2. Alyssa Jayne Milano was born December 19, 1972. She
is an actress, producer, and former singer, probably best
known for portraying Phoebe Halliwell on The WB television
series Charmed which had a run from 1998 through 2006.
Milano first rose to fame on television for the childhood role
as Samantha Micelli on the ABC series Who's the Boss?
(1984 to 1992). She also starred as Jennifer Mancini on the
Fox soap opera Melrose Place (1997 to 1998). Milano also
has a sports apparel line, Touch.
3. Alyssa Milano is the daughter of Lin, a designer and
manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a music editor. Milano
was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and resided there until
a local shooting persuaded her family to move to Staten
Island. She has a younger brother, Cory (b. 1982), who is
also an actor. In a 2003 interview, Milano recalled having
had a good childhood, having grown up in a "loving, true
family. Having grown up in front of the camera, Milano did
not feel that it caused problems for her childhood. She said "I
love my family very much - they've really backed my career. I
consider myself to be normal: I've got to clean my room, and
help in the kitchen."
4. Milano began her career at age of eight after securing a part
in an audition for a nationwide tour of Annie. She was one
of the four selected out of an audition with over 1,500 girls.
Alongside the theater productions, she played a supporting
role in the low-budget independent film Old Enough, which
she remembered as a nice way to start out. At the young
age of 10, she won her first major role in the television series
Who's the Boss? alongside Tony Danza, Danny Pintauro,
Judith Light and Katherine Helmond. Her role was that
of Samantha Micelli, the daughter of the main character.
After Milano won the role, her father and she relocated to
Hollywood from Staten Island.
5. The remainder of her family followed suit one year later,
because her mom was initially unwilling to give up her home
life "for a show that wasn't a guarantee." Although she was
raised in Brooklyn, Milano had trouble getting this particular
accent right because she worked to lose it to land more
roles in theater, including in a stage adaption of Jane Eyre.
Throughout Who's the Boss?, Milano felt a strong connection
with co-star Danza.
6. On stage, she starred in Tender Offer, a one-act play written
by Wendy Wasserstein, All Night Long by playwright John
O'Keefe, and the first American musical version of Jane
Eyre. She returned to the theater in 1991, where she starred
in and produced a Los Angeles production of Butterflies Are
Free from December 26 until January 19, 1992.
7. In 1985, Milano was in the motion picture Commando as
Jenny Matrix, child of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger).
Appearing at age 12 in an R-rated action film, Milano
admitted to being "freaked out" by the weapons on set.
8. A few years later the film was run in Japan, prompting a
record producer to offer Milano a five-album recording
contract. Milano's albums, which she described
as "bubblegum pop", scored platinum in the country, but she
claimed not be content with its quality later in life.
9. Subsequently, she appeared opposite John Gielgud in the
children's motion picture The Canterville Ghost (1986). It did
not achieve much praise or attention, and Variety magazine
noted in its review: "Milano as the catalyzing daughter
Jennifer adapts to the ghostly Sir Simon without a qualm;
that, of course, is the true charm of the story, but Milano
doesn't exhibit enough presence to match the droll, charming
Gielgud.
10. By the late 1980s, Milano established herself as a teen idol,
having appeared in made-for-television teen flicks such
as Crash Course and Dance 'til Dawn (both 1988). Both
projects allowed her to work with close friend Brian Bloom.
Bloom and his brother Scott worked with Milano in episodes
of Who's the Boss.
11. When her role on Who's the Boss ended in 1992, Milano
feared not being able to acquire other roles, aware of
the fate of many grown-up child stars in that period.
Nevertheless, she was excited when she found out the show
was cancelled, being ready "to move on", and enthusiastic
to "showcase" what she could do.
12. In 1991, Milano auditioned for the female lead as a
homeless teenager in the independent film Where the Day
Takes You. Although the crew was reluctant to sign a former
child star, she was given a small role as a prostitute in the
production. Even though she feared that viewers would
only recognize her as "the girl from Who's the Boss?",
she was noticed by the media, that helped her land the
controversial role of Amy Fisher in the high profile TV movie
Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story. Milano said
that her portrayal of Amy Fisher was more based on Joey
Buttafuoco's point of view.
13. In 1994, she was considered to replace Shannen Doherty
in Beverly Hills, 90210. In 1996, Milano appeared opposite
Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in the thriller
Fear. Even though the film did not receive very positive
reviews, Los Angeles Times called Milano "very good" in the
production.
14. After not being able to land further movie roles, she acquired
the roles of Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place (1997–1998),
Meg Winston in Spin City, and Phoebe Halliwell on the eight-
year run of the popular hit TV series Charmed (1998–2006).
15. Milano suffers from dyslexia. In a 2004 interview, she
explained how she deals with the disorder: "I've stumbled
over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir John
Gielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghost
years ago, gave me great advice. When I asked how he
memorized his monologues, he said, 'I write them down'. I
use that method to this day. It not only familiarizes me with
the words, it makes them my own."
16. Milano is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and writes
a regular baseball blog on the Major League Baseball's
website. In 2007, Milano launched her signature "Touch" line
of team apparel for female baseball fans, selling it through
her blog and Major League Baseball's website. It also
became available in 2009 through a boutique store located
in Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets.
17. Outside of acting, her hobbies include photography,
humanitarian work, and spending time with her three dogs
and eight horses. Milano has commented on her love for
animals, and in a 2009 interview discussed one of her dogs,
a German shepherd called Pinto, who had died at the age
of 14; he had worked with the LAPD dogs and Milano had
owned him for 10 years.
18. After one year of dating, she and CAA agent David Bugliari
were engaged December 18, 2008. Milano and Bugliari
married on August 15, 2009 in New Jersey, at the home of
Bugliari's family. In February 2011, it was announced that
Milano and Bugliari were expecting their first child, a baby
boy. In August 2011, she gave birth to a son named Milo
Thomas Bugliari.
Visit http://alyssamilanopictures.com/ for more info.