Mila Kunis is a 36-year-old American actress who has a diverse portfolio full of different roles in films, dramas, and comedy shows. Her career breakthrough came when when she appeared in the sitcom, That 70s show.
What most people don’t know about the Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s star is that she is Ukrainian and her family has survived the turmoil caused by WW2. They are quite literally Holocaust survivors.
Mila Kunis and her husband and children practice Shabbat. So is Mila Kunis Jewish? Before delving into Mila Kunis’ religion it is important to know a few things from her past.
Is Mila Kunis Jewish?
Milena Markovna Kunis is her birth name, and she was born in Ukraine in August 1983. When Mila was seven years old, her family had to migrate to Los Angeles for the sake of their children’s future as Ukraine was not a place like home. Another reason for their migration was that their parents knew how their parents had suffered during World War 2 and did not want their children to face the same scenario ever again. They went to America on a religious refugee visa and remembering her life upon reaching there, Mila described it as ‘being blind and deaf’ because initially, she could not understand their lifestyle and language.
What could be the best way to learn a language if not learning through acting? Mila did the same thing as she used to perform in the after-school acting classes and caught the attention of a media agent there. Her competent acting skills secured her a prominent role in “‘That 70’s Show’. At this time, she was just 15 years old.
Her family had a Jewish heritage and unfortunately, antisemitism was common in the Soviet Union, and Mila’s family had to hide their originality when it comes to religion. Added to this, antisemitism was one of the contributing factors to the family’s immigration to the U.S.
During the interview, when Mila Kunis was asked about her religion, she said that her parents had taught her much Hebrew. She further added that when in New York she used her Jewish accent to the fullest and used to become ‘super-Jew’. Most people are unaware of her Jewish religion and get surprised whenever they are told the truth. Being a Jew, Mila Kunis has a lot of her relatives residing in Israel.
Mila Kunis married Ashton Kutcher in July 2015. According to Mila, Ashton is much more religious than her and before their marriage, the two had decided on a medium line between much religious Ashton and Mila. So the couple ended up practicing Sabbath. This “one day pause from the rushing life” is what Mila enjoys the most as she believes that this day (Sabbath) is for relaxing, forgiving, and moving on.
Russia has always been a communist country due to which Mila Kunis’s family couldn’t enjoy their life. However, when coming to the U.S it felt like a complete rotation to them as they relished every moment and even bought a Christmas tree, regardless of being Jewish. Mila believes that adopting a tradition of another religion for the sake of being together with family does not have any cons. Her family even celebrates Easter as they are fond of holidays and more family time, which her parents could not afford while in the Soviet Union.
More About Mila Kunis
No matter what bad your motherland has done to you or your family, it would always be on top of your list if you’re planning for any humanitarian work. The same happened with Mila Kunis as she collected around $35 million through a go-fund-me page. The donations were sent to Ukraine during the recent attacks as it made hundreds of Ukrainian shelterless. This resulted in a thanking call from the Jewish President of Ukraine.
Apart from her religious beliefs and practices, coming back to her professional life Mila Kunis has been a passionate brand ambassador for Gemfields, a world-leading jewel company. Being the face of the brand, she went to their jewels mines in Zambia, Africa.
You might not know, but Mila’s husband, Ashton Kutcher, was a Roman Catholic however he became a pseudo-convert. According to Mila, adapting to Jewish was all Kutcher’s choice as he liked the religion and had nothing to do with her. Kutcher has also visited Israel.
