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Biography

Mila Kunis was born Milena Markovna Kunis on August 14, 1983 in Kiev, Ukraine, the birthplace of another familiar actress, Milla Jovovich. Her father, Mark, was a mechanical engineer, and her mother, Elvira, a physics teacher. At the time of Mila's birth, Ukraine still formed part of the Soviet Union, and political turmoil surrounded Mila throughout her childhood years. In 1990, Ukraine gained its sovereignty, and the Kunis parents moved to Los Angeles, seeking a more stable environment in which to raise their children.

Mila Kunis enrolled in acting classes at the Beverly Hills Studio, where she was discovered performing in a showcase. She quickly began appearing in commercials. Kunis filled out her early resumé with such pit stops as Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves (1997), Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), and the infamous WB ratings cellar-dweller Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher (1996). She also played a younger version of Angelina Jolie in the HBO movie Gia (1998). But it was her casting in Mark Brazill's That '70s Show that earned Kunis notice, as her petulant teen queen soon became a standout, able to range from endearing to grating. Her aggravated whining rung true enough to earn her a voice-over role on Family Guy, taking over for Lacey Chabert as Megan Griffin during the 2000 season.

Kunis played a supporting role in the teen comedy Get Over It (2001) and a lead role as a deranged killer in the unlikely sequel American Psycho II: All American Girl (2002) while continuing as a TV regular. She also followed in Alicia Silverstone's footsteps by appearing in the Aerosmith video for "Jaded."