Milla Jovovich
Real Name: Milica Natasa Jovovic
Date of Birth: December 17, 1975
Place of birth: Kiev, USSR (now Ukraine)
Profession: Actress/Model
Former supermodel Milla Jovovich was born Milica Natasa Jovovic on December 17, 1975 in the Soviet Union, daughter of a pediatrician and a stage actress. She started modeling at age 11. She was once featured in Revlon’s “Most Unforgettable Women in the World” advertisement.
Jovovich and her family left the Soviet Union when she was just 5 years old for political reasons. They moved to London and then subsequently settled in California. Her parents divorced and in 1994, her father was incarcerated for partaking in an illegal operation with medical insurance. He was released in 1999.
She became fluent in English three months after arriving in the U.S. According to her, she was never accepted in the crowd at school because she migrated from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. She left school at age 12 to focus on her career. She claimed to be rebellious as a teenager, engaging in drugs, vandalism, and credit card fraud.
Jovovich began going to modeling auditions at 9. She was noticed by photographer Richard Avedon at age 11 and asked to appear in Revlon’s advertisement. Her modeling career took off after that. In 1988, she made her first professional modeling contract.
In 2004, she topped Forbes magazine’s “Richest Supermodels of the World” list, with an approximately $10.5 million fortune. She had been the face of numerous high-end fashion brands such as Versace, Prada, and DKNY among others.
In 1988, Jovovich appeared in her first TV film role, “The Night Train to Kathmandu.” She had appeared in various TV and movie roles after that. In 1991, she had been cast as Lilli Hargrave in the “Blue Lagoon” sequel, “Return To The Blue Lagoon” opposite Brian Krause. This had led to comparisons between her and the original star of the movie, Brooke Shields. She had been called the “Slavic Brooke Shields.” Jovovich and Shields both gained controversy for appearing nude in the film at a young age. She was nominated for “Best Young Actress Starring In A Motion Picture” in the Young Artist Awards and “Worst New Star” in the Golden Raspberry Awards.
After a hiatus in acting, Jovovich returned in 1997’s “The Fifth Element,” which starred Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. The film was a critical and box office success, earning over $263 million. She was nominated for “Favorite Female Newcomer” at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and “Best Fight” at the MTV Movie Awards. Nevertheless, Jovovich was also nominated for “Worst Supporting Actress” at the Razzie Awards.
Her role in the 1999 film “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” had earned her good reviews. Although again, she received a Razzie nomination for “Worst Actress.”
In 2002, Jovovich signed on to the role of Alice in the video game-inspired film “Resident Evil.” She had performed all the stunts required in the film except for a scene in which she was supposed to jump on a cement platform. The film was a commercial success earning $102 worldwide. She reprised her role in the sequels “Resident Evil: Apocalypse” and “Resident Evil: Extinction.”
Jovovich has also tried her hand in music. Her first album was released in 1994 entitled “The Divine Comedy.” It was well-received by critics citing her as “strikingly mature and rich in invention.” She formed a band in 1999 called “Plastic Has Memory,” in which she was the vocals and guitar.
Jovovich also launched a clothing line with fellow model and friend Carmen Hawk called Jovovich-Hawk in 2003. They designed the costumes for her character in “Resident Evil: Extinction” in 2007.
On November 3, 2007, she gave birth to Ever Gabo Jovovich Anderson, a daughter she shares with fiancé Paul W.S. Anderson. Jovovich had been married before she met Anderson to Shawn Andrews in 1992. Their marriage was annulled because she was only 16 at that time. She married director Luc Besson, from “The Fifth Element” in 1997 and divorced in 1999.
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