Below is a selection of Milla quotations handpicked from a number of online- and magazine publications from over the years. Click on the below links to browse through them.

• Growing Up, Life & Family
• Jovovich-Hawk & Modeling
• On-screen Work, Music & Career Choices
• Unsorted Quotations

On how her pregnancy transformed her body:
“Now that I’m pregnant, I love my boobs. [...] Now I look like this healthy, Russian farm girl. I’m really curving out and becoming feminine - 25 pounds later.”
- Jane, August 2007

On her early difficulties blending into the American society:
“I was sent to school with borsch and strange meats. Kids would crowd around and stare at me. It was an alien existence.”
- Telegraph, August 4 2007

On her father’s jailtime experience:
“Prison was good for him. He’s become a much better person. It gave him a chance to stop and think.”
- Telegraph, August 4 2007

On her teenage years:
“I was pretty fearless. But it was different for me. When I argued with my parents, I didn’t just go stay at my friend’s house for a few days. I’d go ‘Screw you guys! I’m buying my own apartment!’”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On her relationship with director Paul W.S. Anderson:
“I thought he was cute and interesting. And there’s also that thing where he chose me for his film. It’s a very attractive quality when someone chooses you. I like people who like me!”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On her unborn child:
“In three weeks it’ll have ears! So I’ll be able to start playing her music. Apparently, they respond really well to classical, but I’m going to try classic rock too. Like Bowie, Joni Mitchell or Jimi Hendrix…”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On her unborn child being a girl:
“I know, I’m in for it, at least if my own relationship with my mum says anything.”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On wanting to make use of her time:
“Killing time is one of the most awful expressions. It really hits me. I don’t ever want to kill my time. I want to save it.”
- California Style, May 2006

On settling down in the United States and cleaning for director Brian de Palma:
“The closest thing that I can call home is Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland Drive, because that’s where we started from. Everybody had to work.”
- California Style, May 2006

On her early difficulties blending into the American society:
“My mum would dress me as a freak. Other girls would be wearing the Guess zip-up stone-washed pants and I’d be coming to school in Asian trousers with my hair in crazy ponytails. On top of that, my name was Milla Jovovich. American guys wanted to date Jessica and Jennifer. So I spent a lot of time alone.”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On her mother, Galina, giving her a reality check:
“My mum always told me, ‘Don’t fall into the trap of expecting your prettiness to open doors and carry you because it’s going to be gone like that.’”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On seizing the opportunity to do what you love:
“I think if you’re lucky enough to be in a position where you can do what you want to do, it’s kind of your responsibility to do it.”
- Mean, Fall/Winter 2004

On life and wanting to prove something to herself:
“I also know it’s important to realize who you are and where you are and not get too caught up in things. I’ve made some fun movies and some music that I like and some clothes I think are cool. I’m trying to make the right choices and grow. I know that sounds like a line but it isn’t.”
- Mean, Fall/Winter 2004

On pushing herself to work harder:
“You won’t find me just chilling out, doing nothing. I’ve worked out that, this year, I’ve spent just four weeks at home. I am innately lazy, and if I could watch TV for the rest of my life, I swear I would. So my whole existence is made up of this constant battle to resist the lazy person inside me. Like an alcoholic, I am constantly at war with myself.”
- Harpers & Queen, January 2003

On her mother, Galina, concentrating on making Milla a star in America:
“I became her creation, her master project. She had a very clear idea, as to what she wanted me to become.”
- Harper’s Bazaar (US), January 2003

On the Russian family philosophy:
“When you have nothing, you use all your resources, including your children. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s just utilizing what you’ve made.”
- Harper’s & Queen, January 2003

On herself:
“I’ve never really seen myself as girl-next-door per se, no.”
- Arena, July 2002

On marriage and finding the man of her dreams:
“I suppose I’m attracted to guys I can create with; because it takes up so much of my life I have to have a back-and-forth creative energy going. I can’t imagine a lawyer or doctor being able to deal with my life. People I’ve been with I suppose understand how much my work is a part of my life, and probably how little they’re going to see of me! My divorce with Luc taught me that I’m not going to marry unless I’m going to have children with someone. I hate endings, it was a very traumatic experience.”
- Arena, July 2002

On her legacy:
“But to say that I’m satisfied? No. I’ve been lucky to do some great stuff, but as far as I’m concerned it’s nothing. I don’t think people could look at my body of work and say, ‘That’s who she was.’ And that’s what I want to leave behind, a real person.”
- Arena, July 2002

Making fun of her past decisions in life:
“You know, I never do things that are stupid. Well, not in my professional life. Ha ha.”
- InStyle (UK), July 2002

On the difficulty of finding a man who can appreciate the demands of her job:
“Guys love me when they first meet me because it’s like, ‘Oh she’s independent, she’s busy, it’s not like she’s going to be all clingy.’ But then they end up hating me for it because they’re never number one.”
- InStyle (UK), July 2002

On her relationship with director Paul W.S. Anderson:
“When he’s angry, it’s like, ‘I’m so angry!’ He’s a sexy geek. Usually, the geeks are the best in bed. They love to service.”
- InStyle (UK), July 2002

On knowing at an early age she wanted to perform:
“I was never one to be shy about reciting a poem, singing a song or showing people what I could do. I was definitely a performer at a very young age.”
- Razor, June 2002

On her teenage years:
“I was a very dark child. I was writing all these really dramatic songs on the guitar. I listen to them now and crack up, because I was thirteen and I’m like [sings], ‘I love you with everything I have!’ Now, it’s like, what was I thinking?! It’s so funny — I was this little drama queen. I’m sure my mom was freaking out laughing. I’d say, ‘Mom, I wrote a new song about how dark my existence is.’”
- Razor, June 2002

On the inspiration behind her Jovovich-Hawk designs:
“I’m inspired by characters out of books and history. Like, I want to be that starving artist from the 1700s, but with really nice fabric. Or the little Victorian match girl with the torn sweater, but it has to be cashmere, you know?”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On entering the modeling industry so young:
“I’m very against underage modelling. I would never allow my kids to do it. But we were immigrants, we had to work and make it work.”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On the hazards of the modeling industry:
“You think you’re so grown up, so adults take advantage of you. When I was 13, my mum didn’t know about certain things that would go on even though she was with me all the time. I’d say I was going off to get a Coke and I’d be making out with some older guy in a corner.”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On her clothesline with Carmen Hawk:
“Our atelier is like a nuclear reactor of clothing. It’s like a space where things can explode. You know when people put on the glasses to watch the bomb go off, that’s how I feel about it. It’s like, ‘OK Carmen, let’s put the glasses on, push the button. Ready? Whoosh!’”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On her clothesline and choosing new projects:
“If it were just about sending off the drawings and letting someone else make it and just count the money that comes in, fine. But that’s not how I’ve ever worked. Even the action movies that I’ve made, there’s always been a personal reason why I’ve made them.”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On appreciating her career in the modeling industry:
“I never bite the hand that feeds me. Modeling enables me to be selective about the creative decisions I make.”
- Harpers & Queen, January 2003

On her early modeling years:
“I guess modeling started me. I wasn’t doing much until I started modeling. I was so little, it was very controversial. A lot of right-wing groups were ragging my mom.”
- Oneworld, 1997

On her career in the modeling industry:
“Modeling is great when you have talent, dedication and you really put the time in. Without that you are just another moment.”
- Oneworld, 1997

On the perks of the modeling industry:
“It’s not that, it’s not just the strokes. I can be somebody else. I get to shove out the old Milla and put in the glamorous, sensual, you know, model Milla. It’s fun to act in front of the camera and make poses, and then sometimes, make funny poses just to laugh. It’s something that every model will feel in front of the camera, the ones that like modeling.”
- Metro, 1989

On her trademark look, “the sensual pouting girl”:
“I don’t think I could ever explain how I do it–you know, it’s like a recipe you can’t give out. Would you ask the chef of a great restaurant what he puts in his soup or chicken? You think he’d tell you?”
- Metro, 1989

On the role her mother, Galina, has played in her modeling career:
“I’ve grown up in the industry, since my mom was in it. She’s taught me from her ways. Everything she does, I’ve tried to imprint on my own face. It’s something only we have, that we share, a little mother-daughter thing she has passed on to me.”
- Metro, 1989

On the critics saying she entered the modeling industry too young:
“Yeah, I’ve heard that. I say, if they have children, let them play with Barbie dolls. Don’t criticize me. I love what I’m doing. I don’t like playing with dolls. I don’t agree with them one bit. And I get very angry when I hear that — that my mother is pushing me and stuff. That’s not true. I love the industry, I love the business.”
- Metro, 1989

On not having released a follow-up to The Divine Comedy:
“My record company wanted me to change some things and I couldn’t handle it - this is my writing, I don’t think anything should be changed. It’s genius!”
- InStyle (UK), July 2007

On taking each role seriously:
“You won’t see me sleepwalking through an action film, which is unfortunately what a lot of actors end up doing, because it’s, like, ‘not serious’ or ‘artistic.’”
- California Style, May 2006

On money not being a motivation for her work:
“You know, I don’t need to make any more money. I have the career of a 45-year-old so I could totally quit tomorrow. But I wouldn’t be happy because I know what I love to do – it’s what I did as a little kid before I started working, which is sitting all day and drawing.”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On taking on the role of Alice in Resident Evil:
“I would never have said yes to it, but my brother was like, ‘Milla, it’s the coolest thing ever.’”
- Telegraph, January 14 2006

On portraying strong, female action heroines:
“I don’t know what it is, but I keep being asked to do movies like this and I can’t say no, they’re just too much fun. What’s really great is that a lot of women love these kinds of movies. They love being able to see this strong, muscular lady kick some ass on the screen, but at the same time be a woman, be vulnerable and sensitive and nurturing and concerned. I like the idea of playing these totally amazing muscular types who can beat the hell out of the undead, but also still have a soft side.”
- Mean, Fall/Winter 2004

On how things can go wrong trying to pick the right film role:
“Even if you work with a great director and a great cast, things can still turn out to be a disappointment. It can be incredibly disillusioning to feel that you’ve just thrown away six months of your life, and think to yourself, ‘Well, whoever’s making money off this, I hope you’re happy with your new car or your new driveway or whatever.’ So the reason why you do something is really important.”
- Harpers & Queen, January 2003

On being offered fortunes to do films she doesn’t want to:
“I’m at this place right now where people are offering me a lot of money to do crappy films. Which is actually a great thing, because before they weren’t. Is it hard to say no? Yes, are you kidding? It goes against every Russian instinct I have in my body. Gee, my people lie, cheat and steal for not even a quarter of what I’m being offered, but if there was ever a time for me to say no, it’s now.”
- Harpers & Queen, January 2003

On being picked for the role of Alice in Resident Evil:
“To him, I was the coolest girl in the world! I mean, you can’t get any cooler than that! So, I went in telling the director, ‘I have to do this movie. I’m the only actress in Hollywood that can do this movie.’”
- Femme Fatales, August 2002

On working with Michelle Rodriguez on Resident Evil:
“She doesn’t like to wear lipstick, so I would always scare her - every time she’d piss me off I’d just get lipstick and say, ‘I’ll mark you up.’ She would holler, ‘Man, get away from me!’ I’d be like, ‘Just come on, Michelle. Kiss me!’”
- Femme Fatales, August 2002

On working with Michelle Rodriguez and Paul W.S. Anderson on Resident Evil:
“She had this big plastic syringe that was floating around because the set’s a labratory. And she takes this and starts squirting us, and it’s like the Chinese water torture. It’s not much, but just enough to get you really angry. And after you’ve done fifteen-and-a-half-hours in this flooded labratory, the last thing you need is Michelle Rodriguez squirting water in your face. So I got pretty pissed off at her, and actually we caused a big problem on set because we kinda started dunking each other in the water and it got a little bit hairy, and Paul got actually very pissed off. And if you know Paul, he’s like, first of all, English. Very proper. When he gets mad, he’s like, ‘I’m incredibly mad right now! I just don’t know what I’m gonna do!’ For him to come up and yell was just so insane.”
- Femme Fatales, August 2002

On the importance of her music:
“I’ve recorded so much music, but actually putting a record out is the last thing I worry about. For me it’s much more important to write and record it and have it there.”
- Arena, July 2002

On excessively reading literature prior to the release of The Divine Comedy:
“I had so many pretensions of being this super philosopher.”
- InStyle (UK), July 2002

On her persistence and auditioning for new film roles:
“When I go on auditions, I never let them kick me out after one reading. Especially if they want me to leave, I stay, just to make sure that what they have on tape is me doing the best I can do.”
- Razor, June 2002

Auditioning for the part of Alice in Resident Evil:
“Look, there’s nobody else for this part. I’m telling you, I’m your girl. I play this game five hours a day!”
- Razor, June 2002

On climbing up the ladder as an actress:
“I haven’t had the temptation yet of being offered millions for some piece of crap. Although I’m hoping to experience that someday.”
- ELLE (US), May 2002

On her creative differences with music producers:
“I thought the songs on just the acoustic guitar were really beautiful. They didn’t need all of that to make it beautiful. Especially since they weren’t changing the structure of how I wrote the songs. It was just adding all of this stuff. They were putting their stamp on it.”
- Oneworld, 1997

On her favorite Greggs pastries:
“Whenever I’m there [in Newcastle], the first thing I do is buy one. Oh my God, I love them. I have often said I would be the face of Greggs, but they haven’t approached me yet.”
- Telegraph, August 4 2007

Spotting another celebrity mid-inteview in Beverly Hills:
[whispers] “Look over there, it’s Keanu Reeves.”
- Mean, Fall/Winter 2004

On the Los Angeles society:
“The people may be a bit fake here but the property’s just so cheap. More of you British should move out here. You can come round. We’ll have a barbecue.”
- Arena, July 2002