Assuming the persona of strong women on the big screen has become almost second nature to actress Milla Jovovich.
Since fighting her way as Leelo in 1997’s The Fifth Element, followed by The Messenger: The Story Of Joan Of Arc in 1999 and headlining six Resident Evil films (2002-2016) as the zombie-killing machine Alice, Jovovich is undoubtedly synonymous with her action roles. She was even dubbed the “reigning queen of kick butt” in 2006.
Her latest, Monster Hunter – a film based on the video game series of the same name – is no different; it has Jovovich’s character taking on huge monsters.
It’s a career Jovovich describes as filled with crazy challenges but also so much fun to do.
In an exclusive interview with StarLifestyle, the 45-year-old confesses she feels empowered playing strong female characters who are able to succeed over their challenges, and do the same thing that men are always portrayed as doing.
The Ukraine-born American says: “I always wondered growing up why women weren’t portrayed as strong as men were.
“For me, I always felt like I was very strong and could achieve many things in my life. But I definitely didn’t see myself reflected on screen very often.
“So, I guess it felt very organic and natural for me to take on roles like this, you know.
“I was very lucky to work with the kind of directors that I worked with, of course, who also wanted to see women in these powerful roles.”
One of those directors is her husband Paul W.S. Anderson, 56. The two have made the Resident Evil films together and Monster Hunter.
It was recently reported that the husband-and-wife team is going to tackle a fantasy tale based on George R.R. Martin’s 1982 short story, In The Lost Lands, next.
According to Jovovich, whenever she and her husband go off to make a film together, it becomes a family outing and, ultimately, a great adventure – thanks to the fantasy genre of the films they make.
Jovovich and Anderson are parents to three girls – Ever Gabo Anderson, 13, Dashiel Edan Anderson, five and Osian Lark Elliot Jovovich-Anderson, who was born on Feb 2,2020.
“I love to do fantasy, I love to do sci-fi, ” Jovovich mentions.
“I think because I’d always loved the genre growing up. I feel like I was always the kid that kind of wanted to escape, that wanted to find that little door in the tree that goes into another world.”
For Monster Hunter, the Andersons travelled to South Africa and Namibia to achieve a diverse selection of landscapes of “another world”.
The film centres on a group of soldiers who are transported to a mysterious new world where giant monsters roam and humans must fight them to survive and find their way home.
A lot of the locations seen in the film were practically shot in the middle of nowhere where the production had to put up hundreds of tents to house their equipment as well as 350 cast and crew members.
One of the most challenging shoots was at Tankwa, South Africa, where temperatures could rise up to 45°C during the day and drop to 5°C at night.
Not to mention the scorpions, spiders and violent wind there. Worse, both Jovovich and co-star Tony Jaa ended up with sunburned eyes by the end of the shoot!
“After filming for three-and-a-half months outdoors in these extreme climates, my body definitely suffered and Tony Jaa as well, ” remarks Jovovich.
“We got sunburned eyeballs because everyone in the crew gets to wear sunglasses during the shoot, but we couldn’t wear sunglasses, because, you know, for obvious reasons.
“So, definitely, staring out in the desert for that many days affected our eyes.”
But Jovovich is also quick to point out that everyone had a great time: “It really was quite an adventure.”
And roughing it out while making a film like Monster Hunter, she says, is just part and parcel of the magic in making films in the fantasy genre.
She elaborates: “I love going on adventures. I’ve always been somebody that enjoyed trekking and camping and, you know, sleeping outside... these kinds of rough adventures are definitely quite good and I’ve always been attracted to them.
“So, you know, the challenge of making this movie was always something that I look forward to. It was definitely very, very difficult for everybody involved, sometimes because we were going out to some incredibly remote places and locations, but of course, you know, that’s the price that you inevitably pay to be able to film the beautiful landscapes that we were able to shoot in.
“Most of them were very far away from civilisation, very much untouched by man, and never before been filmed on screen. So, they were really fantastic and otherworldly.”
For the tough shoot ahead, Jovovich started training months before filming began, spending weeks at one of the US Army’s training centres.
This is because, unlike her roles in Resident Evil and Ultraviolet where her characters have super strengths, Jovovich’s role in Monster Hunter is that of a soldier.
On top of physical and tactical training, Jovovich underwent psychological training to encapsulate the spirit that soldiers have – to be the best at what they do.
“Soldiers are always expected to go further than ordinary people. So, I really wanted embody that philosophy (and) started training, like seven months before production, ” Jovovich notes.
“Having that discipline and challenging myself in that way definitely put me in the mind frame of a soldier, and helped me get into character.
“But, you know, also, it really helped me get into some of the best shape of my life, both physically and mentally. I think training every day, gives you a sense of accomplishment and also confidence and just makes you feel really good.
“So, yeah, I feel like I was like the healthiest I’ve ever been on this movie.”
When we asked if she has kept up with the training since filming stopped, she says: “You know, I definitely continued with the training schedule.
“But then, of course, I got pregnant and had another baby which kind of interrupted me a little bit. But, I definitely try my best to keep it a part of my life.”
It’s no secret that besides playing kick-a** characters on film, Jovovich’s other main role for the past decade and more centres around being a mother.
Visit her Instagram account and you’d learn that Jovovich – who’s an avid cook and grows produce in her garden – is always sharing her family activities on the platform.
In a not so surprising development, Jovovich revealed early last year that her daughter Ever Anderson – who’s been raised on film sets – is following in her footsteps by becoming an actress.
The 13-year-old stars as the young Natasha Romanoff in the upcoming Marvel film Black Widow starring Scarlett Johansson as the adult Natasha.
Jovovich also disclosed that after a worldwide search, Ever has been cast as Wendy Darling in live-action film Peter Pan & Wendy, which is scheduled as a 2022 release.
Accompanying a photo of her oldest daughter, Jovovich writes in the caption that Ever has set her heart to be an actress since she was five, and that “she’s put the time, focus and energy into making her dream come true!”.
The summary of her caption is that Jovovich is both terrified for her child because the entertainment industry “eats you up and spits you out if you’re not on your game” but, at the same time, she is overjoyed because her daughter has found her passion in life.
“That’s one of the most difficult things to find because ‘doing what you love’ can be so elusive for most people, ” she adds in her post.
“I feel like so many people become a bit lost and then end up kind of doing whatever, just to get by.
“Of course, my ideal is that my daughters find their passion in life and pursue their dreams and, to pursue your dreams, you have to understand what those dreams are.
“So, we have a lot of conversations about figuring out what you love to do. And we try different things, different classes, to open them up to different kinds of experiences, so that they’re able to understand what they enjoy doing and what makes them happy.
“And it’s easier for us as parents to help them on their path to be adults and end up being satisfied with themselves and their lives.”
And just like that, Jovovich – who seems to have mastered the art of having a well balanced life between career and family – proves super women do exist in real life.
Monster Hunter is available on Astro Best (Ch 480) and Astro On Demand starting from April 8.
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