Today, Mila Kunis is a prominent figure in Hollywood, living a blissful life with her partner, Ashton Kutcher, in stark contrast to the hardships she endured before fame.
Before becoming a star, the actress faced a series of daunting challenges, including poverty and immigration.
Mila was born in Chernivtsi, a region in the former Soviet Union, which is now part of Ukraine. She disclosed in a past interview with "The Sun" that her entire family had been deeply affected by the Holocaust. "My grandparents perished, and only a few survived," she shared. Her childhood was marked by the aftermath of the war, deep-seated prejudices, and political turmoil. "Even during my school years, we still encountered anti-Semitic propaganda," she revealed.
Amid the social turbulence in her hometown, at the tender age of 7, Mila Kunis's parents made the life-altering decision to leave everything behind and relocate to Los Angeles, with a brief attempt in New York. They arrived in a foreign land with a meager $250 to their name, compelled to take on various jobs merely to make ends meet.
Adapting to this drastic change was a profoundly challenging experience for young Mila. "I wept daily. I couldn't comprehend the culture. I couldn't understand the people," she shared in an exclusive interview with the "Los Angeles Times." "I have a complete blank when it comes to second grade. I don't recollect it at all. I always discuss it with my mom and grandmother. It was a period of constant tears," she recollected.
Although her arrival in a foreign land as a child who couldn't speak the language was traumatic, Mila Kunis channeled her pain into her journey in the dramatic arts. She explained, "The opening sentence of my college essay was something like, 'Imagine being blind and deaf at the age of seven.' That's what it felt like to immigrate to the United States."
After a period of adjustment, Mila Kunis, at the age of 9, approached her parents with a proposal that would redefine her life. She expressed her desire to enroll in acting classes, although their financial situation was far from ideal, making it a considerable sacrifice for her parents.
"My parents wanted me to assimilate and socialize with other kids, but the class cost $900, and my parents had only $2,400 in their bank account. We couldn't afford it," she recounted. However, her mother seized her checkbook and wrote the check, remarking, "I don't know why I'm doing this," and handed it to the instructor, marking the commencement of her remarkable journey.
It was in these classes that Mila Kunis crossed paths with the person who would later become her manager. While her parents were upfront about their inability to finance photos or accompany her to auditions, this tenacious individual took Mila under her wing. The actress recalled, "For some inexplicable reason, being the determined woman she is, she said, 'Don't worry, I'll make it work,' and she did. I ended up landing the very first thing I auditioned for—a Barbie commercial," she joyfully recounted.
