Name : Mila Kunis
Birth Name : Milena Markovna Kunis
Date of Birth : 14 August 1983
Place of Birth : Chernovtsy, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Height : 5' 3" (1.60 m)
Occupation : Actress, voice artist
Years active : 1994–present
Partner : Macaulay Culkin(2002–present)
BIOGRAPHY
Born on Aug. 14, 1983 in Kiev, Ukraine, Kunis was raised by her father, Mark, a cab company executive and former mechanical engineer, and her mother, Elvira, a drug store manager and former physics teacher. When she was seven years old, her family moved from the collapsed Soviet Union to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, where she had an initially rough transition not knowing or understanding the language and the culture. Later, Kunis enrolled in after-school acting classes at Beverly Hills Studios while attending Hubert Howe Bancroft Middle School. Discovered by a manager while performing in an acting showcase, the young actress was soon cast in children's programs and television commercials including campaigns for Barbie and Payless shoes. Following her small screen debut on a 1994 episode of "Days of Our Lives" (NBC, 1965- ), Kunis began landing work on television shows like "The John Larroquette Show" (NBC, 1993-96), "Unhappily Ever After" (The WB, 1995-99) and "Hudson Street" (ABC, 1995-96). Kunis graduated from guest star to recurring roles with "Nick Freno, Licensed Teacher" (The WB, 1996-98) and "7th Heaven" (The WB, 1996-2006), before playing a young version of Angelina Jolie's titular role in "Gia" (HBO, 1998), the critically acclaimed biopic about the life of doomed supermodel Gia Carangi.
In a bold move, Kunis went on an audition for a role on the sitcom "That 70s Show" (Fox, 1998-2006) which required actresses be at least 18 years old; lying about her age - she was 14 at the time - Kunis managed to land the career-making role of Jackie Burkhart, a fast-talking, immature rich girl whose superficial advice occasionally turns out to be right. Eventually, producers figured out that she had fibbed about how old she was, but they also realized Kunis was the best actress to play the part, which she did over the course of the next eight years. Though she tired of playing the same character that long, Kunis nonetheless embraced the experience while continuing to branch out into other areas, including animation when she replaced Lacey Chabert in voicing Meg Griffin on Fox's "Family Guy." Though the series was initially cancelled in 2002, its popularity with viewers and performance in DVD sales led to the show's resurrection in May of 2005. Meanwhile, in 2001, Kunis graduated from Fairfax High School during the height of her sitcom's popularity and had a prominent supporting role in the teen comedy "Get Over It" (2001), starring Kirsten Dunst.
Continuing to branch out into other avenues, Kunis starred in the horror sequel "American Psycho II: All American Girl" (2002), playing the sole survivor of the first film's killer, Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who develops an unhealthy obsession with the serial killer mind and eventually becomes one herself. Disappointing to most fans of the original "American Psycho," Kunis' version was roundly panned by critics on its way to a straight-to-DVD release. So bad was the film that even the author of the source material, Bret Easton Ellis, denounced the sequel. In 2002, she began dating former child star, Macaulay Culkin, a relationship that became the subject of tabloid speculation, mainly over the idea of whether or not the two had been married, since they had been an exclusive item for so long. Meanwhile, she maintained a steady course in her acting career, playing the titular lead in "Tony N' Tina's Wedding" (2007), an adaptation of the long-running environmental theater comedy that was filmed three years earlier, screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004 and finally received a limited theatrical release in 2007, only to quietly depart to DVD shelves soon after.
Over the years, the raven-haired beauty appeared in several music videos, including Aerosmith's single "Jaded" (2001) and for The Strokes' single "The End Has No End" (2003). Following "That '70s Show" leaving the air in 2006, her film career began to take off, with major roles in movies like "After Sex" (2007) and the decidedly unfunny comedy "Moving McAllister" (2007), which also starred Jon Heder and Rutger Hauer. After starring in the straight-to-DVD thriller "Boot Camp" (2007), Kunis had a suitable role as a love-struck receptionist who falls for a slovenly television composer (Jason Segel) unable to get over his longtime girlfriend (Kristen Bell) in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008). Turning to video game adaptations, she co-starred opposite Mark Wahlberg in "Max Payne" (2008), playing the Russian spy, Mona Sax, who seeks revenge for her sister's murder. She next played a con artist who lands a job at a flavor-extract company in order to scam a recently injured employee (Clifton Collins, Jr.) in "Extract" (2009), starring Jason Bateman and directed by Mike Judge. Following supporting turns in the comic book-turned-action movie "The Book of Eli" (2010) and the winning comedy "Date Night" (2010), Kunis was paired opposite Natalie Portman as rival ballet dancers in Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan" (2010). While the lion's share of praise fell on Portman for her role as the more innocent ballerina, Kunis earned her share of praise for her darker turn, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2001, she appeared in Get Over It opposite Kirsten Dunst. She followed that up in 2002 by starring in the straight-to-DVD horror film American Psycho 2 alongside William Shatner, a sequel to the 2000 film American Psycho. American Psycho 2 was panned by critics; later, Kunis herself expressed embarrassment over the film.
In 2004 Kunis starred in Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Although the film was shot in 2004, it did not have a theatrical release until 2007. Most critics didn't like the film, which mustered a 25% approval from Rotten Tomatoes. DVD talk concluded that "fans would be much better off pretending the movie never happened in the first place".
In 2005 Kunis co-starred with Jon Heder in Moving McAllister, which was not released theatrically until 2007. The film received generally poor reviews and had a limited two week run in theaters. She followed up with After Sex playing alongside her Get Over It costar Zoe Saldana. In October 2006 she began filming Boot Camp (originally titled Straight Edge). Although the film did not have a theatrical release in the United States, it was released on DVD on August 25, 2009.
Kunis starred as Rachel Jansen in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, co-produced by Judd Apatow. The role, which she attained after unsuccessfully auditioning for Knocked Up,entailed improvisation on her part. The film garnered positive reviews, and was a commercial success, grossing $105 million worldwide. Kunis's performance was well-received; Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal praised her "fresh beauty and focused energy", while James Berardinelli wrote that she is "adept with her performance and understands the concept of comic timing". She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. In an interview, Kunis credited Apatow with helping her to expand her career from That ‘70s Show.
Also in 2008, she portrayed Mona Sax, a Russian assassin, alongside Mark Wahlberg in the action movie Max Payne, based on the video game of the same name. Kunis underwent training in guns, boxing, and martial arts for her role. Max Payne was relatively successful at the box office, grossing $85 million worldwide but was panned by critics with several reviewers calling Kunis miscast. Director John Moore defended his choice of Kunis, saying, "Mila just bowled us over. She wasn't an obvious choice, but she just wears Mona so well. We needed someone who would not be just a fop or foil to Max; we needed somebody who had to be that character and convey her own agenda. I think Mila's just knocked it out of the park." She was nominated for another Teen Choice Award for her role in the film.
In 2009, she appeared in the comedy Extract with Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman. The film received mostly positive reviews and grossed $10.8 million at the box office. Roger Ebert, while criticizing Extract for not being believable, wrote that Kunis "brings her role to within shouting distance of credibility." Director Mike Judge commented that part of what was surprising to learn about Kunis was her ability to make references to the cult animation film Rejected. Judge said: "As beautiful as Mila is, you could believe that maybe she would cross paths with you in the real world." After seeing Kunis perform in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judge wanted to cast her in the role of Cindy in Extract: "I just thought, 'Wow, this girl’s perfect.' And she really wanted to do it, which was fantastic." Said Kunis, "I’m a huge fan of Mike Judge's from Office Space, so I was, like, 'Okay, this is a very easy decision.' I told them I would do anything needed to be in this production – like craft service, or, say, acting."
In 2010, she starred alongside Denzel Washington in the action film The Book of Eli. Although the film received mixed reviews, it has performed well at the box office grossing over $157 million worldwide. Film critic Richard Roeper praised Kunis's performance calling it a "particularly strong piece of work". Several other reviews were equally positive of her performance, including Pete Hammond of Boxoffice magazine, who wrote that she's "ideally cast in the key female role" Even reviewers who did not necessarily like the film complimented her performance, such as James Berardinelli, who stated that "the demands of the role prove to be within her range, which is perhaps surprising considering she has been thus far pigeonholed into more lightweight parts" and Colin Covert of the Star Tribune who wrote that she "generated a spark and brought a degree of determination to her character, developing an independent female character who’s not always in need of rescuing." Some critics, however, called her miscast. Kunis received another Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance.
Kunis was also cast in a minor role in the 2010 comedy Date Night, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. She garnered several positive reviews for her performance.
She and Natalie Portman played rival ballet dancers in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Kunis, who was cast in the film based on her performance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and on the recommendation of costar Natalie Portman, underwent a training regimen that included cardiovascular exercise, a 1200-calorie a day diet (she lost twenty pounds that she regained after filming ended), and ballet classes for four hours a day, seven days a week. The film premiered as the opening film at the 67th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2010 and had a premium screening at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. Its initial limited release in select theaters began on December 3, 2010. Reviews of Kunis's performance have been positive, with Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter stating, "Kunis makes a perfect alternate to Portman, equally as lithe and dark but a smirk of self-assurance in place of Portman's wide-eyed fearfulness." Guy Lodge of In Contention praises Kunis saying, "it’s the cool, throaty-voiced Kunis who is the surprise package here, intelligently watching and reflecting her co-star in such a manner that we’re as uncertain as Nina of her ingenuousness." Kunis's performance won her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, and earned her Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress.
Kunis was cast alongside Justin Timberlake in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits, which filmed from July to September 2010 in New York City and Los Angeles. Director Will Gluck stated that he wrote the story with Kunis and Timberlake in mind. "There were a couple of actors I wanted to work with, so I wrote it for Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. I wanted to do more of an adult movie about sex, too, and about relationships."
Make a Wish, Molly (1995)
Piranha (1995)
Television movie
Santa with Muscles (1996)
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997)
Gia (1998)
Krippendorf's Tribe (1998)
Milo (1998)
Get Over It (2001)
American Psycho 2 (2002)
Tony n' Tina's Wedding (2004)
Tom 51 (2005)
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
After Sex (2007)
Moving McAllister (2007)
Boot Camp (2007)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Max Payne (2008)
Extract (2009)
The Book of Eli (2010)
Date Night (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
Friends with Benefits (2011)
TELEVISION SHOWS
Baywatch (1994-1995)
The John Larroquette Show (1995)
Hudson Street (1995)
Unhappily Ever After (1996)
Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher (1996-1997)
7th Heaven (1996-1997)
Walker, Texas Ranger (1997)
Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1998)
That '70s Show (1998-2006)
Get Real (2002)
MADtv (2002)
Grounded for Life (2004)
Family Guy (2000-present)
Robot Chicken (2005-present)
The Cleveland Show (2009)
AWARDES & NOMINATIONS
Young Artist Award (1999)
Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble
That '70s Show - Nominated
YoungStar Award (1999)
Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series
That '70s Show - Won
Teen Choice Award (2000)
TV – Choice Actress
That '70s Show - Nominated
Young Artist Award (2000)
Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble
That '70s Show - Nominated
YoungStar Award (2000)
Best Young Actress/Performance in a Comedy TV Series
That '70s Show - Won
Teen Choice Award (2001)
TV – Choice Actress
That '70s Show - Nominated
Young Artist Award (2001)
Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Leading Young Actress
That '70s Show - Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2002)
TV – Choice Actress
That '70s Show - Nominated
Young Hollywood Award (2002)
One to Watch – Female
That '70s Show - Won
Teen Choice Award (2003)
Choice TV Actress – Comedy
That '70s Show - Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2004)
Choice TV Actress – Comedy
That '70s Show
Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2005)
Choice – TV Actress: Comedy
That '70s Show
Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2006)
TV – Choice Actress: Comedy
That '70s Show
Nominated
Annie Award (2007)
Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production
Family Guy
Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2008)
Choice Movie Breakout Female
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Nominated
Guys Choice Awards (2009)
Hottest Mila
Won
Teen Choice Award (2009)
Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure
Max Payne
Nominated
Teen Choice Award (2010)
Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure
The Book of Eli
Nominated
Scream Awards (2010)
Best Science Fiction Actress
The Book of Eli
Nominated
Venice Film Festival (2010)
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actress
Black Swan
Won
68th Golden Globe Awards (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Nominated-Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Black Swan
Nominated-Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards (2010)
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Swan
Nominated-Pending
Broadcast Film Critics Association (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Nominated-Pending
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Nominated
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Won
Las Vegas Film Critics Societyn (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Nominated
Utah Film Critics Association (2010)
Best Supporting Actress
Black Swan
Nominated
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