by Zack Mandell

Created on: December 04, 2012

Born in 1983 in Chernivtsi, Ukraine, Mila Kunis moved to Los Angeles with her family when she was only seven, the city choice conjuring the image of her parents perhaps wanting her to become a child star. Leaving behind careers as a mechanical engineer and a physics teacher, Mark and Elvira moved with Kunis and her older brother Michael to America because they wanted the best for their children.

The family had a rough start with just $250, but Mark and Elvira soon took on new roles as a cab driver and pharmacy attendant. It was then that Kunis began acting lessons at the Beverly Hills Studio. Acting was an activity her parents put her into simply so she could meet other children. Unlike having the aspirations of many other parents who dream of their children becoming stars, KunisÕs parents never wanted her to become an actress.

However, some things are meant to be, and it was just Kunis's luck that her social activity led her to meet talent manager Susan Curtis. Curtis helped her obtain several high-profile television commercial roles early on and still manages her today. Following her appearances in ads for Lisa Frank products, Barbie, and Payless Shoes, Kunis carried on with acting, doing spot work on popular television shows, including "7th Heaven" and "The John Larroquette Show," and building up her resume with small roles such as in "Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher" (1996) and "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" (1997).

Kunis's first big break came in 1998 when she was only 14; co-starring in "That '70s Show" as self-absorbed Jackie Burkhart allowed her to focus and refine her on-screen acting and comic timing. So far for Kunis, one thing always seemed to lead to the next, and such was still the case. Her role on the Fox program quickly led her to score a voice work role for the channel's popular "Family Guy" cartoon during the 2000 season, the reason why many will recognize her voice as that of Meg Griffin.

While holding her own in a busy television career through many seasons, Kunis again tried her hand at film, first co-starring with Kirsten Dunst in "Get Over It" (2001) and then with Macaulay Culkin the next year in "American Psycho II: All American Girl." In fact, Kunis dated the once-child "Home Alone" star Culkin until 2010.

Once again, there seemed to be a pattern for Kunis: one role led her to the next. It seemed giving film work a try had been just her calling, as after the final season of "That '70s Show" in 2006, she continued to persevere until she

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