Milla Jovovich's Daughter, Ever Anderson, Grew Up To Be Her Twin
Some kids of A-list stars go out of their way to pursue lines of work far away from the wild world of show business. There are the celeb kids who nobody knows about and are totally kept out of the spotlight. And there are the children of celebrities who follow in their parents' footsteps and try to become stars in their own right. Milla Jovovich's eldest daughter, Ever Gabo Anderson, definitely falls in the third category.
Anderson's mother couldn't be more thrilled to watch her eldest child grow up before her eyes and pave her own path in Tinseltown. "[S]he really is my little friend and buddy who 'gets it.' I have time to sit back and just watch her blossom. ... Listening to her talk about her day, what she did in school, what her hope and dreams and fears are is just one of my favorite things in the world," Jovovich told Romy & the Bunnies back when Anderson was 7 years old. "Watching her improve her skills and find the things that she loves to do...It's all so precious."
As Anderson's star continues to rise, the similarities between her and Jovovich become all the more apparent. While some children of celebrities may look absolutely nothing like their parents, Anderson looks a lot like her model and actor parent. It's no stretch to say she's basically her mom's twin.
Ever Anderson's parents are Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson
Ever Anderson is the eldest child of Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson. Jovovich and Paul met on the set of 2002's "Resident Evil." In a 2022 interview with The New York Times, Paul shared his first impression of his future wife. "I finally met Milla officially for the first time in 2000, right before we did 'Resident Evil' ... I thought she was the coolest-looking woman in the world. And I had just seen this really cool truck parked on the street outside–and it was her truck," he recalled. Paul was the writer and director on the first installment of the "Resident Evil" film series; Jovovich played Alice throughout the franchise.
Jovovich and Paul hit it off right away, and soon entered into a romantic relationship. The pair wed in 2009 in a ceremony held in their garden at their Beverly Hills home. Jovovich was 33 years old at the time, and Paul was 44.
Whether they're working on a movie or raising their children, Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson sure seem to have a strong partnership. "I tell Paul every day, he spoils me. It is such a pleasure. We have our family together. We do these fun movies together," Jovovich once told HuffPost. "What am I going to do when I have to go work with somebody else?"
Ever Anderson is the eldest of three children by almost a decade
Ever Anderson was born on November 3, 2007. The following year, her mom, Milla Jovovich, told People that she went into labor three days before Ever arrived. "I was up for 48 hours, for two nights," she told the publication. "I started Halloween night. By the time I went into the hospital, it was the night of November 2nd. I finally went into the hospital and had the epidural."
Ever has two younger sisters:Dashiel Edan Anderson was born in 2015, and Osian Lark Elliot Anderson arrived in 2020. While Dashiel and Osian are about five years apart; Ever is eight years older than Dashiel. While Ever was an only child for many years, it seems that she quickly embraced the big sister role. In 2016, shortly after Dashiel was born, Ever told musician Soko in Interview magazine that she loved spending time with her baby sibling. "Happiness for me is being with my family and playing with my little sister," she said.
When Osian was born, Dashiel embraced being a big sister, too — and Ever loved seeing Dashiel take on this role. "Dash is a great little sister, but I noticed that she is also an amazing big sister to Osian. She's much more responsible than I am!" Ever told Document in 2022. "But, I'm also very protective of them. I guess because I'm much older."
When she was little, she fell in love with acting
Ever Anderson grew up watching her mom and dad work in show business; she found out her parents were famous when she was just 5 years old. And like so many kids who spent their formative years around the industry, Ever quickly realized she was interested in pursuing an acting career of her own. As she said in V Magazine, "Once I realized that role-playing with my dolls could actually be a profession, of sorts, I knew that acting was for me."
Her mother, Milla Jovovich, recognized that her daughter had been bitten by the acting bug early on. "She's grown up on sets with her dad and I and, you know, it seems like that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Jovovich told Entertainment Tonight in 2020. "On the one hand I'm terrified because I know how difficult this industry is. And on the other hand, I'm overjoyed because I feel like my child has found their passion, and she has been very focused on it since she was five years old."
In a 2023 interview with W Magazine, Anderson gushed about how cool it was to watch her mom work on sets. "She was doing this job that I also wanted to do — she was doing the dream, in my eyes," she said.
Ever Anderson persuaded her mother to sign her up for acting classes
Milla Jovovich was open to supporting her eldest child's ambitions, but she wanted to make sure Ever Anderson was ready to put in the work. "When I was 5, I told my mom that acting was my passion and asked her if I could audition to be on TV," Anderson recounted in a 2016 conversation with musician Soko for Interview magazine. "She told me I had to learn to read first. Then when I was 7, I was reading really well so I asked my mom again. She said I had to take acting classes first to see if it was really right for me. I started at the Playground and loved it." Clearly, those acting classes worked out well for the young star: This interview was conducted right before "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" hit theaters, when Anderson was only 9 years old.
Though Jovovich was willing to help make Anderson's acting dreams come true, that's not to say she did not have her concerns about her eldest diving into such a competitive and relentless industry. "My poor mom was horrified when I asked her when I was five if I could audition for films," she told V Magazine. "But she used my interest in acting to encourage me to read and that's something that I love so much."
In 2016, Ever Anderson made her silver screen debut
After only a few years of acting training, Ever Anderson officially hit the big screen. Her film debut came about in the last installment of the "Resident Evil" franchise, which was aptly called "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter." The 2016 film was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, Milla Jovovich played Alice and Alicia Marcus, and Ever played the Red Queen and the younger version of Alicia Marcus. Needless to say, it was a family affair. And hey, who better to play the younger version of one of Jovovich's characters than her real-life look alike?
The flick garnered some decent reviews from critics and fans of the zombie-killer series alike. As RogerEbert.com noted, "Even after 15 years of mashing mutants, [Jovovich] still brings enough energy and panache to the franchise, not to mention a commanding physical presence." Funny enough, Ever didn't get to see her acting debut on the big screen. As Jovovich told TMZ in 2017, her daughter was still too young to watch "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter."
Unsurprisingly, Jovovich loved sharing the screen with her daughter. "It was so amazing to work with you," the Hollywood veteran once said to her daughter on Facebook (via Entertainment Weekly). "You are [an] unbelievably talented actress, more talented than I've ever been. It was an honor and a privilege to work with you."
Ever Anderson also played the younger version of a Marvel character
A few years after "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter," Ever Anderson went on to play the younger version of another popular character. In 2021, Milla Jovovich's daughter appeared in "Black Widow" as young Natasha, Scarlett Johansson's character. And even while playing a younger version of a ScarJo character in a Marvel movie, it was hard not to notice how much Anderson resembled her real-life mother. As reported by the Independent, one viewer stated, "I thought young Natasha looked just like Milla Jovovich ... turns out she is her daughter."
Anderson was understandably proud to be part of the franchise. "Black Widow is such an inspiration to me and so many girls my age" she told Paper magazine in 2021. "It's just so exciting, and such a privilege to play young Natasha Romanoff." Her mother has also sung her praises. As "The Fifth Element" actor gushed to Entertainment Tonight, "I mean, literally, she had everybody crying during one of her scenes! She's amazing."
One of the people in tears was none other than former child star and Hollywood icon Scarlett Johansson. This meant a lot to Anderson. "[Johansson] said that I had made her cry in one of my scenes and it was one of the most amazing things ever, because she's such an honoured and well respected actress," Anderson told Yahoo! Canada. "Some of the scenes were quite heavy, so they really stuck with me. It's kind of something that you think about at night."
In 2023, Ever Anderson starred in a Disney live-action film
After landing supporting roles in a few major films, Ever Anderson's first lead role arrived in 2023. Milla Jovovich's daughter was cast as Wendy Darling in the Disney+ film "Peter Pan & Wendy." She first landed the part when she was 12 years old, back in early 2020. However, production was delayed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As noted in W Magazine, Anderson didn't officially start filming for the role until she was 14 years old. "I was scared they were going to fire me because I got taller than all the boys!" she told the publication in 2023.
In the same interview with W Magazine, Anderson also shared that her parents were happy to help guide her through the audition process. "I come to my mom for advice on everything; she helped me dig deep and find the essence of Wendy when I was first going to auditions," she said. "And both my mom and my dad introduced me to 'Monty Python' and 'Absolutely Fabulous' — so they both contributed in helping me with my [British] accent."
When Anderson's involvement in the Disney+ movie was first announced back in 2020, Jovovich took to Instagram to share just how thrilled she was for her kid. "We're so proud of our baby! Ever has been wanting to act since she was 5 and she's put the time, focus and energy into making her dream come true!" she wrote.
Ever Anderson is also a model like her mother
Milla Jovovich's modeling career began when she was 11 years old, and as she told Into the Gloss, she started taking acting lessons a few years before that. While she had success in the modeling world at an early age, she was still drawn to acting. "I don't know where I would be without modeling," Jovovich told the Daily News in 2002. "If I didn't model, I wouldn't have the money to make some of the film choices I've made ... which are [then] more honest."
Ever Anderson has followed in her model mom's footsteps. Jovovich's eldest daughter is a brand ambassador for Miu Miu, and she has been on the cover of several fashion magazines, such as Muse, Re-Edition, and Mini-V. Anderson seems to be fond of her modeling gigs, and she also reportedly hopes to participate in fashion runways at some point in her future. "I have to get better at walking in heels, because unfortunately, I'm dreadful," she conceded to W Magazine. Miu Miu does have a range of pumps, so it will be interesting to see if Anderson might gain some experience with heels while working with the company.
Ever Anderson has many hobbies outside of acting and modeling
Ever Anderson's acting and modeling careers surely keep her busy, but she still finds time to pursue her interests that fall outside of the entertainment industry. For starters, she enjoys learning languages. The young star is not only fluent in English, French, and Russian, but in 2022, she shared on TikTok that she'd started studying Japanese. As she told V Magazine, "I have always had an ear for languages and learning about other cultures is something I am passionate about."
Anderson is also an avid TikTok user and technology enthusiast, and has expressed interest in creating her own video game. "I really like 'Minecraft' and 'Roblox,'" she told Soko for Interview in 2016. On top of this, she enjoys playing sports and has practiced taekwondo since around the time she started acting classes.
Her martial arts skills and language skills sure came in handy when Anderson filmed "Black Widow." "I have been doing TKD (Taekwondo) since I was five so I feel like I've actually been training my whole life to play Natasha!" she told Paper in 2021. "I also did gymnastics to prepare because I had to learn to walk on my hands and I practiced my Russian as well as they added quite a lot of Russian dialogue into the script." It will be interesting to see what other hobbies Anderson goes on to pursue and how these might help the teenager in her blossoming entertainment career.
Ever Anderson still worries she has to prove herself
Having parents who have had great success in the film industry can be a double-edged sword for some young stars. Sure, their parents can open doors and offer invaluable advice, but on the flip side, the "nepo baby" stigma tends to loom large. Ever Anderson has certainly worked hard to make a name for herself, but she is also the first to note the integral part her parents play in her career. Not only did they give Anderson her first big-budget movie role, but they've been there to show her the ropes every step of the way and dole out words of wisdom.
"My mom told me to always be inquisitive, always care about everything you do — and everyone," she told W Magazine in 2023. "And to never be afraid to look stupid, because sometimes that's just the way it is. You can't be scared to put yourself out there." What's more, her parents taught her to be tenacious. "[T]o succeed, you have to be willing to work hard, and even if you make mistakes along the way, there is always something to be learned from them," she told Flaunt.
Yet despite all that the young actor has going for her, Anderson still worries about her future career moves. "The challenging part is having to prove myself." she said in Flaunt. "I feel like when your Mom is an actress and your dad is a director, those are some pretty big shoes to fill."