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Mila Kunis on the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival: ‘The Canadians Really Brought It’

Mila Kunis made one mistake before coming to the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival: because Canadians have such a reputation for being calm and laid-back, she assumed the festival would be the same.

Not so, as she quickly learned when she arrived in town this morning.

“I love me some Toronto, but I’ve never been to the festival – it’s very fun, but crazy,” the 30-year-old actress told reporters outside the Elgin Theatre on Monday night. “It’s a little crazier than I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be a little low-key. It’s a little fancy-pants. The Canadians really brought it!”

Kunis had two films screening at TIFF on Monday night, “Blood Ties” and “Third Person.” In fact, both movies were essentially premiering at the same time, forcing the actress to choose which showing to attend -- ultimately, she ended up at the “Third Person” premiere, along with Oscar-winning director/screenwriter Paul Haggis and co-stars Maria Bello, Adrian Brody, and Olivia Wilde.

The film tells three interweaving stories taking place in Paris, New York City, and Rome. In Kunis’s story line, she plays a mother accused of trying to kill her son; in the aftermath of the accusation, she struggles against the boy’s father (played by James Franco) to stay in contact with her child. It was a difficult role for the actress, but one that immediately appealed to her.

“Playing flawed characters is always an attraction to an actor, and in this film, there are no protagonists – only real, honest, human characters,” Kunis explained. “It’s always a challenge to take a character that’s not innately likeable and to make the audience root for them.”

And even if her character had been less challenging, there was another significant reason for Kunis to star in “Third Person.”

“I wanted to work with Paul,” she said. “It was a very simple decision.”

As excited as she appeared about her new films, Kunis seemed remarkably less enthusiastic when asked if she planned to attend any of TIFF’s legendary parties.

“Mmm, nope!” the actress replied, amused. “I’m like, ‘It’s 10 o’clock, guys – I gotta go to bed.’”

You say that now, Mila, but Toronto's "fancy-pants" nightlife might be hard to pass up.

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