I owe my fan base to action films: 'Monster Hunter' star Milla Jovovich

Jovovich, who was born in Kiev, Ukraine before her parents emigrated to the US, started her film journey with movies like ''Return to the Blue Lagoon'', ''Chaplin'' and Richard Linklater's ''Dazed and Confused''. 

But after a brief hiatus, the actor took a plunge in the action genre with ''The Fifth Element'', co-starring Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. 

Jovovich was able to showcase her action credential in the cult classic movie and later followed up with the blockbuster ''Resident Evil'' franchise. Today, Jovovich is one of the most recognised female action stars and she feels content with the love and recognition that has come her way over the years. 

''I make fun movies and people love to see me kick b**t. I've also made loads of independent movies. In the end, it's the big action films that have really given me the fan base that I have today. I'm super lucky. I've had a lot of praise. I have a lot of fans that love what I do,'' the 45-year-old actor told PTI in a Zoom interview. 

Jovovich said her fascination with action movies started in her childhood when she used to watch the movies of Sigourney Weaver (''Alien'' franchise) and Linda Hamilton (''Terminator'' series). 

But beyond the two stars, there weren't many female actors in the action genre, she added. 

''When I was growing up, it was Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton. They were kick*** and realistic. They weren't really using their sex appeals so much. They were sexy, but not for the obvious reasons. I always wondered why there weren't more women on screen kicking b**t and stuff. ''So, definitely when it came to movies, there was really not much representing on screen or for girls that wanted to be superheroes. There wasn't much of that around. Especially like realistic ones.'' Jovovich said she decided to fill this void when she took up ''The Fifth Element'' back in the 1990s. 

''When I did the 'Fifth Element', it was an 'aha' moment for me because I realised I worked really well in this kind of environment. I love fantasy and sci-fi stories. I loved training for that part. 

''I always say, if I wasn't an actress, I might have joined military because I really worked well in that kind of high-stress situations. I love weapons, I'm a team player and I take direction well. So for me, it answered something inside of me that I felt like I was good at this and I could really sell this idea of a female action hero to an audience in a realistic way.'' Jovovich said things have changed in Hollywood for better as there is a much bigger presence of female actors in the genre. 

''There's a lot more women in action movies today, as opposed to when I started, which is amazing.'' Jovovich next stars in ''Monster Hunter'', which reunites her with filmmaker husband Paul WS Anderson, who earlier directed her in four ''Resident Evil'' movies. 

In the movie, the actor stars as United States army captain Natalie Artemis who finds herself at odds with powerful and deadly monsters. 

''Monster Hunter'', which also features Thai star Tony Jaa, is based on Capcom's popular video game franchise of the same name. 

Jovovich said when Anderson approached her with the movie, she just couldn't decline it. But at the same time, she asked him to cast some other actor for the lead role. 

''I did try and convince him to work with some other actresses, like he could do it with Kate Beckinsale and Charlize Theron, they are amazing. I told him he should open his circle and not always work with me. He loves working with me. 

''Besides, I've always been obsessed with the military. So, to play a soldier was so fascinating,'' she said. 

''Monster Hunter'', which also stars Tip ''TI'' Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung and Ron Perlman, was released in the United States on December 18, 2020. The Sony Pictures Entertainment movie is scheduled to be released in the Indian theatres on February 5.