In Los Angeles, her mother tried to get acting jobs, but found little success because of language barriers, and eventually resorted to cleaning houses to earn money. Both parents served as cooks and housekeepers for director Brian De Palma. Her father was convicted and imprisoned for participating in the largest health-insurance fraud ever investigated; he was given a 20-year sentence in 1994, but was released in 1999 after serving five years. According to Jovovich, "Prison was good for him. He's become a much better person. It gave him a chance to stop and think."