting in this film was highly praised by critics.
In 2023, it was announced that Mila would star with Michael Keaton in the comedy film Goodrich, which was released in 2024. She also became an executive producer for this film. In 2024, Mila joined the cast of the new Knives Out mystery film.
In the Media and Personal Life
Mila Kunis has appeared in many magazines and advertising campaigns. In 2012, she became the face of the fashion brand Christian Dior. In 2013, she was named a global ambassador for Gemfields, a company that sells precious stones like emeralds and rubies. She was also on Forbes magazine's list of 100 powerful celebrities in 2013. In 2022, Time magazine included her on their list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Mila Kunis dated actor Macaulay Culkin from 2002 to 2011. They remained good friends after their breakup.
Mila has a condition called heterochromia iridum, which means her eyes are different colors. One eye is brown, and the other is green. She also had a temporary eye problem called iritis, which was corrected with surgery.
In 2011, Mila accepted an invitation from a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant, Scott Moore, to attend a Marine Corps Ball in North Carolina. He had invited her in a video he posted online from Afghanistan.
Mila began dating her former That '70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher in 2012. They got engaged in 2014 and were married in July 2015. They have two children: a daughter born in 2014 and a son born in 2016. The family lives in a special farmhouse in Beverly Hills.
In 2020, Mila and Ashton created their own wine called Quarantine Wine. All the money from selling this wine went to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, they started a GoFundMe page to help refugees from the war in Ukraine. They raised over $30 million and also donated $3 million of their own money.
Political Views
Mila Kunis supports the Democratic Party in the United States. She has spoken about her political beliefs, including her support for women's rights.
She has also signed letters from an organization called Creative Community for Peace. These letters speak out against boycotts of the Tel Aviv International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and against antisemitic (anti-Jewish) content. In 2023, after an attack on Israel, Mila signed a letter asking for the release of hostages.
Acting Credits and Awards
Mila Kunis has starred in many successful films and TV shows. Some of her most praised films include Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Black Swan (2010), Friends with Benefits (2011), and Ted (2012). Her popular TV shows are That '70s Show (1998–2006) and Family Guy (1999–present).
For her role in Black Swan, Mila was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She was also nominated for an Annie Award for her voice acting in Family Guy.
Images for kids
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Mila Kunis in 2018
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Mila Kunis promoting Family Guy in 2009
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Mila Kunis at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2012
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Mila Kunis promoting The Spy Who Dumped Me in 2018
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Mila Kunis attending the Marine Corps Ball in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Mila Kunis para niños
