Mila Kunis
Leading by example
BY ZOE SALDAÑA
There’s this old-soul
quality you receive
from Mila Kunis the
moment you meet
her. She gives 100%
to each and every
one of her roles: as
a mother, as a wife,
as a daughter, as a
granddaughter, as a
friend, as a producer,
as an actor. She goes
all in, and she cares a
great deal. I’ve seen
her transform when
she’s approaching a
character—whilst still
being the mom who
drops off the kids.
She’s such a curious
individual, hungry
for conversations
that are important,
that are thought-
provoking. And she’s
also very generous
with information that
she learns; she just
spreads it around.
She is very much a
leader, whether she is
running a chat group
of fellow mothers,
organizing an event, or
fundraising for causes
she cares about.Mila has always
been proud of who
she is and where
she comes from, and
the sacrifi ces that
her family made for
her and her brother
to come to America.
She’s also been
very aware of whatit must have been
for her parents and
grandparents and
great- grandparents
to have left it
all behind. As
daughters of
immigrants, you
understand that you
stand in a certain
box that makes you
quite responsible
very early in life. It
is a mission and a
responsibility and a
blessing. Seeing her
fundraise for Ukraine
and raise tens of
millions: it’s what we
have come to expect
the Kutcher-Kunis
clan to do, to
always rise to the
occasion. What
needs to be done?
They will take it upon
themselves, they
will initiate anything
and everything in
their power to be of
service.Saldana is an actorKUNIS: ANGELA WEISS—AFP/GETTY IMAGES; DAVIDSON: ROSALIND O’CONNOR—NBCU/GETTY IMAGES; STRONG: TRUNK ARCHIVE
42 TIME June 6/June 13, 2022 PORTRAIT-ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRIAN LUTZ FOR TIME