Milana Vayntrub
Actress • Comedian • Activist
Biography & Career Highlights
Milana Vayntrub is an Uzbek-American actress, comedian, writer, and activist. She is best known for her role as Lily Adams, the witty saleswoman in a long-running series of AT&T television commercials, and for her extensive humanitarian work.
Early Life & Education
Born Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub on March 8, 1987, in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR (then part of the Soviet Union), her family, who are secular Jewish, immigrated to the United States as refugees when she was just two years old, seeking escape from religious persecution. They eventually settled in West Hollywood, California.
- Early Career Start: To help support her family, she began acting in commercials at the age of five, starting with a Barbie campaign.
- Education: She left Beverly Hills High School early but earned a B.A. in Communication from the University of California, San Diego, and trained in improv comedy with the Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles.
Career Milestones
Vayntrub has successfully transitioned between commercial stardom, television drama, and comedic writing and directing.
- The AT&T Phenomenon: Her breakout role as Lily Adams from 2013–2016 made her one of the most recognizable faces in American advertising. She returned to the role in 2020 and has since taken on directing duties for many of the later commercials.
- Television Roles: She had a recurring dramatic role on the Emmy-winning series This Is Us (2016–2017), playing Sloane Sandburg. She also starred in the Paul Feig sci-fi comedy Other Space.
- Marvel’s Squirrel Girl: Milana was cast as Doreen Green / Squirrel Girl in Marvel’s live-action New Warriors series and continues to voice the character in the Marvel Rising animated franchise.
Activism & Social Impact
A passionate advocate, Vayntrub uses her platform to focus on humanitarian issues, especially the global refugee crisis.
- #CantDoNothing: In 2016, following a trip to Greece, she co-founded the social movement #CantDoNothing, dedicated to raising awareness and motivating people to help refugees worldwide.
- Personal Advocacy: She has been outspoken on social justice issues, including women’s rights and immigration, and publicly shared her personal experience with abortion to support reproductive rights.
- Online Harassment: She became a vocal advocate against online objectification and harassment after experiencing severe abuse during the re-run of her AT&T commercials, prompting major platforms to address the issue.
Personal Life
Milana is a single parent, choosing to keep her child’s details private to maintain their privacy. Her personal life reflects a commitment to resilience and privacy in the public eye.
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