Milla Jovovich facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milla Jovovich
Jovovich in 2019
Born	Milica Bogdanovna Jovović (1975-12-17) December 17, 1975 (age 50) Kyiv, Soviet Union
Citizenship	US (since 1994)
Occupation	Actress model singer
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Shawn Andrews ​ ​ (m. 1992; ann. 1992)​ Luc Besson ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 1999)​ Paul W. S. Anderson ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	3, including Ever Anderson
Parent(s)	Galina Loginova (mother)

Milica Bogdanovna Jovović (born December 17, 1975), known professionally as Milla Jovovich ( MEE-lə-_-yoh-VƏ-vitch), is an American actress, singer, and former model. She is famous for her exciting roles in many science fiction and action films. In 2006, the music channel VH1 called her the "reigning queen of kick-butt."

In 2004, Forbes magazine recognized her as the highest-paid model in the world. Milla was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and grew up in Los Angeles, USA. She began modeling at a young age and made her first appearance in a film in 1988. Her big breakthrough came with the 1997 French science-fiction action film The Fifth Element. From 2002 to 2017, she starred as Alice in the popular Resident Evil action horror film series. Milla also released two music albums, The Divine Comedy in 1994 and The People Tree Sessions in 1998. She also co-created a clothing line called Jovovich–Hawk.

About Milla Jovovich's Early Life

Her Childhood and Family

Milla Jovovich was born on December 17, 1975, in Kyiv, a city in Ukraine. At that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Her mother, Galina Loginova, was a Russian actress. Her father, Bogdan Jovović, was a Serbian doctor from Montenegro.

Milla spent most of her early childhood in Moscow, Russia, which was her mother's hometown. She has mentioned that her birth in Ukraine was "pretty much by accident." Milla remembers a lot about her life in Russia.

Moving to America and School Days

In 1980, Milla's family moved to London, England. They then moved to Sacramento, California, in the United States. Seven months later, they settled in Los Angeles. Her parents, Galina and Bogdan, separated soon after arriving in the US.

In Los Angeles, Galina tried to find acting jobs. However, language differences made it difficult. She worked cleaning houses to earn money for the family. Milla attended public schools in Los Angeles. She quickly learned to speak English in just three months. Milla sometimes faced teasing from classmates because she came from the Soviet Union. She once said, "I was called a commie and a Russian spy. I was [never] accepted into the crowd."

At the age of 12, Milla left seventh grade to focus on her modeling career. She had started modeling when she was nine years old. In 1994, she became a citizen of the United States.

Milla Jovovich's Acting Career

Starting Out in Films and TV

Milla's mother, Galina, had always hoped Milla would become a movie star. In 1985, Galina enrolled Milla in acting classes. As Milla got more acting jobs, she began attending a special school for young actors.

In 1988, Milla made her first professional film appearance. She played Samantha Delongpre in the romantic thriller Two Moon Junction. Later that year, she appeared in the TV film The Night Train to Kathmandu as Lily McLeod. She also had roles in TV series like Paradise (1988) and Married... with Children (1989).

At 15, Milla was cast as the main character in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). Many people compared her to Brooke Shields, another young model who became an actress. Milla was nominated for "Best Young Actress" at the 1991 Young Artist Awards. In 1992, she co-starred with Christian Slater in the comedy Kuffs. She also played Mildred Harris in the film Chaplin. In 1993, Milla acted in Dazed and Confused. She played Michelle Burroughs. After this, she took a break from acting and moved to Europe.

Becoming a Star in Action Movies

Jovovich attended the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Milla returned to acting in 1997 with a lead role in The Fifth Element. This French science-fiction action film starred Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. Milla played Leeloo, an alien who helps save the planet. She worked very hard to get the role and even helped create a fictional language of over 400 words for her character.

The Fifth Element was a big success, earning over $263 million worldwide. Critics often praised its unique visual style. Milla was nominated for "Favorite Female Newcomer" at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. She later said that Leeloo was her favorite role.

In 1998, Milla appeared in Spike Lee's drama He Got Game. In 1999, she starred as Joan of Arc in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. For this role, she cut her hair short and wore armor in many battle scenes. The film did well at the box office. Milla also appeared in The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) and the comedy Zoolander (2001).

Continuing Success in Film Roles

Jovovich at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival

In 2002, Milla starred in the horror-action film Resident Evil. This movie was based on the popular Capcom video game series. She played Alice, a hero who fights against zombies. Milla was a fan of the video game series, which made her want the role. She trained in karate, kickboxing, and combat. She performed almost all of her own stunts. The film was a commercial success, earning over $102 million worldwide.

Milla continued to act in various films, including Dummy (2003) and lent her voice to the TV series King of the Hill. In 2004, she returned as Alice in Resident Evil: Apocalypse. This sequel was also a big commercial success. Milla later starred in the science fiction thriller Ultraviolet (2006). She played Violet Song jat Shariff, a role that also involved many fight scenes.

In 2007, Milla played Alice again in Resident Evil: Extinction, the third film in the series. This movie also topped the box office on its opening weekend. In 2009, she starred in the thriller A Perfect Getaway and the science-fiction thriller The Fourth Kind.

Jovovich attended the 2012 WonderCon promoting Resident Evil: Retribution.

Milla returned as Alice for the fourth Resident Evil movie, Afterlife, in 2010. Her husband, Paul W. S. Anderson, directed this film. She also appeared in the dramedy Dirty Girl and the psychological thriller Stone. In 2011, Milla starred as Milady de Winter in the action-adventure film The Three Musketeers. She also played the lead in the psychological thriller Faces in the Crowd.

Jovovich at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival

In 2012, Milla continued her role as Alice in Resident Evil: Retribution, the fifth film. She appeared in Cymbeline (2014) and Survivor (2015). In 2016, she made a cameo in Zoolander 2. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) was the sixth and last film in the Resident Evil series. It became the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

Milla also appeared in Shock and Awe (2017) and Future World (2018). In 2019, she starred in the fantasy film Paradise Hills and played the villain Vivienne Nimue, the Blood Queen, in the Hellboy reboot movie. More recently, she starred in Monster Hunter (2020) and Breathe (2024). She also has upcoming films like In the Lost Lands (2025) and World Breaker (2025). Milla is also a co-founder of a production company called Creature Entertainment.

Milla Jovovich's Other Talents

Her Music Journey

Milla started working on a music album in 1988. She was signed by SBK Records after they heard her demo. In April 1994, she released her debut album, The Divine Comedy. The album was well-received by critics. It featured traditional Ukrainian folk songs mixed with pop music.

Milla released a single called "The Gentleman Who Fell (Before The Court)" with a music video. She toured the United States and Canada in 1994 to promote her album. In 1999, Milla formed an experimental band called "Plastic Has Memory." She wrote the songs, sang, and played electric guitar. The band played several shows but never released any albums.

Milla has also contributed songs to the soundtracks of many of her films. These include The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) and Dummy (2002). She has also been a guest vocalist on other artists' albums. In 2012, she released a new single called "Electric Sky." Milla often shares her new songs, which she calls "demos," for free on her website.

A Career in Modeling

Milla's early work with famous photographers helped her become a successful model. She has appeared on over 100 magazine covers, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Elle.

She has walked the runway for many top fashion designers like Versace and Chanel. Milla has also been part of advertising campaigns for brands such as Christian Dior, Guess?, and Revlon. Since 1998, she has been an "international spokesmodel" for L'Oréal cosmetics.

In 2004, Forbes magazine named Milla the highest-earning supermodel in the world. She has said that modeling was never her main goal. The money she earned allowed her to choose her acting roles more carefully. In 2012, Milla became the face of a global advertising campaign for Jacob & Co watches and jewelry. In 2018, she became the face of Balmain. In 2019, Milla joined other models in signing a petition to help protect models from unfair treatment.

Designing Fashion

In 2003, Milla and fellow model Carmen Hawk started a clothing line called Jovovich–Hawk. They opened a showroom in New York City in 2005. Milla and Carmen designed all the dresses for their line. Their studio was in Los Angeles, and their clothes were sold in many stores worldwide.

Vogue magazine praised their clothing line. In 2006, Jovovich-Hawk was nominated for a special fashion award. Milla and Hawk also designed the costume for Milla's character Alice in Resident Evil: Extinction. Later, they designed a collection for Target's Go International campaign. In late 2008, Milla and Hawk decided to end their business. This was because they had too many other demands on their time.

Milla Jovovich's Personal World

Her Family Life

Milla Jovovich married director Paul W. S. Anderson on August 22, 2009. They had worked together on the Resident Evil films. Milla and Paul have three daughters. Their first daughter, Ever Anderson, was born on November 3, 2007. Their second daughter was born on April 1, 2015. Their third daughter was born on February 2, 2020. Milla lives in Los Angeles and New York City.

Her Interests and Background

Milla speaks English and Russian fluently. She also knows some French and Serbian. She grew up in a Russian household. In 2005, she spoke about the importance of Russian culture in her life. She mentioned that her mother, a famous actress, raised her with Russian traditions. Milla believes that education and intelligence are very important.

When asked if she still feels Russian, Milla replied, "Definitely. I still speak Russian. I speak it with my daughter. I read her Russian stories and poems. My roots are very important—they make me who I am." Milla enjoys playing the guitar and writing poems and song lyrics. She also practices yoga and meditates often to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Milla considers herself a "spiritual person."

Her Views on Important Issues

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Milla Jovovich expressed her support for Ukraine. She shared her feelings on her Instagram page, saying she was "heartbroken" by the events in her birthplace.

In October 2023, Milla was one of many artists who signed an open letter to President Joe Biden. This letter called for a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Milla Jovovich's Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
1988	Two Moon Junction	Samantha Delongpre
1991	Return to the Blue Lagoon	Lilli Hargrave
1992	Kuffs	Maya Carlton
	Chaplin	Mildred Harris
1993	Dazed and Confused	Michelle Burroughs
1997	The Fifth Element	Leeloo de Sabat
1998	He Got Game	Dakota Burns
1999	The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc	Joan of Arc
2000	The Claim	Lucia
	The Million Dollar Hotel	Eloise
2001	Zoolander	Katinka Ingaborgovinanana
2002	Dummy	Fangora "Fanny" Gurkel
	Resident Evil	Alice
	No Good Deed	Erin
	You Stupid Man	Nadine
2004	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	Alice
2005	Needlework Pictures Presents Francesco Vezzoli in Gore Vidal's 'Caligula'	Julia Drusilla	Short film
2006	Ultraviolet	Violet Song jat Shariff
	.45	Kat
2007	Resident Evil: Extinction	Alice
2008	Palermo Shooting	Herself	Uncredited
2009	A Perfect Getaway	Cydney Anderson
	The Fourth Kind	Dr. Abigail "Abbey" Tyler
2010	Stone	Lucetta Creeson
	Blood into Wine	Herself
	Resident Evil: Afterlife	Alice
	Dirty Girl	Sue-Ann Edmondston
2011	Lucky Trouble	Nadya
	Bringing Up Bobby	Olive
	The Three Musketeers	Milady de Winter
	Faces in the Crowd	Anna Marchant	Also executive producer
2012	Resident Evil: Retribution	Alice
2014	Cymbeline	The Queen
2015	Survivor	Kate Abbott
	A Warrior's Tail	Savva	Voice role; English dub
2016	Zoolander 2	Katinka Ingaborgovinanana
2017	Resident Evil: The Final Chapter	Alice / Alicia Marcus
	Shock and Awe	Vlatka
2018	Future World
2019	Paradise Hills	The Duchess
	Hellboy	Vivienne Nimue, the Blood Queen
	The Rookies	Senior Agent Bruce
2020	Monster Hunter	Captain Natalie Artemis
	Showbiz Kids	Herself
2024	Breathe	Tess
2025	In the Lost Lands	Gray Alys	Also producer
	World Breaker	Mom
TBA	Midnight	TBA	Post-production
	Twilight of the Dead	TBA	Pre-production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Milla Jovovich on Television

Milla Jovovich in Video Games

Milla Jovovich's Music Videos

Milla Jovovich's Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Soundtrack appearances

Milla Jovovich's Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Milla Jovovich para niños