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Wikipedia
Alyssa Jayne Milano,(born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer. Her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? made her famous, and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed brought her a new round of fame. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of Jennifer Mancini. Milano has a female sports apparel line, Touch.
Early life
Milano is the daughter of Lin, a fashion designer and talent manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a film music editor and boating enthusiast.[1] Milano was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Staten Island, and was raised Roman Catholic.[2] She has a younger brother, Cory (born in 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."[3]
Career
Early career
Milano began her career at age eight after winning a role in an open audition for a national tour of Annie. She was one of the four picked out of an audition with over 1500 girls.[4] She appeared in television commercials and off-Broadway productions.
At age 11, she won her first major role in the television show, Who's the Boss?, alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Danny Pintauro, andKatherine Helmond. She starred as Samantha Micelli, the daughter of Danza's character. After Milano won the role, she and her father relocated from Staten Island to Hollywood. The rest of the family followed a year later, because her mother was initially unwilling to give up her home life "for a show that wasn't a guarantee."[5] Although born and raised in Brooklyn, Milano had trouble getting this accent, because she worked to lose it to land more roles in the theater, including in a stage adaption of Jane Eyre.[4]
On stage, she starred in Tender Offer, a one-act play written by Wendy Wasserstein, All Night Long by American playwright John O'Keefe,[6]and the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre. She returned to the theater in 1991, when she starred in and produced a Los Angelesproduction of Butterflies Are Free.
In 1985, Milano was in the film Commando as Jenny Matrix, daughter of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Appearing at age 12 in an R-rated action film, Milano admitted she was sometimes "freaked out" by the weapons on set.[3] A few years later this film was shown in Japan, prompting a producer to offer Milano a five-album record deal.
By the late 1980s, Milano was established as a teen idol,[3] appearing in made-for-television teen films such as Crash Course and Dance 'til Dawn (both 1988). Both projects allowed her to work alongside close personal friend Brian Bloom. Bloom and his brother Scott worked with Milano in episodes of Who's the Boss. This working camaraderie would later expand in 1993 when Milano guest starred in Brian's series The Webbers. She produced a teen workout video in 1988 called Teen Steam and achieved some fame outside the USA with her music career, which lasted until the early 1990s. In 1991, Milano wanted to quit acting to pursue an academic career, but was unable to gain release from her contract.[3]
When her role on Who's the Boss ended in 1992, Milano feared having trouble to obtaining other roles, aware of the fate of many grown-up child stars in that period.[5] Nevertheless, she was excited when she found out the show was cancelled, being ready "to move on."[3] Milano tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing nude in several erotic films targeted at adults, such as Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story (1993), Embrace of the Vampire (1994), Deadly Sins (1995), and Poison Ivy II: Lily (1996), where she starred opposite Johnathon Schaech and Xander Berkeley.
The transition started in 1992, when Milano auditioned for 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.[3] 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.[3] In 1994, she was considered to replace Shannen Doherty in Beverly Hills, 90210.[7]
Later roles
Her performance in Fear led to a starring role in Hugo Pool (1997), her first film released through cinemas since Commando.[3] Despite the milestone, Milano was soon out of work and after a period of six months, she decided to return to television. She portrayed bad girl Jennifer Mancini onMelrose Place (1997–1998), Meg Winston in Spin City, and most notably as Phoebe Halliwell on the eight-year run of the popular hit TV series Charmed (1998–2006). Her role on Melrose Placewas offered to the actress by Aaron Spelling himself. The stint garnered her new fame and she was named the most successful and popular actress on the primetime soap, alongside Heather Locklear.[3] Milano and close friend Holly Marie Combs became producers for Charmed during the show's fifth season.
She played the role of Eva Savelot in MCI's 1-800-COLLECT commercials. In 2007, Milano filmed a pilot for ABC entitled Reinventing the Wheelers. The series was not picked up for the 2007–2008 season, but instead, Milano appeared in ten episodes of the show My Name Is Earl. This reunited her with Jaime Pressly, who guest-starred in the two-part Season 5 premiere of Charmed, "A Witch's Tail".[8]
Milano's commercial work includes appearing in the "Josie" music video by Blink-182, as well as 2007 television ads for Veet and Sheer Cover.She also appeared in an early 80s commercial for Hi-C.
Milano was part of TBS's special coverage installment Hot Corner for the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs.[9] She reported at Fenway Park during the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. She also reported at Chase Field during theNLCS between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
Milano starred in the 2008 film Pathology alongside Milo Ventimiglia and was then cast in a television sitcom, Single with Parents, which was pulled prior to production.
On March 20, 2009, it was announced that Milano would provide a voice for the Ghostbusters: The Video Game.[10] In a 2010 interview, she told the press that she had 'a blast' working on the game, although she recalled it being 'odd' having to grunt in a room alone.[11] It was speculated that following the voice over in the video game, she was set to star in Ghostbusters III, although Milano claimed she was never approached.[11]
On March 24, 2009, her book on her baseball fandom, Safe At Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic, was released. Milano has signed on to star in and produce My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, a romantic comedy in which she plays a woman with a relationship dilemma.[12]
Milano starred in the sitcom Romantically Challenged as Rebecca Thomas, a recently divorced single mom attorney in Pittsburgh who has not dated "since Bill Clinton was president". The series premiered on ABC on April 19, 2010.[13] On why she accepted the role, Milano commented:
- "I was so attracted to the writing. Our creative showrunner is Ricky Blitt from Family Guy and I was struck at how funny the female characters were written. Usually the female characters are written pretty straightforward, like the straight-man but with Ricky’s writing, the women get to be equally as funny. That was what hooked me. James Burrows, who’s our director, is another major part of what attracted me to the show. It just seemed like a really good package and something that I could commit to in the long-term."[11]
On May 16, 2010, the series was cancelled after four episodes had aired.[14] On the show's cancellation, Milano wrote on her website:
- "It would be so very, very, easy for me to be upset and bitter about [it]. But… I'm not upset or bitter. [..] I am well aware that I'm in a business that sometimes makes decisions that are inexplicable. Dealing with those decisions is almost just as much a part of the job as memorizing my dialogue. My only true sadness comes from not being able to see Ricky, Mr. Burrows, Josh, Kelly and Kyle's face every day."[15]
In the future, Milano will co-star with Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate in the romantic comedy Hall Pass (2011), in which she was assigned in February 2010,[16] as well as producing and leading the cast of Lifetime's TV film Sundays at Tiffany's.[17] The latter will be her second collaboration with Lifetime, the first being 2008's Wisegal.[17]
Philanthropy
Milano was appointed Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, to which she donated $250,000. The Global Network is an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Milano will work to raise awareness of NTDs by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people who are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.
Milano is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States. She traveled to India, Kosovo, as well asAngola, to work with UNICEF field officers there. In the fall of 2004, she participated in UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as an official spokesperson. She raised approximately $50,000 for South African women and children with AIDS by selling own and school's photo work. In support of PETA, she appeared in an advertisement for them, advocating vegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables.[18]
In honor of her 37th birthday (December 19, 2009), Milano ran an online fundraising campaign for Charity:Water. Her original goal was to raise $25,000, but a donation from her husband put her over the $75,000 mark on December 18. The fundraiser was scheduled to run until December 26.[citation needed]
[edit]Personal life
"I've stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir John Gielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghostyears 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."
Milano is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and writes a regular baseball blog on the Major League Baseball's website.[20] 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.[20] It also became available in 2009 through a boutique store located in Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets.[21] She has an interest in the Los Angeles Kings,[22] a National Hockey League team, and is involved with a related clothing line. In 2008, she expanded that to NFL football, as a New York Giants fan. Since Milano is in the same hometown as NFL Network's Rich Eisen (Staten Island), she revealed some of her family's connections with the New York Giants.[23]
Milano has eight tattoos on her body: one on each wrist and ankle, shoulder, neck, hip, and lower back. Milano is a vegetarian and appears in numerous PETA advertising campaigns for vegetarianism. 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 shepherdcalled Pinto, who had died at the age of 14; he had worked with the LAPD dogs and Milano had owned him for 10 years.[24]
Milano dated actor Corey Haim from 1987 to 1990.[25] She was engaged to Scott Wolf in 1993.[26] She was married to singer–songwriter Cinjun Tate of Remy Zero in 1999; they were divorced later that year. She dated Charmed co-star Brian Krause for a while during the third and fourth season of the show.[citation needed] She briefly dated Justin Timberlake in 2002.[27] After one year of dating, she and CAA agent David Bugliari were engaged December 18, 2008.[28] Milano and Bugliari married on August 15, 2009 in New Jersey, at the home of Bugliari's family.[29]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Old Enough | Diane | |
| 1985 | Commando | Jenny Matrix | Nominated—Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Feature Film–Comedy or Drama |
| 1986 | The Canterville Ghost | Jennifer Canterville | TV movie |
| 1988 | Crash Course | Vanessa Crawford | TV movie aka Driving Academy |
| 1988 | Dance 'til Dawn | Shelley Sheridan | Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Special, Pilot, Movie of the Week, or Miniseries |
| 1989 | Speed Zone! | Lurleen | aka Cannonball Fever |
| 1992 | Little Sister | Diana | |
| 1992 | Where the Day Takes You | Kimmy | |
| 1993 | The Webbers | Fan | TV movie |
| 1993 | Conflict of Interest | Eve | |
| 1993 | Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story | Amy Fisher | TV movie |
| 1993 | Candles in the Dark | Sylvia Velliste | TV movie |
| 1994 | Confessions of a Sorority Girl | Rita Summers | TV movie |
| 1994 | Double Dragon | Marian Delario/Power Corps Chief | |
| 1995 | Deadly Sins | Cristina | |
| 1995 | Embrace of the Vampire | Charlotte Wells | |
| 1995 | The Surrogate | Amy Winslow | TV movie |
| 1996 | "Jimmy Zip" | Francesca | Short film |
| 1996 | Poison Ivy II: Lily | Lily Leonetti | |
| 1996 | Fear | Margo Masse | |
| 1996 | Glory Daze | Chelsea | |
| 1996 | To Brave Alaska | Denise Harris | TV movie |
| 1996 | Public Enemies | Amaryllis | |
| 1997 | Below Utopia | Susanne | also credited as producer |
| 1997 | Hugo Pool | Hugo Dugay | |
| 1998 | Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure | Frances Ella 'Fizzy' Fitz | TV movie |
| 2001 | Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure | Angel | Nominated—Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production |
| 2001 | Diamond Hunters | Tracey Van der Byl | TV movie |
| 2002 | Buying the Cow | Amy | |
| 2002 | Kiss the Bride | Amy Kayne | |
| 2003 | Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star | Cyndi | |
| 2005 | Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone | 26 | Voice |
| 2007 | The Blue Hour | Allegra | |
| 2008 | Wisegal | Patty Montanari | TV movie also credited as producer |
| 2008 | Pathology | Gwen Williamson | |
| 2010 | "DC Showcase: The Spectre" | Aimee Brenner | Animated short: voice |
| 2010 | My Girlfriend's Boyfriend | Jesse Young | also credited as producer |
| 2010 | Sundays at Tiffany's | Jane | TV movie also credited as producer |
| 2011 | Hall Pass | Grace | post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–92 | Who's the Boss? | Samantha Micelli | 1–8 | 196 episodes Young Artist Award for Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Series (1986) Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress, Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series (1986) Best Young Female Superstar in Television (1988) Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress (1988, 1989) Blimp Award–Favorite TV Actress (1990) |
| 1997–98 | Melrose Place | Jennifer Mancini | 5–7 | 40 episodes Recurring season 5 Seven episodes in Season 7, left to take lead role in Charmed |
| 1998–2006 | Charmed | Phoebe Halliwell | 1–8 | 178 episodes Became a producer at the beginning of season 4. Nominated—Blimp Award for Favorite TV Actress (2005) Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for TV–Choice Actress (2006) |
| 2007 | Reinventing the Wheelers | Annie | TV pilot | |
| 2007–2008 | My Name Is Earl | Billie Cunningham | Recurring in Season 3, episodes 6–22. | |
| 2008 | Single with Parents | Lou | TV pilot | |
| 2010 | Romantically Challenged | Rebecca Thomas | 1 | 6 episodes |
| Year | Series title | Role | Episode title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Jem | Jessica Sharp | "Frame Up" | Season 1, episode 4 |
| 1989 | Living Dolls | Samantha Micelli | "It's My Party" ; "It's All Done with Mirrors" | Season 1, 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Série rose | "Softly from Paris" | Season 4, episode 1 | |
| 1990 | The American Film Institute Presents: TV or Not TV? | |||
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Hannah Valesic | "Caught in the Act" | Season 1, episode 17 |
| 1997 | Spin City | Meg Winston | "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" | Season 2, episode 11 |
| 1998 | Fantasy Island | Gina Williams | "Superfriends" | Season 1, episode 2 |
| 2001 | Family Guy | Herself | "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington" | Season 3, episode 3 |
| 2001 | Spin City | Meg Winston | "Rain on My Charades" | Season 5, episode 17 |
| 2004 | The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | April Gorlock | "Win, Lose and Kaboom" | Voice, season 2 |
| 2010 | Castle | Kyra Blaine | "A Rose for Everafter" | Season 2, episode 12 |
Discography
The discography of American pop singer Alyssa Milano includes four studio albums, two compilations, and eleven singles. These albums were only commercially available in Japan, with the exception of one single that was only available in France and a charity single that was available in the US.
- Studio albums
| Year | Information | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||
| 1989 | Look in My Heart
| |
| 1989 | Alyssa
| |
| 1991 | Locked Inside a Dream
| |
| 1992 | Do You See Me?
|
- Compilations
| Year | Information | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| JPN | ||
| 1990 | The Best in the World: Non-Stop Special Remix/Alyssa's Singles
| |
| 1995 | The Very Best of Alyssa Milano
|
- Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Peak positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | U.S. AC | JPN | |||||||||
| 1989 | "What a Feeling" | Look in My Heart | – | – | – | ||||||
| "Look In My Heart" | – | – | – | ||||||||
| "Straight to the Top" | – | – | – | ||||||||
| "I Had a Dream" | Alyssa | – | – | – | |||||||
| "Happiness" | – | – | – | ||||||||
| 1990 | "The Best in the World" | The Best in the World | – | – | – | ||||||
| "I Love When We're Together"1 | Single Only | – | – | – | |||||||
| 1991 | "New Sensation" | Locked Inside a Dream | – | – | – | ||||||
| "Voices That Care" 1 | Single Only | 11 | 6 | – | |||||||
| 1992 | "Do You See Me?" | Do You See Me? | – | – | – | ||||||
| 1993 | "No Secret" 2 | Locked Inside a Dream | – | – | – | ||||||
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