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Esquire magazine has hailed actress Mila Kunis the “sexiest woman alive” for 2012.

Having starred in a string of movies and TV shows including Black Swan and That 70s Show, the 29 year old revealed in an interview for the magazine she was quick to realise the importance of being able to say no in the acting industry.

“I learned people are assholes and people lie. I think that was the turning point of my career. Where I said no!” she said.

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This lesson was learnt during the promotion of her 2008 movie Max Payne, as Kunis refused to pose for a magazine.

Along with her amazing looks, which are showcased as she coyly poses topless on the magazine cover, Kunis is known for her charm and wicked sense of humour. Despite this, Kunis modestly insists she isn’t actually all that funny and that the basis of her humor is all about the delivery.

“It's a learned skill. Through 20 years of doing this, I practice it. I think that the second you think that you're funny is when you stop being funny,” she said.

See the past winners of Esquire Sexiest Woman of the Year:

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As one of Hollywood’s most sought after movie stars, it is not unusual for Kunis to find herself fleeing from a trail of eager paparazzi. She insists this attention is unwanted and rejects the tendency of some celebrities to be paid to endorse brands in photographs.

“I really don't want it. The fact that I even have to talk about it ... it's common sense: Privacy is privacy. I no longer have it,” she said.

Kunis revealed in the interview that she maintains her sanity by separating her work from her private life.

“I love what I do. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. But when I'm done with work, I'm done with work,” she said.