Mila Kunis Talks About Kissing Natalie Portman

Mila Kunis says she'd never kiss another woman -- with the exception of Natalie Portman, that is.

The two actresses play tonsil hockey in the film "Black Swan," due out in December. But Kunis says she wouldn't lock lips with any other female, according to ShowbizSpy.

“Anytime you do any intimate scene on film, it’s going to be a little uncomfortable, whether it’s the same sex or the opposite sex,” Kunis told ShowbizSpy.

“The great thing about this is that Natalie and I were actually lucky enough to be friends prior to production, which made it all a lot easier. We just kind of got on with it and did it. Being friends before made it a lot easier.”

The two stars opened up to E! Online about the infamous sex scene earlier this month.

"It was awkward and we laughed," Portman said. "It was strange, but it's something you just sort of throw yourself into."

Kunis said, "It's as awkward as any sex scene. They're always going to be a little awkward......

Mila Kunis

Milena "Mila" Kunis ( /ˈmiːlə ˈkuːnɪs/; born Milena Markivna Kunis (Chernivtsi,Ukrainian: Мілена Марківна Куніс)/Milena Markovna Kunis (Russian: Милена Маркοвна Кунис) on August 14, 1983), is an American actress. Her television work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy. She has also played roles in film, such as Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mona Sax in Max Payne and Solara in The Book of Eli. In 2010, she won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress at the 67th Venice International Film Festival for her performance as Lily in Black Swan.

Early life

Mila Kunis was born in Chernivtsi, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Elvira, is a physics teacher and drug store manager, and her father, Mark Kunis, is a mechanical engineer and cab company executive. She has an older brother, Michael. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991.

Kunis said that a lottery system allowed her family to make the move: "It took about five years. If you got chosen the first time around, you went to Moscow, where there was another lottery, and you maybe got chosen again. Then you could come to the States." On her second day in Los Angeles, she was enrolled at Rosewood Elementary School not knowing a word of English. "I blocked out second grade," she says. "I don’t remember, but my mom tells me that I came home and cried every day. I wasn’t that traumatized. It was just a shock." Kunis added: "I didn't understand the culture. I didn't understand the people. I didn't understand the language. My 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."

Despite reports to the contrary, Kunis did not learn English from watching The Price Is Right. In Los Angeles, she attended Hubert Howe Bancroft Middle School. She was mostly taught by an on-set tutor for her high school years while filming That '70s Show. When not on the set, she attended Fairfax High School, where she graduated in 2001. She briefly attended UCLA and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Career

Television

At age nine, Kunis took acting classes after school at the Beverly Hills Studios, where she met her first and still current manager Susan Curtis. Said Kunis: "My parents told her, 'Listen, we can’t afford head shots; we can’t afford anything. We can’t take her to auditions because we work full-time.' ...  said, 'Don’t worry. I’ll fix everything,' and she did. I ended up getting the first thing I went out for, which was a Barbie commercial. All my parents said was, 'You can do whatever you want to do as long as you get A's and stay in school.'" Kunis began appearing in print-ads, catalogues, and TV commercials for children's products like Lisa Frank products, Mattel's Barbie, and Payless Shoes. She also modeled for a Guess girls' clothing campaign. Her first TV role was as the young Hope Williams on an episode of the popular soap opera Days of our Lives. She had a minor role on 7th Heaven as Lucy's nemesis and supporting roles in Santa with Muscles, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, and the Angelina Jolie film Gia, as Gia Carangi's younger self.

In 1998 Kunis was cast as Jackie Burkhart in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. All who auditioned were required to be at least 18 years old; Kunis, who was 14 at the time, told the casting directors she’d be 18 but didn't say when. Though they eventually figured it out, the producers still thought Kunis was the best fit for the role. That '70s Show ran for eight seasons, becoming the second longest-running live-action sitcom on Fox (after Married with Children). Kunis expressed some frustration with working on one show for so long. "Eight years of doing the same  felt like being behind a desk, and I lost my drive," she says. However, she quickly "had an epiphany. I decided I wasn't going to take my career so seriously and make my job who I am. I just want to be happy with my life."

Kunis on a panel for Family Guy at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego.

In 1999, Kunis replaced Lacey Chabert in the role of Meg Griffin on the animated television sitcom Family Guy, created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series plot centers on a family called the Griffins, a dysfunctional family. The series starred MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green and Mike Henry. Kunis won the role after auditions and a slight rewrite of the character, in part due to her performance on That '70s Show. MacFarlane called Kunis back after her first audition, instructing her to speak slower, and then told her to come back another time and enunciate more. Once she claimed that she had it under control, MacFarlane hired her. MacFarlane added: "What Mila Kunis brought to it was in a lot of ways, I thought, almost more right for the character. I say that Lacey did a phenomenal job, but there was something about Mila – something very natural about Mila. She was 15 when she started, so you were listening to a 15-year-old. Which oftentimes with animation they'll have adult actors doing the voices of teenagers and they always sound like Saturday morning voices. They sound, oftentimes, very forced. She had a very natural quality to Meg that really made what we did with that character kind of really work."

Kunis described her character as "the scapegoat." She further explained, "Meg gets picked on a lot. But it's funny. It's like the middle child. She is constantly in the state of being an awkward 14-year-old, when you're kind of going through puberty and what-not. She's just in perpetual mode of humiliation. And it's fun."

Kunis was nominated for an Annie Award in the category of Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production in 2007. She also voiced Meg in the Family Guy Video Game!.

Film work 2001 - 2008

In 2001, she appeared in Get Over It opposite Kirsten Dunst. She followed that up in 2002 by starring in the straight-to-DVD horror film American Psycho 2 alongside William Shatner, a sequel to the 2000 film American Psycho. American Psycho 2 was panned by critics; later, Kunis herself expressed embarrassment over the film.

In 2004 Kunis starred in Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Although the film was shot in 2004, it did not have a theatrical release until 2007. Most critics didn't like the film, which mustered a 25% approval from Rotten Tomatoes. DVD talk concluded that "fans would be much better off pretending the movie never happened in the first place".

In 2005 Kunis co-starred with Jon Heder in Moving McAllister, which was not released theatrically until 2007. The film received generally poor reviews and had a limited two week run in theaters. She followed up with After Sex playing alongside her Get Over It costar Zoe Saldana. In October 2006 she began filming Boot Camp (originally titled Straight Edge). Although the film did not have a theatrical release in the United States, it was released on DVD on August 25, 2009.

Kunis starred as Rachel Jansen in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, co-produced by Judd Apatow. The role, which she attained after unsuccessfully auditioning for Knocked Up, entailed improvisation on her part. The film garnered positive reviews, and was a commercial success, grossing $105 million worldwide. Kunis's performance was well-received; Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal praised her "fresh beauty and focused energy", while James Berardinelli wrote that she is "adept with her performance and understands the concept of comic timing". She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award. In an interview, Kunis credited Apatow with helping her to expand her career from That ‘70s Show".

Also in 2008, she portrayed Mona Sax, a Russian assassin, alongside Mark Wahlberg in the action movie Max Payne, based on the video game of the same name. Kunis underwent training in guns, boxing, and martial arts for her role. Max Payne was relatively successful at the box office, grossing $85 million worldwide but was panned by critics with several reviewers calling Kunis miscast.Director John Moore defended her choice of Kunis, saying, "Mila just bowled us over...She wasn't an obvious choice, but she just wears Mona so well. We needed someone who would not be just a fop or foil to Max; we needed somebody who had to be that character and convey her own agenda. I think Mila's just knocked it out of the park." She was nominated for another Teen Choice Award for her role in the film.

2009 - present

In 2009, she appeared in the comedy Extract with Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman. The film received mostly positive reviews, and grossed $10.8 million at the box office. Roger Ebert, while criticizing Extract for not being believable, wrote that Kunis "brings her role to within shouting distance of credibility." Director Mike Judge commented that part of what was surprising to learn about Kunis was her ability to make references to the cult animation film Rejected. Judge said: "As beautiful as Mila is, you could believe that maybe she would cross paths with you in the real world." After seeing Kunis perform in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judge wanted to cast her in the role of Cindy in Extract: "I just thought, 'Wow, this girl’s perfect.' And she really wanted to do it, which was fantastic." Said Kunis, "I’m a huge fan of Mike Judge's from Office Space, so I was, like, 'Okay, this is a very easy decision.' I told them I would do anything needed to be in this production – like craft service, or, say, acting."

In 2010, she starred alongside Denzel Washington in the action film The Book of Eli. Although the film received mixed reviews, it has performed well at the box office grossing over $157 million worldwide. Film critic Richard Roeper praised Kunis's performance calling it a "particularly strong piece of work". Several other reviews were equally positive of her performance, including Pete Hammond of Boxoffice magazine, who wrote that she's "ideally cast in the key female role" Even reviewers who did not necessarily like the film complimented her performance, such as James Berardinelli, who stated that "the demands of the role prove to be within her range, which is perhaps surprising considering she has been thus far pigeonholed into more lightweight parts" and Colin Covert of the Star Tribune who wrote that she "generated a spark and brought a degree of determination to her character, developing an independent female character who’s not always in need of rescuing." Some critics, however, called her miscast. Kunis received another Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance.

Kunis was also cast in a minor role in the 2010 comedy Date Night, starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell.She garnered several positive reviews for her performance.

She and Natalie Portman play rival ballet dancers in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Kunis, who was cast in the film based on her performance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and on the recommendation of costar Natalie Portman, underwent a training regimen that included cardiovascular exercise, a 1200-calorie a day diet and ballet classes for four hours a day, seven days a week.

The film premiered as the opening film at the 67th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2010. The film also had a premium screening at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival on September 13 and will have its initial release to the public on December 3, 2010.

Early reviews of Kunis's performance have been positive, with Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter stating, "Kunis makes a perfect alternate to Portman, equally as lithe and dark but a smirk of self-assurance in place of Portman's wide-eyed fearfulness." Guy Lodge of In Contention praises Kunis saying, "it’s the cool, throaty-voiced Kunis who is the surprise package here, intelligently watching and reflecting her co-star in such a manner that we’re as uncertain as Nina of her ingenuousness." Kunis's performance won her the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress at the 67th Venice International Film Festival.

Kunis was cast alongside Justin Timberlake in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits, which filmed from July to September 2010 in New York City in Los Angeles. Director Will Gluck stated that he wrote the story with Kunis and Timberlake in mind. "There were a couple of actors I wanted to work with, so I wrote it for Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. I wanted to do more of an adult movie about sex, too, and about relationships."

Media publicity

Kunis was ranked #54 in Stuff's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002); Maxim named her #47 on its 2006 Hot 100 list. In 2008, she was ranked #81 on the Maxim Hot 100 list. She was also ranked #81 on the FHM U.S 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008, although she is unranked in other FHM magazines from different nations. Kunis was also described as one of the "most attractive geeks" in 2008 by Wired.com due to her much-publicized affinity for World of Warcraft. The same year she was featured and on the cover of the October issue of Complex Magazine.

In 2007 Kunis participated in a video for the website Funny or Die playing alongside James Franco. The video was a parody of the MTV show The Hills and was a huge success for the website with well over one million views. Shawn Levy, director of Date Night, stated that part of what made him decide to cast Kunis with James Franco in the film was the chemistry he felt they had in the Funny or Die video.

In December 2008, Kunis was featured in Gap's "Shine Your Own Star" Christmas campaign with other celebrities such as Jennifer Hudson, Jason Bateman, Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Heder, and others.

In 2009 she was ranked #5 in "Maxim Magazine's Hot 100" list. In addition, she won the award for "Hottest Mila" at the 2009 Spike Guys' Choice Awards beating out Milla Jovovich. Also in 2009 Premiere.com ranked Mila the most beautiful woman in Hollywood. In 2010 she was featured in the "Women We Love" segment in Esquire with an accompanied video. For the 2010 "Maxim Magazine Hot 100" Kunis ranked #22, and for the 2010 FHM Hot 100 list she ranked #17. Kunis has kept this type of media attention in perspective and has remained grounded by saying: "You've got to base your career on something other than being FHM's top 100 No. 1 girl. Your looks are going to die out, and then what's going to be left?"

In 2010 Kunis served with Randy Jackson as the Master of Ceremonies for the 9th Annual Chrysalis Foundation Benefit. The Chrysalis Foundation is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization formed to help economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals to become self-sufficient through employment opportunities. For the October 2010 Elle magazine 25th anniversary special edition, Kunis was one of the women chosen to be featured for their success at a young age. The honor included a photo and video presentation on the magazine's website.

Personal life

Kunis has spoken with affection about her parents and has credited them for being a positive influence and keeping her focused on what is important in life. "I had a normal upbringing and went to public school," she says. "If I ever, even for a second, started getting a big head, I was brought back to reality pretty quickly. My parents are why I'm pretty grounded." Kunis has been dating actor Macaulay Culkin since 2002. Although there have been rumors of the couple getting married, Kunis has denied this, saying:

"I've been engaged. I think I've already been married. And I'm sure I have a child somewhere. I'm waiting to have something else happen. No, I'm not married. And no, I'm not engaged. And no, I do not have a child. No one seems to listen. And next week I'll be engaged again. I think, at one point, they were like, 'Seen shopping in Beverly Hills for engagement rings.' We were in Japan working. What is wrong with these people? Half the time you can say they misconstrued facts. But, more often than not, they just make stuff up."

In an interview with BlackBook Magazine Kunis stated that marriage is "not something that’s important to me". Regarding her relationship with Culkin she said she tries her best to protect their privacy. "We don't talk about it to the press. It's already more high profile than I want it to be." When questioned if it was difficult to stay out of the tabloids and press, Kunis responded: "I keep my personal life as personal as I physically, mentally, possibly can." Asked if that is difficult she said, "I don't care. I will go to my grave trying. It is hard, but I'll end up going to a bar that's a hole in the wall. I won't go to the "it's-happening" place."

She has identified herself in interviews as a fan of the online computer game World of Warcraft and has received a certain amount of attention from the game's fan community as a result. She has not released what server she is in but says she is with her close friends in the Alliance. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she said she does not use voice chat in the game after another player recognized her voice. Although Kunis has described herself as a "computer nerd" she does not have a Myspace, Facebook or Twitter account.

In an interview with H Magazine Kunis stated that she does not devote as much time to World of Warcraft anymore, but enjoys hanging out with her friends when she can. "When we have ‘friends night’ and we all get together, we play board games like The Settlers of Catan." She also mentioned that she and her friends enjoy doing Murder Mystery tours, where they drive around the Los Angeles area exploring locations of famous murders that have taken place. Kunis also enjoys traveling, and often goes on trips with her older brother, Michael. She and Michael have explored countries such as Fiji and Korea. "I like the way he travels," she explains. "He grabs a map, says, 'Let's walk,' and makes you explore."

When asked to describe her perfect day Kunis said: "It would be going for a swim, lazing around the house, playing with my dogs, drinking a root beer float, catching up on TiVo, having some food, a glass of wine and calling it a night."

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1995 Make a Wish, Molly Melinda

1995 Piranha Susie Grogan Television movie

1996 Santa with Muscles Sarah

1997 Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves Jill, Party Guest Direct-to-video

1998 Gia Gia at Age 11 Television movie

1998 Krippendorf's Tribe Abbey Tournquist

1998 Milo Martice Uncredited

2001 Get Over It Basin

2002 American Psycho 2 Rachael Direct-to-DVD

2004 Tony n' Tina's Wedding Tina

2005 Tom 51 Little Boy Matson also known as Tom Cool

2005 Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Meg Griffin (Voice) Direct-to-DVD

2007 After Sex Nikki

2007 Moving McAllister Michelle

2007 Boot Camp Sophie

2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Rachel Jansen

2008 Max Payne Mona Sax

2009 Extract Cindy

2010 The Book of Eli Solara

2010 Date Night Whippit

2010 Black Swan Lily

2011 Friends with Benefits Jamie post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes

1994–

1995 Baywatch Anne

Bonnie Episodes: "Aftershock"

"Hot Stuff"

1995 The John Larroquette Show Lucy 1 episode

1995 Hudson Street Devon 1 episode

1996 Unhappily Ever After Chloe 1 episode

1996–

1997 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Anna-Maria Del Bono 5 episodes

1996–

1997 7th Heaven Ashley 4 episodes

1997 Walker, Texas Ranger Pepper Episode: "Last Hope"

1998 Pensacola: Wings of Gold Jessie Kerwood 1 episode

1998–

2006 That '70s Show Jackie Burkhart 200 episodes

2002 Get Real Taylor Vaughn 2 episodes

2002 MADtv Daisy 1 episode

2004 Grounded for Life Lana Episodes: "Space Camp Oddity"

"The Policy of Truth"

2000–

present Family Guy Meg Griffin (Voice) 137 episodes

2005–

present Robot Chicken Various (Voice) 10 episodes

2009 The Cleveland Show Meg Griffin (Voice) Episode: "Pilot"

Music videos

Year Title Artist

1999 In The Street Cheap Trick

2000 The Itch Vitamin C

2001 Rock and Roll All Nite KISS

2001 Jaded Aerosmith

2003 The End Has No End The Strokes

2008 LA Girls Mams Taylor feat. Joel Madden

Video games

Year Title Role

2006 Saints Row Tanya Winters (Voice)

2006 Family Guy Video Game! Meg Griffin (Voice)

Awards and nominations

Awards

Year Award Category Film Result

1999 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble That '70s Show Nominated

1999 YoungStar Award Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series That '70s Show Won

2000 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2000 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble That '70s Show Nominated

2000 YoungStar Award Best Young Actress/Performance in a Comedy TV Series That '70s Show Won

2001 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2001 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Leading Young Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2002 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2002 Young Hollywood Award One to Watch – Female That '70s Show Won

2003 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress – Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2004 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress – Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2005 Teen Choice Award Choice – TV Actress: Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2006 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress: Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2007 Annie Award Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production Family Guy Nominated

2008 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Breakout Female Forgetting Sarah Marshall Nominated

2009 Guys Choice Awards Hottest Mila N/A Won

2009 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure Max Payne Nominated

2010 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure The Book of Eli Nominated

2010 Venice Film Festival Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actress Black Swan Won

2010 Scream Awards Best Science Fiction Actress The Book of Eli Nominated

(source:wikipedia)

Chernivtsi

Chernivtsi (Ukrainian: Чернівці Ukrainian pronunciation: [t͡ʃerɲiu̯ˈt͡sʲi]; Polish: Czerniowce; German: Czernowitz; Romanian: Cernăuţi; Russian: Черновцы; see also other names) is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine. At the time of the 2001 Ukrainian Census, the population of the city was 240,600.

Together with the city of Lviv, Chernivtsi is viewed at present to be a cultural centers of western Ukraine. The city is also considered one of modern Ukraine's greatest cultural and educational centers. Historically, as a cultural and architectural center, Chernivtsi was even dubbed Little Vienna, Jerusalem upon the Prut, or the European Alexandria.[citation needed] Chernivtsi is currently twinned with seven other cities around the world. The city is also a major point of railway and highway crossings in the region, and houses an international airport.

Name

Aside from Ukrainian, Chernivtsi is also known by many different foreign names, which were used during times of rule by different countries throughout the city's history, or by the respective population groups at the time: Romanian: Cernăuţi; German: Czernowitz; Yiddish: טשערנאוויץ, translit. Tshernovits; Polish: Czerniowce; Hungarian: Csernovic, Russian: Черновцы́, translit. Chernovtsy (until 1944: Чернови́цы, translit. Chernovitsy). In the times of Halych-Volyn Principality the city's name was Chern.

Geography

Chernivtsi is located in the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently shared between Romania (south) and Ukraine (north). The city lies 248 meters above sea level, and is surrounded by forests and fields. The River Prut runs through the city's landscape.

History

Chernivtsi continues to hold a prominent position among other cities in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. The city's ancient beginnings and significant history add to its charm and attraction for those interested in the Bukovina.

The city's coat of arms from 1918–1940.

Archeological evidence discovered in the area surrounding Chernivtsi indicates that a local population inhabited it since the neolithic era. Later settlements included those of the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, the Corded Ware culture; artifacts from the Bronze and Iron Ages were also found in the city.

Remains of the early Slavic tribes in the area date back to the 2nd–5th centuries,[citation needed] with the artifacts of Chroatian and Tiverian peoples from the 9th–11th centuries also being present. A fortified settlement located on the left (north-eastern) shore of Prut dates back to the time of the Principality of Halych and is thought to have been built by Grand Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl.Legendary accounts refer to this fortress-city as Chern’, or Black city; it is said to owe its name to the black color of the city walls, built from dark oak layered with local black-colored soil. This early stronghold was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Europe by the Burundai in 1259. However, the remaining ramparts of the fortress were still used for defense purposes; in the 17th century they were augmented with several bastions, one of which is still extant.

Olha Kobylianska street (former Herrengasse) in Chernivtsi's city center

Following the destruction of the fortress, later settlements in the area centered on the right (south-western) shore of the Prut River, at a more strategically advantageous, elevated location. In 1325, when Kingdom of Poland seized control of Galicia, and came into contact with the early Vlach (Romanian) feodal formations, a fort was mentioned under the name Ţeţina; it was defending the ford and crossing point on the Prut River. It was part of a group of three fortifications, the other two being the fortress of Hotin on the Dniester to the east, and a fort on the Kolachin River, a upriver tributary of Prut.

Between 1359 and 1775, the city and its surroundings were part of the Principality of Moldavia; the city being the administrative center of the homonymous ţinut (county). The name Cernăuţi/Chernivtsi is first attested in a document by Alexander the Good on October 8, 1408. In Ottoman sources, the city was mentioned as "Çernovi".

Map of the United States of Greater Austria, proposed in 1906, shows the city at the border of the areas inhabited by Romanians and Ukrainians.

In 1775, around 1/10 of the territory of Moldavia was annexed by the Austrian Empire; this region became known as Bukovina. The city became the region's capital, which in 1849 was raised in status and became known as the Duchy of Bukovina, a crownland of the Austrian Empire. The city received Magdeburg rights. The city began to flourish in 1778 when Knight Karl von Enzenberg was appointed the chief of the Military Administration. He invited many merchants, craftsmen and entrepreneurs to help develop trade and other businesses. Saint Peter's Fairs (July 1–15) had given a new vibrant impulse to the market development from 1786.

During the 19th and early 20th century, Chernivtsi became a center of both Romanian and Ukrainian national movements. It was also the site of the first Yiddish language conference in 1908, coordinated by Nathan Birnbaum. When Austria-Hungary dissolved in 1918, the city and its surrounding area became a part of the Kingdom of Romania. In 1930, the city reached a population of 112,400; 26.8% Jews, 23.2% Romanians, 20.8% Germans, 18.6% Ukrainians, the remainder Poles and others. It was one of the five university centers of the inter-war Romania.

Ethnic divisions in modern Bukovina.

In 1940, the Red Army occupied the area; the area around the city became known as Chernivtsi Oblast, and was allotted to the Ukrainian SSR by the Soviet Union. The city's large Romanian intelligentsia found refuge in Romania; while the Bukovina Germans were repatriated according to a Soviet-Nazi agreement. This prompted Romania to switch from an ally of France and Britain to one of the Nazi Germany; in July 1941, Romanian Army re-took the city as part of the Axis attack on the Soviet Union during World War II. In August 1941, Romanian military dictator Ion Antonescu ordered the creation of a ghetto in the lowland part of the city, where 50,000 Bukovina Jews were crammed; two thirds of which would be deported to Transnistria (WWII) in October 1941 and partly in early 1942, where the majority perished. Romanian mayor of the city Traian Popovici managed to persuade Antonescu to raise the number of Jews exempted from deportation from 200 to 20,000.

In 1944, when Axis forces were driven out by the Red Army, the city was re-incorporated in the Ukrainian SSR. Over the following years, most of the Jews left for Israel; the city was an important node in the Berihah network. Bukovina Poles were also repatriated by the Soviets after World War Two. The city became a predominantly Ukrainian one.

Since 1991, Chernitvtsi has been a part of the independent Ukraine. In May 1999, Romania opened a consulate general in the city. Contemporary Chernivtsi is an important regional center, which is situated on the picturesque banks of Prut River and occupies an area of about 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi).

Government and administrative divisions

The Chernivtsi City Municipality (center) on the map of Chernivtsi Oblast.

Chernivtsi is the administrative center of the Chernivtsi Oblast (province) as well as of the Chernivtsi City Municipality housed within the city. However, Chernivtsi is a city of oblast subordinance, thus being subject directly to the oblast authorities rather to the city municipality housed in the city itself.

The territory of Chernivtsi is divided into 3 administrative raions (districts):

Pershotravnevyi Raion (Ukrainian: Першотравневий район)

Sadhirskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Садгірський район)

Shevchenkivskyi Raion (Ukrainian: Шевченківський район)

The mayor of Chernivtsi is Mykola Fedoruk, who has held the position since 1994.

Demographics

Historical populations

Year Pop. %±

1775 2,300 —

1794 5,000 117.4%

1832 11,000 120.0%

1869 34,000 209.1%

1890 54,200 59.4%

1910 87,100 60.7%

1930 112,400 29.0%

1941 78,800 −29.9%

1970 187,000 137.3%

1984 238,000 27.3%

2001 236,700 −0.5%

2005 242,300 2.4%

According to the latest All-Ukrainian population census in 2001, the population of Chernivtsi was approximately 236,700 people of 65 nationalities. Among them, 189,000 (79.8%) are Ukrainians, 26,700 (11.3%) Russians, 10,500 (4.4%) Romanians; 3,800 (1.6%) Moldavians, 1,400 (0.6%) Polish; 1,300 (0.6%) Jews; 2,900 (1.2%) other nationalities.

Jews in Czernowitz

according to Austrian-Hungarian Census

Year total pop. Jews Share

1857 ca. 22.000 4.678 21,6 %

1869 ca. 34.000 9.552 28,2 %

1880 ca. 46.000 14.449 31,7 %

1890 ca. 54.000 17.359 32,0 %

1900 ca. 68.000 21.587 31,9 %

1910 ca. 87.000 28.613 32,8 %

Based on the last available Soviet data, the population of the city, as of January 1, 1989, was approximately 295,000 residents. Among these, there are some 172,000 Ukrainians, 46,000 Russians, 16,000 Romanians, 13,000 Moldavians, 7,000 Poles and others.

Historically, the city was very multinational. From 1870 to the Second World War, Jews were the biggest population group of Czernowitz. In 1930, according to the Romanian census, the population of the city was 26.8% Jewish, 23.2% Romanians, 20.8% Germans, 18.6% Ukrainians, and 1.5% Russians.

The Romanian population in Chernivtsi started decreasing rapidly after 1950. Many Romanians fled to Romania or were deported to Siberia (where most of them died), and the remaining Romanian population quickly became a minority and assimilated with the majority. Nowadays, the Romanian minority in Chernivtsi is still decreasing as a result of cultural assimilation and emigration to Romania.

Chernivtsi once had a Jewish community of over 50,000, less than a third of whom survived World War II. Romanian lawyer and reserve officer Theodor Criveanu, as well as the then city mayor Traian Popovici, supported by General Vasile Ionescu saved 19,689 Jewish people. Initially, Governor of Bukovina Calotescu allowed only 190 Jewish people to stay, but Traian Popovici, after an incredible effort, obtained from the then dictator of Romania Marshall Ion Antonescu an allowance of 20,000. After World War II, the city was a key node in the Berihah net, which helped Jews to emigrate to the then Palestine from the difficult conditions after the War. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the majority of the remaining Jewish population emigrated to Israel and the United States.

Culture

Many well-known historical figures were born in the city, including poets and writers Paul Celan and Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger, the former Speaker of the Parliament Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and the Vienna Secession artist Oskar Laske. Many other famous people lived and worked in the city, such as Ukrainian national poet Ivan Franko, the first President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu, Yiddish actress Sidi Tal, novelist Aharon Appelfeld, Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi, Aron Pumnul, Ciprian Porumbescu, Ion Nistor, Gala Galaction, Joseph Schumpeter, Nikolai Vavilov, Abraham Goldfaden, Ruth Wisse, and Avigdor Arikha.

Architecture

The Neo-baroque Chernivtsi Railway Station, constructed during the Austro-Hungarian period

Chernivtsi city hall

The front façade of the Chernivtsi University, the former residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovyna

There are many places which attract citizens of Chernivtsi and the visitors: Drama Theatre, Regional Philharmonic Society, Organ and Chamber Music Hall, puppet-theatre, Museum of Local Lore, History and Economy, Museum of Fine Arts, Bukovynian Diaspora Museum, Museum of Folk Architecture and Way of Life, memorial museums of writers, 5 cinemas, 41 libraries, the Central Palace of Culture, 17 clubs, 4 music schools, fine arts school, 2 recreational parks.

The city of Chernivtsi has a lot of architecturally important buildings. Many historic buildings have been preserved, especially within the city's center. However, after years of disrepair and neglect, the buildings are in need of major restoration.

As Chernivsti was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was closely related to the empire's culture, including architecture. Main architectural styles present within the city include Vienna Secession and Neoclassicism, Baroque, late Gothic architecture, and fragments of traditional Moldavian and Hungarian architecture, Byzantine architecture as well as Cubism. The city is sometimes dubbed Little Vienna, because its architecture is reminiscent of the Austro-Hungarian capital Vienna.

The main architectural attractions of the city include: the Chernivtsi Drama Theater (1905); the Chernivtsi University — a former residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovyna (1882); the Regional Museum of Fine Arts — the former savings bank (1900); the Regional Council — former Palace of Justice (1906); and the Chernivtsi Palace of Culture — former Jewish National House (1908); among many others. The magnificent Moorish Revival Czernowitz Synagogue‎ was heavily damaged by fire in 1941, the walls were used to create the "Chernivtsi" movie theater.

The Czech architect Josef Hlavka designed, in 1875, the buildings that currently house the Chernivtsi State University. They were originally the former residence of the Bukovynian metropolitans. The Romanesque and Byzantine architecture is embellished with motifs of Ukrainian folk art; for example, the tile roof patterns duplicate the geometric designs of traditional Ukrainian embroidery.

Population history

In Czernowitz lived Ukrainians, Romanians, Poles, Ruthenians, Jews, Roms and Germans. Their Culture and Prosperity, experienced the town during its affiliation to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy as the capital of the crown land Bukovina. By the murder of the Jews and the resettlement and expulsion of the whole ethnic groups, above all of the Germans and the Rumanians, this tradition got lost after the Second World War to a great extent. The population group dominating today are the Ukrainians.

The mixing of the city by many population groups becomes recognizable in accompanying or following population statistics below. Thus Rumanians and Ukrainians did the majority of the population, however, the Yiddish-speaking or German-speaking Jews removed the Rumanians from 1870 as the biggest population group of the town. From 1880 the Rumanians were removed from the Ukrainians also as a second largest population group.

Czernowitz (City) Czernowitz (Suburbs)

Year Romanians' Ukrainians Romanians' Ukrainians

1860 9.177 4.133 20.068 6.645

1870 5.999 5.831 28.315 35.011

1880 6.431 8.232 8.887 23.051

1890 7.624 10.385 11.433 34.067

1900 9.400 13.030 13.252 25.476

1910 13.440 15.254 18.060 22.351

Sports

The most popular kinds of sports in Chernivtsi include arching, judo, field hockey, karate, power-lifting and orienteering. Chernivtsi's baseball, hockey, and football clubs (FC Bukovyna Chernivtsi) are participants of the Ukrainian national championships.

Chernivtsi has a large number of sports establishments and facilities, including 5 stadiums, 186 sports grounds, 2 tennis courts, 11 football fields, 5 skating rinks, 21 shooting galleries, 3 swimming pools, 69 gyms, 62 gyms with special training equipment and an international motorcycle racing track.

Over 7,950 inhabitants are members of sport clubs within the city, and more than 50,000 people participate in various sport activities. Currently, 8 sportsmen from the city are the members of national teams and 12 are members of national youth teams. 3 athletes from Chernivtsi were prize-winners in various world tournaments, 2 were winners of European and 42 of national championships in 2002.

Chernivtsi has been host to the Ukrainian Sidecarcross Grand Prix a number of times, most recently in June 2010.

International relations

 List of twin towns and sister cities in Ukraine

Twin towns — Sister cities

Chernivtsi has eight sister cities/towns, as follows:

Country City/Town County / District / Region / State

Austria                    Klagenfurt                 Carinthia

Canada                   Saskatoon            Saskatchewan

Israel                       Nazareth Illit       North District

Poland                        Konin               Konin County

Romania                  Suceava           Suceava County

Russia                      Podolsk             Moscow Oblast

United States             Salt Lake City                Utah

(source:wikipedia)

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis,

Milena "Mila" Kunis ( /miːlə kuːnɪs/ born Milena Markivna Kunis (Ukrainian: Мілена Марківна Куніс; Russian: Милена Маркοвна Кунис)on August 14, 1983) is an American actress. Her television work includes the role of Jackie Burkhart on That '70s Show and the voice of Meg Griffin on the animated series Family Guy. She has also played roles in film, such as Rachel Jansen in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Mona Sax in Max Payne and Solara in The Book of Eli.

Early life

Mila Kunis was born in Chernivtsi,in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union, to a Jewish family. Her mother, Elvira, is a physics teacher and drug store manager, and her father, Mark Kunis, is a mechanical engineer and cab company executive. She has an older brother, Michael. Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1991.

Kunis said that a lottery system allowed her family to make the move: "It took about five years. If you got chosen the first time around, you went to Moscow, where there was another lottery, and you maybe got chosen again. Then you could come to the States." On her second day in Los Angeles, she was enrolled at Rosewood Elementary School not knowing a word of English. "I blocked out second grade," she says. "I don’t remember, but my mom tells me that I came home and cried every day. I wasn’t that traumatized. It was just a shock." Kunis added: "I didn't understand the culture. I didn't understand the people. I didn't understand the language. My 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."

Despite reports to the contrary, Kunis did not learn English from watching The Price Is Right. In Los Angeles, she attended Hubert Howe Bancroft Middle School. She was mostly taught by an on-set tutor for her high school years while filming That '70s Show. When not on the set, she attended Fairfax High School, where she graduated in 2001. She briefly attended UCLA and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Career

Early career

At age nine, Kunis took acting classes after school at the Beverly Hills Studios, where she met her first and still current manager Susan Curtis. Said Kunis: "My parents told her, 'Listen, we can’t afford head shots; we can’t afford anything. We can’t take her to auditions because we work full-time.' ... [Curtis] said, 'Don’t worry. I’ll fix everything,' and she did. I ended up getting the first thing I went out for, which was a Barbie commercial. All my parents said was, 'You can do whatever you want to do as long as you get A's and stay in school.'" Kunis began appearing in print-ads, catalogues, and TV commercials for children's products like Lisa Frank products, Mattel's Barbie, and Payless Shoes. She also modeled for a Guess girls' clothing campaign. Her first TV role was as the young Hope Williams on an episode of the popular soap opera Days of our Lives.She had a minor role on 7th Heaven as Lucy's nemesis and supporting roles in Santa with Muscles, Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, and the Angelina Jolie film Gia, as Gia Carangi's younger self.

In 1998 Kunis was cast as Jackie Burkhart in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. All who auditioned were required to be at least 18 years old; Kunis, who was 14 at the time, told the casting directors she’d be 18 but didn't say when. Though they eventually figured it out, the producers still thought Kunis was the best fit for the role. That '70s Show ran for eight seasons, becoming the second longest-running live-action sitcom on Fox (after Married with Children). Kunis expressed some frustration with working on one show for so long. "Eight years of doing the same [show] felt like being behind a desk, and I lost my drive," she says. However, she quickly "had an epiphany. I decided I wasn't going to take my career so seriously and make my job who I am. I just want to be happy with my life."

Family Guy

Kunis on a panel for Family Guy at the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego.

In 1999, Kunis replaced Lacey Chabert in the role of Meg Griffin on the animated television sitcom Family Guy, created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series plot centers on a family called the Griffins, a dysfunctional family. The series starred MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green and Mike Henry. Kunis won the role after auditions and a slight rewrite of the character, in part due to her performance on That '70s Show. MacFarlane called Kunis back after her first audition, instructing her to speak slower, and then told her to come back another time and enunciate more. Once she claimed that she had it under control, MacFarlane hired her. MacFarlane added: "What Mila Kunis brought to it was in a lot of ways, I thought, almost more right for the character. I say that Lacey did a phenomenal job, but there was something about Mila – something very natural about Mila. She was 15 when she started, so you were listening to a 15-year-old. Which oftentimes with animation they'll have adult actors doing the voices of teenagers and they always sound like Saturday morning voices. They sound, oftentimes, very forced. She had a very natural quality to Meg that really made what we did with that character kind of really work."

Kunis described her character as "the scapegoat." She further explained, "Meg gets picked on a lot. But it's funny. It's like the middle child. She is constantly in the state of being an awkward 14-year-old, when you're kind of going through puberty and what-not. She's just in perpetual mode of humiliation. And it's fun."

Kunis was nominated for an Annie Award in the category of Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production in 2007.She also voiced Meg in the Family Guy video game.

Early film work (2001–2007)

In 2001, she appeared in Get Over It opposite Kirsten Dunst. She followed that up in 2002 by starring in the straight-to-DVD horror film American Psycho 2 alongside William Shatner which was a sequel to the 2000 film American Psycho starring Christian Bale. American Psycho 2 was panned by critics; later, Kunis herself expressed embarrassment over the film.

In 2004 Kunis starred in Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Although the film was shot in 2004, it did not have a theatrical release until 2007. Most critics didn't like the film, which mustered a 25% approval from Rotten Tomatoes.DVD talk concluded that "fans would be much better off pretending the movie never happened in the first place".

That same year Kunis was in the never-released film Tom 51, a comedy about a young man who goes through 50 jobs before winding up as a driver for a call-girl service. Kunis worked with Clifton Collins, Jr. on the project, who later went on to be one of her co-stars in Extract.

In 2005 Kunis co-starred with Jon Heder in Moving McAllister, which was not released theatrically until 2007. The film received generally poor reviews and had a limited two week run in theaters.

While doing press for the film, writer and co-star Ben Gourley spoke fondly about the overall experience of working with Kunis, stating: "She’s happiest around people, talking, hanging out, experiencing life. I don’t think she spent over ten minutes a day in her trailer. She was always outside hanging out with the crew, rehearsing or talking to fans. She’s accepting of everyone she meets."

She followed up that project with After Sex playing alongside Zoe Saldana (who also appeared in Get Over It). In October 2006 she began filming Boot Camp (originally titled Straight Edge). The story centered around a group of troubled teens, sent to a rehabilitation program housed in a remote camp on the island of Fiji. What their parents believe is a state-of-the-art deluxe institution in a beautiful natural environment turns out to be a prison-like boot camp where they are abused and brainwashed. Although the film did not have a theatrical release in the United States, it was released on DVD on August 25, 2009.

Breakthrough (2008–2010)

Kunis was featured as Rachel Jansen in the 2008 movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, co-produced by Judd Apatow. She had originally auditioned for Apatow for the film Knocked Up. Although she did not get the part, the audition led to the role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Kunis said that the improvisation in the film was challenging, but "the best kind of challenging [...] a great exercise." The film garnered positive reviews and was a commercial success, grossing $105 million worldwide. Kunis's performance was well-received; Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal praised her "fresh beauty and focused energy", while James Berardinelli wrote that she is "adept with her performance and understands the concept of comic timing". She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.In an interview, Kunis stated: "I give Judd Apatow so much love for hiring me and letting me do something different, letting me break free of That ‘70s Show, letting me show that I could do something outside of Jackie."

Also in 2008, she starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in the action movie Max Payne, portraying Mona Sax, a Russian assassin. The film is based on the popular video game of the same name. Kunis underwent gun training for her role. She stated about her training: "It's crazy. I had never fired a gun before and here I am playing an assassin. But let me tell you, I'm really great at shooting guns now! The physical part of this film has definitely been fun. I did some boxing and a little bit of martial arts work."

Max Payne was relatively successful at the box office, grossing $85 million worldwide but was panned by critics with several reviewers calling Kunis miscast. Director John Moore supported Kunis and had no qualms with the decision to cast her. "Mila just bowled us over," says Moore. "She wasn't an obvious choice, but she just wears Mona so well. We needed someone who would not be just a fop or foil to Max; we needed somebody who had to be that character and convey her own agenda. I think Mila's just knocked it out of the park." For Kunis, the role presented a chance to explore new territory as an actor. "I've always wanted to be in an action movie. Mona is fierce and feisty and not willing to play second fiddle to anyone. I'd say that she and Max are very evenly matched." She was nominated for another Teen Choice Award for her role in the film.

In 2009, she appeared in the comedy Extract with Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman. The film received mostly positive reviews and grossed $10.8 million at the box office. Justin Chang of Variety called Kunis "fine",and Roger Ebert, while criticizing Extract for not being believable, wrote that Kunis "brings her role to within shouting distance of credibility." Director Mike Judge commented that part of what was surprising to learn about Kunis was her ability to make references to the cult animation film Rejected. Judge said: "As beautiful as Mila is, you could believe that maybe she would cross paths with you in the real world." After seeing Kunis perform in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Judge wanted to cast her in the role of Cindy in Extract: "I just thought, 'Wow, this girl’s perfect.' And she really wanted to do it, which was fantastic." Said Kunis, "I’m a huge fan of Mike Judge's from Office Space, so I was, like, 'Okay, this is a very easy decision.' I told them I would do anything needed to be in this production – like craft service, or, say, acting."

In 2010, she starred alongside Denzel Washington in the action film The Book of Eli. Although the film received mixed reviews, it has performed well at the box office grossing over $157 million worldwide. Film critic Richard Roeper praised Kunis's performance calling it a "particularly strong piece of work". Several other reviews were equally positive of her performance, including Pete Hammond of Boxoffice magazine, who wrote that she's "ideally cast in the key female role" Even reviewers who did not necessarily like the film complimented her performance, such as James Berardinelli who stated that "the demands of the role prove to be within her range, which is perhaps surprising considering she has been thus far pigeonholed into more lightweight parts" and Colin Covert of the Star Tribune who wrote that she "generated a spark and brought a degree of determination to her character, developing an independent female character who’s not always in need of rescuing." Some critics, however, called her miscast. Kunis received another Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance.The directors of The Book of Eli, the Hughes brothers, appreciated Kunis's ability to convey vulnerability mixed with boldness and optimism. Albert Hughes stated: "Mila is a firecracker. She plays Solara in a way that lets you watch her grow."

Kunis was also cast in a minor role in the 2010 comedy Date Night starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell. She garnered several positive reviews for her performance. Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that she played her role "with enjoyable comic relish."

Future projects

She and Natalie Portman play rival ballet dancers in Darren Aronofsky's upcoming Black Swan. The film is set to premiere as the opening film at the 67th Venice International Film Festival in September 2010. The film is also scheduled for a gala screening at the 35th Toronto International Film Festival later that month and then its initial release to the public a few months later on December 1, 2010.

"She electrified me and made the screen sizzle. I instantly knew I wanted to work with her."

Darren Aronofsky on casting Kunis in Black Swan after seeing her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008).

Kunis took ballet training to prepare for her role in Black Swan. The training was grueling, requiring one hour of cardio followed by four hours of ballet seven days a week. She was restricted to a 1200-calorie a day diet ("because I have to have bones sticking out") so she was looking forward to the final day of production.

Kunis was cast alongside Justin Timberlake in the romantic comedy Friends with Benefits about two friends who try to take their relationship to the next level. The film is set to begin production in July 2010. Kunis is also slated to star in Cover Girl , the latest romantic comedy from Donald Petrie. The production is expected to begin shooting in Cambridge, England in September 2010.

Media publicity

Kunis was ranked #54 in Stuff's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002); Maxim named her #47 on its 2006 Hot 100 list. In 2008, she was ranked #81 on the Maxim Hot 100 list. She was also ranked #81 on the FHM U.S 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2008, although she is unranked in other FHM magazines from different nations. Kunis was also described as one of the "most attractive geeks" in 2008 by Wired.com due to her much-publicized affinity for World of Warcraft. The same year she was featured and on the cover of the October issue of Complex Magazine.

In 2007 Kunis participated in a video for the website Funny or Die playing alongside James Franco. The video was a parody of the MTV show The Hills and was a huge success for the website with well over one million views. Shawn Levy, director of Date Night, stated that part of what made him decide to cast Kunis with James Franco in the film was the chemistry he felt they had in the Funny or Die video.

In December 2008, Kunis was featured in Gap's "Shine Your Own Star" Christmas campaign with other celebrities such as Jennifer Hudson, Jason Bateman, Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Heder, and others.

In 2009 she was ranked #5 in "Maxim Magazine's Hot 100" list.[82] In addition, she won the award for "Hottest Mila" at the 2009 Spike Guys' Choice Awards beating out Milla Jovovich.Also in 2009 Premiere.com ranked Mila the most beautiful woman in Hollywood. In 2010 she was featured in the "Women We Love" segment in Esquire with an accompanied video. For the 2010 "Maxim Magazine Hot 100" Kunis ranked #22, and for the 2010 FHM Hot 100 list she ranked #17. Kunis has kept this type of media attention in perspective and has remained grounded by saying: "You've got to base your career on something other than being FHM's top 100 No. 1 girl. Your looks are going to die out, and then what's going to be left?"

In 2010 Kunis served with Randy Jackson as the Master of Ceremonies for the 9th Annual Chrysalis Foundation Benefit. The Chrysalis Foundation is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization formed to help economically disadvantaged and homeless individuals to become self-sufficient through employment opportunities.

Personal life

Kunis has spoken with affection about her parents and has credited them for being a positive influence and keeping her focused on what is important in life. "I had a normal upbringing and went to public school," she says. "If I ever, even for a second, started getting a big head, I was brought back to reality pretty quickly. My parents are why I'm pretty grounded." Kunis has been dating actor Macaulay Culkin since 2002.Although there have been rumors of the couple getting married, Kunis has denied this, saying:

"I've been engaged. I think I've already been married. And I'm sure I have a child somewhere. I'm waiting to have something else happen. No, I'm not married. And no, I'm not engaged. And no, I do not have a child. No one seems to listen. And next week I'll be engaged again. I think, at one point, they were like, 'Seen shopping in Beverly Hills for engagement rings.' We were in Japan working. What is wrong with these people? Half the time you can say they misconstrued facts. But, more often than not, they just make stuff up."

In an interview with BlackBook Magazine Kunis stated that marriage is "not something that’s important to me". Regarding her relationship with Culkin she said she tries her best to protect their privacy. "We don't talk about it to the press. It's already more high profile than I want it to be." When questioned if it was difficult to stay out of the tabloids and press, Kunis responded: "I keep my personal life as personal as I physically, mentally, possibly can." Asked if that is difficult she said, "I don't care. I will go to my grave trying. It is hard, but I'll end up going to a bar that's a hole in the wall. I won't go to the "it's-happening" place."

She has identified herself in interviews as a fan of the online computer game World of Warcraft and has received a certain amount of attention from the game's fan community as a result. She has not released what server she is in but says she is with her close friends in the Alliance. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she said she does not use voice chat in the game after another player recognized her voice. Although Kunis has described herself as a "computer nerd" she does not have a Myspace, Facebook or Twitter account.

In an interview with H Magazine Kunis stated that she does not devote as much time to World of Warcraft anymore, but enjoys hanging out with her friends when she can. "When we have ‘friends night’ and we all get together, we play board games like The Settlers of Catan." She also mentioned that she and her friends enjoy doing Murder Mystery tours, where they drive around the Los Angeles area exploring locations of famous murders that have taken place. Kunis also enjoys traveling, and often goes on trips with her older brother, Michael. She and Michael have explored countries such as Fiji and Korea. "I like the way he travels," she explains. "He grabs a map, says, 'Let's walk,' and makes you explore."

When asked to describe her perfect day Kunis said: "It would be going for a swim, lazing around the house, playing with my dogs, drinking a root beer float, catching up on TiVo, having some food, a glass of wine and calling it a night."

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes

1995 Make a Wish, Molly Melinda

1995 Piranha Susie Grogan Television movie

1996 Santa with Muscles Sarah

1997 Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves Jill, Party Guest Direct-to-video

1998 Gia Gia at Age 11 Television movie

1998 Krippendorf's Tribe Abbey Tournquist

1998 Milo Martice Uncredited

2001 Get Over It Basin

2002 American Psycho 2 Rachael Direct-to-DVD

2004 Tony n' Tina's Wedding Tina

2005 Tom 51 Little Boy Matson also known as Tom Cool

2005 Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Meg Griffin (Voice) Direct-to-DVD

2007 After Sex Nikki

2007 Moving McAllister Michelle

2007 Boot Camp Sophie

2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Rachel Jansen

2008 Max Payne Mona Sax

2009 Extract Cindy

2010 The Book of Eli Solara

2010 Date Night Whippit

2010 Black Swan Lily post-production

TBA Friends with Benefits filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes

1994–

1995 Baywatch Anne

Bonnie Episodes: "Aftershock"

"Hot Stuff"

1995 The John Larroquette Show Lucy 1 episode

1995 Hudson Street Devon 1 episode

1996 Unhappily Ever After Chloe 1 episode

1996–

1997 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Anna-Maria Del Bono 5 episodes

1996–

1997 7th Heaven Ashley 4 episodes

1997 Walker, Texas Ranger Pepper Episode: "Last Hope"

1998 Pensacola: Wings of Gold Jessie Kerwood 1 episode

1998–

2006 That '70s Show Jackie Burkhart 200 episodes

2002 Get Real Taylor Vaughn 2 episodes

2002 MADtv Daisy 1 episode

2004 Grounded for Life Lana Episodes: "Space Camp Oddity"

"The Policy of Truth"

2000–

present Family Guy Meg Griffin (Voice) 114 episodes

2005–

present Robot Chicken Various (Voice) 10 episodes

2009 The Cleveland Show Meg Griffin (Voice) Episode: "Pilot"

Music videos

Year Title Artist

1999 In The Street Cheap Trick

2000 The Itch Vitamin C

2001 Rock and Roll All Nite KISS

2001 Jaded Aerosmith

2003 The End Has No End The Strokes

2008 LA Girls Mams Taylor feat. Joel Madden

Video games

Year Title Role

2006 Saints Row Tanya Winters (Voice)

2006 Family Guy Video Game! Meg Griffin (Voice)

Awards and nominations

Awards

Year Award Category Film Result

1999 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble That '70s Show Nominated

1999 YoungStar Award Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Comedy TV Series That '70s Show Won

2000 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2000 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Series – Young Ensemble That '70s Show Nominated

2000 YoungStar Award Best Young Actress/Performance in a Comedy TV Series That '70s Show Won

2001 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2001 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series – Leading Young Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2002 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress That '70s Show Nominated

2002 Young Hollywood Award One to Watch – Female That '70s Show Won

2003 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress – Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2004 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actress – Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2005 Teen Choice Award Choice – TV Actress: Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2006 Teen Choice Award TV – Choice Actress: Comedy That '70s Show Nominated

2007 Annie Award Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production Family Guy Nominated

2008 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Breakout Female Forgetting Sarah Marshall Nominated

2009 Guys Choice Awards Hottest Mila N/A Won

2009 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure Max Payne Nominated

2010 Teen Choice Award Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure The Book of Eli Nominated

(source:wikipedia)