Milla Jovovich LifeStory

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Milla Jovovich's lifestory

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Birth
When: 17 December 1975
Where: Kiev, UKRAINE
Milla was born in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, the daughter of Bogdan BogdanoviÄ‡ JovoviÄ‡ (Ð‘Ð¾Ð³Ð´Ð°Ð½ Ð‘Ð¾Ð³Ð´Ð°Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ› ÐˆÐ¾Ð²Ð¾Ð²Ð¸Ñ›), a Serbian pediatrician, and Galina Mikhaylovna Loginova (Ð“Ð°Ð»Ð¸Ð½Ð° ÐœÐ¸Ñ…Ð°Ð¹Ð»Ð¾Ð²Ð½Ð° Ð›Ð¾Ð³Ð¸Ð½Ð¾Ð²Ð°), a Russian stage actress.


Early life and family
When: from 1976 to 1980
Where: UKRAINE
Milla's paternal family's estate was in Zlopek near PeÄ‡ in the northwestern part of Metohija Valley, in what now is Kosovo. Her paternal great-grandfather, BogiÄ‡ CamiÄ‡ JovoviÄ‡, was a flag-bearer of the VasojeviÄ‡i clan and an officer in the guard of King Nicholas I of Montenegro; his wife's name was Milica, after whom Milla was named. Her paternal grandfather, Bogdan JovoviÄ‡, was a commander in the Pristina military area, and later investigated finances in the military areas of Skopje and Sarajevo, where he uncovered massive gold embezzlement. He was punished for refusing to convict a friend of the crime. Later, the government briefly imprisoned him in Goli otok for refusing to testify. When he feared that he could be arrested again, he escaped to Albania and later moved to Kiev. A different version of the story claims that he was the one who took the gold. Milla's father, Bogich, later joined Bogdan in Kiev, where he and his sister graduated in medicine. In 2000, her grandfather, Bogdan JovoviÄ‡, died in Kiev. Her mother was born in Tuapse (now in Russia) but moved in her childhood to Dnipropetrovsk (now in Ukraine).


Relocation
When: 1981
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 1981, when Milla was five years old, her family left the Soviet Union for political reasons and moved to London. They subsequently lived in Sacramento, California before settling in Los Angeles seven months later; Milla's parents divorced soon after.


Education
When: from 1981 to 1987
Where: Los Angeles, California, UNITED STATES
Milla attended public schools shortly after arriving in the United States, and became fluent in English in three months. During school, many of the students had teased her because she had immigrated from the Soviet Union during the Cold War : "I was called a commie and a Russian spy. I was never, ever, ever accepted into the crowd." At age 12 in seventh grade, Milla left school to focus on modeling. She has stated that she was rebellious during her early teens, engaging in drug use, shopping mall vandalism, and credit-card fraud.


Modeling career: first model contract
When: 1988
Where: UNITED STATES
At the age of nine, she began going to modeling auditions, photographer and poet Gene Lemuel discovered Jovovich he shot her first test photos later he showed them to Herb Ritts in LA the next day Ritts booked her for the cover of Lei,an Italian magazine. After Jovovich booked Lei she was signed by Prima Modeling Agency then Richard Avedon hired her for Mademoiselle. Avedon was head of marketing at Revlon at the time, and chose Jovovich to appear with models Alexa Singer and Sandra Zatezalo in Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements. In 1988, she made her first professional model contract. Jovovich was among other models who gained controversy for becoming involved in the industry at a young age.


Acting career: first role
When: 1988
Where: UNITED STATES
Jovovich's mother had "raised [her] to be a movie star" and in 1985, enrolled Jovovich in the Professional Actors school in California. In 1988, she appeared in her first professional role in the made-for-television film The Night Train to Kathmandu as Lily McLeod. Later that year, she made her debut in a theatrically released picture with a small role, as Samantha Delongpre, in the romantic thriller Two Moon Junction.


Acting career: new roles in films
When: from 1988 to 1993
Where: WORLDWIDE
Following roles on the television series Paradise (1988) and Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990), Jovovich was cast as the lead as Lilli Hargrave in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). This sequel to The Blue Lagoon (1980) placed her opposite Brian Krause. Return to the Blue Lagoon led to comparisons between her and child model-turned-actress, Brooke Shields (who had starred in the original) â€“ Jovovich was often called by press the "Slavic Brooke Shields". The role also gained her controversy, much like Shields gained in The Blue Lagoon, for appearing nude at a young age. For her portrayal of Lilli Hargrave, Jovovich was nominated for both "Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture" at the 1991 Young Artist Awards, and "Worst New Star" at the 1991 Golden Raspberry Awards. In 1992, Jovovich co-starred with Christian Slater in the comedy Kuffs. Later that year, she portrayed Mildred Harris in the Charlie Chaplin biographical film Chaplin. 1993 saw Jovovich in the Richard Linklater cult film Dazed and Confused, in which she played Michelle Burroughs, on screen girlfriend to Pickford (played by her then real life boyfriend Shawn Andrews). Jovovich was heavily featured in the promotional material for the film, however, upon the film's release, she was upset to find her role was considerably trimmed from the original script. The bulk of Jovovich's role was to be shot on the last day of filming, however, she was misinformed of the date, and ultimately had one line in the film, "No", in addition to singing a line from "The Alien Song" from her album, The Divine Comedy. Discouraged, she took a hiatus from acting roles, during which time she moved to Europe and began focusing on a music career.


Award
When: 1992
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 1992, she was nominated for Young Artist Best Young Actress Starring In A Motion Picture Award for her role in Return to the Blue Lagoon.


Personal Life
When: from 1992 to 2000
Where: WORLDWIDE
Jovovich married on-screen boyfriend Shawn Andrews in 1992 while filming Dazed and Confused together. Andrews was 21, while Jovovich was 16; the marriage was annulled by her mother two months later. Shortly after the annulment, Jovovich moved to Europe with her friend and musician Chris Brenner where she met and then lived with her new boyfriend, Jamiroquai ex-bassist Stuart Zender, in London from May 1994 to October 1995. From 1995 to 1997, she was serious with noted photographer Mario Sorrenti. In Las Vegas, she married The Fifth Element director Luc Besson in 1998 where they went skydiving directly after the ceremony; they divorced in 1999. Between 1998 and 2001, she befriended the young poet and musician, Anno Birkin, and each was the other's inspiration behind many of their compositions. Jovovich became involved with Birkin romantically just before his death in a car accident in late 2001. Jovovich also dated former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, for seven months in 2000


Role in The Fifth Element
When: 1997
Where: WORLDWIDE
Jovovich returned to acting in 1997 with a lead in the Luc Besson directed science fiction action film The Fifth Element, alongside Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. She portrayed Leeloo, an alien who was the "supreme being". Jovovich said she "worked like hell: no band practice, no clubs, no pot, nothing" to acquire the role and impress Besson, whom she later married on December 14, 1997, but later divorced. Jovovich also co-created and mastered an over 400-word alien language for her role. She wore a costume that came to be known as the "ACE-bandage" costume, a revealing body suit made of medical bandages designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The Fifth Element was selected as the opening film for the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and its worldwide box office gross was over $263 million, more than three times its budget of $80 million. The Fifth Element was often praised for its visual style and unique costumes, and film reviewer James Berardinelli, explained "Jovovich makes an impression, although her effectiveness has little to do with acting and less to do with dialogue". Jovovich was nominated for "Favorite Female Newcomer" at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and "Best Fight" at the MTV Movie Awards. Jovovich's portrayal of Leeloo garnered a video game and a planned action figure, but the figure was never released due to licensing problems. In a 2003 interview, Jovovich said Leeloo was her favorite role to portray.


Award
When: 1997
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 1997, she was nominated for the Saturn Best Supporting Actress award, the Blockbuster Entertainment Favorite Newcomer Award, the MTV Movie Best Fight Scene Award (between her and aliens), for her role as Lee-Loo in The Fifth Element.


Acting career: new roles in films
When: from 1998 to 2001
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 1998, Jovovich had a role in the Spike Lee drama He Got Game as abused prostitute Dakota Burns, appearing with Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. In 1999, she appeared in the music video for the song If You Can't Say No by Lenny Kravitz. In 1999, Jovovich returned to the action genre playing the title role in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, reuniting her with director Luc Besson. She was featured in armor throughout several extensive battle scenes, and cut her hair to a short length for the role. Jovovich received generally good reviews for her performance, although she also received a Razzie Award nomination for "Worst Actress". The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc did moderately well at the box office, gaining $66 million worldwide. In 2000, Jovovich appeared as the troubled Eloise in The Million Dollar Hotel, a film based on a concept story by Bono of the band U2 and Nicholas Klein. Directed by Wim Wenders, Jovovich starred alongside Jeremy Davies and Mel Gibson, in addition to providing vocals on the film's soundtrack. Afterwards, she portrayed bar owner, Lucia, in the British western film The Claim (2000), and the evil Katinka in the cameo-laced comedy Zoolander (2001).


Music career
When: May 1999
Where: WORLDWIDE
In May 1999, Jovovich along with Chris Brenner formed an experimental band called Plastic Has Memory, in which she wrote the songs, sang, and played electric guitar. The band was "[m]uch heavier and darker than the vaguely Ukrainian folk-sounding elements of her first album" and had a similar sound to a grunge and trip hop Portishead. Plastic Has Memory played about a dozen shows in Los Angeles and New York City for a potential Virgin Records album release, one of which Mick Jagger had attended. Though Plastic Has Memory was featured on Hollywood Goes Wild, a benefit celebrity compilation album, the group never formally released a record and is no longer together


Award
When: 2002
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 2002, she received a nomination for the Saturn Best Actress Award for her role as Alice in Resident Evil and won Best Actress in a sci-fi/action film for Resident Evil: Extinction from the Scream Awards in 2008.


Role in Resident Evil
When: 15 March 2002
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 2002, Jovovich starred in the horror/action film Resident Evil, released in the United States on March 15, 2002. Based on the CAPCOM video game series of the same name, she portrayed Alice, the film's heroine who fights a legion of zombies created by the evil Umbrella Corporation. Jovovich had accepted the role of Alice because she and her brother had been fans of the video game franchise, saying, "It was exciting for me just watching him play, I could sit for 5 hours and we would sit all day and play this game." Jovovich had performed all the stunts required in the film, except for a scene that would involve her jumping to a cement platform, which her management deemed too dangerous,[ and had trained in karate, kickboxing, and combat-training. The film was commercially successful, grossing $17 million on its opening weekend, and gaining $40 million domestically and $102 million worldwide.


Acting career: new roles in films
When: from June 2002 to 2003
Where: WORLDWIDE
Later, she portrayed the manipulative gang wife Erin in No Good Deed (2002), Nadine in the romantic comedy You Stupid Man (2002), punk rocker Fangora ("Fanny") in Dummy (2003), and provided a guest voice on the television series King of the Hill. The role of Fangora in Dummy, allowed Jovovich to act in film with Oscar-winning Adrien Brody, who was a friend prior to filming. Jovovich found it easy to identify with this role because she felt Fangora, as opposed to previous characters, possessed similar qualities to the actress' own life.


Role in Resident Evil: Apocalypse
When: 2004
Where: UNITED STATES
In 2004, Jovovich reprised the role of Alice in the sequel to Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The role required her to do fight training for three hours a day, in addition to the three months prior to filming in which she had "gun training, martial arts, everything". Apocalypse received even more negative reactions from the critics than the first film, but it was a even more commercial success, ranking number one at the box office unlike the first film. Following the release of the film, Jovovich was unhappy with the critical results and director Alexander Witt's effort. She noted during an interview that year that her large action films take care of the commercial part of her career, while she acts in "independent little films that never come out" to appease her artistic side, and "It's a good balance".


Media personality
When: 2004
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 2004, Jovovich was ranked #69 on Maxim magazine's "Top 100 Hot List", ranked #82 in 2005 and ranked #21 in 2010. Maxim also named her #11 on their list of "Hottest Nerd Crushes." In 2008, she was ranked #90 on Ask Men's Top 99 Women of 2008 List.


Fashion design: Award
When: November 2006
Where: WORLDWIDE
In November 2006, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and US Vogue nominated Jovovich-Hawk for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. Jovovich-Hawk was nominated as a finalist, although Doo-Ri Chung took the top prize


Role in Resident Evil: Extinction
When: 2007
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 2007, Jovovich reprised her role as Alice in Resident Evil: Extinction, the third of the Resident Evil series. The film grossed an estimated $24 million in 2,828 theaters on its opening weekend, topping the box office gross for that week. It opened stronger than its predecessor, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which opened with $23 million in 3,284 theaters (over 450 more theaters than Extinction). In a March 2006 interview, Jovovich said that she would not appear in another action film "for a long time", expressing a desire to portray more diverse roles,[citation needed] but she added that talks of another sequel in the Resident Evil franchise were a "real possibility".


Fashion design
When: 2007
Where: WORLDWIDE
In 2007, Jovovich and Hawk designed the costume for Jovovich's character in Resident Evil: Extinction. The shorts Alice, her character, wears are a variation on the 'Alice Star' Shorts from the Spring 2007 collection. In late 2007, Jovovich-Hawk signed a deal to design a diffusion collection for Target's Go International campaign, following in the footsteps of Luella, Paul & Joe and Proenza Schouler.


Child birth
When: 03 November 2007
Where: Los Angeles, 8700 Beverly Blvd, California, UNITED STATES
In November 3, 2007, Jovovich gave birth to her and Anderson's first child, a daughter, Ever Gabo Anderson. The child was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, one day before Jovovich's due date of November 4. Ever, a male Scottish name, was given to reflect Anderson's Scottish heritage, while the middle name of Gabo (pronounced "Gabboh") was a combination of Jovovich's parents' names â€” the first two letters of mother Galina and the first two letters of father Bogdan's. Wim Wenders, who directed Jovovich's film The Million Dollar Hotel, is the baby's godfather. Jovovich has stated that she would like to have three children, saying through means of adoption as well. She has two miniature Maltese dogs, Bubble and Madness, and a Giant Schnauzer named Oliver Cromwell.


Marriage
When: 22 August 2009
Where: Beverly Hills, California, UNITED STATES
Jovovich married Paul W. S. Anderson on 22 August 2009. The two met while working on Resident Evil, which Anderson wrote and directed, and in which Jovovich starred. Anderson proposed to Jovovich in 2003, but the two separated for a period of time before becoming a couple again. The couple had stated that they "would love to get married, but maybe after the baby.


Role in Resident Evil: Afterlife
When: 2010
Where: WORLDWIDE
Jovovich returned as Alice in the fourth movie of the Resident Evil series, Afterlife, which was directed by her husband, Paul W. S. Anderson. She is set to star in David R. Ellis' horror film Bad Luck, based on a screenplay by David Schouw. Jovovich is also set to star in Paul W. S. Anderson's The Three Musketeers as Milady de Winter in 2011, as well as Famke Janssen's debut directional film Bringing Up Bobby, which also stars Marcia Cross, in 2011. Vikrutasi, a Russian film which translates into Tricksters, will also star Jovovich. Dirty Girl, which premiered on September 12, 2010 at the Toronto Film Festival, stars Jovovich along with Juno Temple, William H. Macy, Mary Steenburgen and Tim McGraw.


Award
When: 2010
Where: WORLDWIDE
Jovovich has also been nominated for Best Horror Actress for playing Dr. Abigal Tyler in The Fourth Kind for Scream Awards 2010 and won the Hollywood Spotlight Award at the 14th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala for her role as Lucetta in Stone.

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