The success story of Mila Kunis | From an immigrant to a Hollywood actress

Mila Kunis is a successful American actress and producer. She started her television career at the age of 9. At the age of 14, Kunis starred on the That 70s’ Show and became one of the most popular actresses in the industry. When she was only 7 years old, her family fled from the Soviet Union to the United States. Her success story as an immigrant is inspiring to many. 

Early life

Milena Markovna Kunis was born on August 14, 1983, in the Soviet Union. Her mother ran a pharmacy and her father worked as a cab driver. In 1991, her family decided to leave the USSR as they saw “no future” there for Mila and her elder brother. Therefore, Mila and her family moved to Los Angeles with just $250 in their pockets. In a 2011 interview, Mila stated that her parents had “amazing jobs”, and that she “was very lucky” and the family was “not poor”. She further said that her parents gave up good jobs and degrees for their children and moved to the States. 

After arriving in Los Angeles, Kunis enrolled at an elementary school without knowing a single word in English. She later said, “I blocked out second grade completely. I have no recollection of it. And I always talk to my mom and my grandma about it. It was because I cried every day. I didn’t understand the culture or understand the people. I didn’t understand the language. The first sentence of my essay to get into college was like, ‘Imagine being blind and deaf at age seven.’ And that’s kind of what it felt like moving to the States.” But, Kunis overcame all the struggles and is now a talented actress. 

The beginning of her career

At age 9, Kunis’ father enrolled her in acting classes after school. On her first audition, she bagged the role for a Barbie commercial. In 1994, she appeared in her first television role and did a few other supporting roles. At the age of 10, Kunis auditioned for the role of a Russian Jewish girl who moves to America but was rejected. Instead, she landed the secondary role of a Mexican girl. 

In 1998, Kunis was cast in the Fox sitcom That ’70s Show. All those who auditioned were required to be at least 18 years old but Kunis was 14 at the time. She told the casting directors she would be 18 soon but did not say when. Eventually, the directors figured it out and felt that Kunis would be the best fit for the role. The TV Show ran for eight seasons and Kunis won multiple awards for her performance. In 1999, she lent her voice to the animated show Family Guy, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time.

Breakthrough in films

In 2009, Kunis appeared in a comedy film called Extract which received positive reviews. In 2010, she starred in a movie called The Book of Eli, and film critics praised her performance calling it a “particularly strong piece of work.” In the same year, she won a Golden Globe for the film Black Swan. She underwent a tough training regime to prepare for her role. During the production, she suffered injuries including a torn ligament and a dislocated shoulder. Black Swan received incredible acclaim from critics and was nominated for five Academy Awards. The film grossed over $329 million worldwide. Kunis won various awards for her stellar performance in the film. 

In 2012, Kunis starred in Ted, her most commercially successful film to date which grossed $549 million worldwide. In 2013, she appeared on the Forbes list of 100 powerful celebrities, ranking #89. She is married to her former That ’70s Show co-star Ashton Kutcher and the couple have two children.

Lessons we can learn from Mila Kunis’ story

Mila Kunis immigrated to the United States at the age of 7 without knowing a single word in English. Today, she is one of the top actresses in Hollywood. Her talent, hard work, and persistence helped her drive success. If we believe in ourselves and put in the effort, we can achieve anything. There are no limits out here, the only limits are those that you impose upon yourself.

Also read: Chris Pratt | The incredible rags-to-riches success story of one of the top actors in Hollywood