Alyssa Milano
 |
Alyssa Milano | |
|---|---|
| File:Alyssa Milano visits USS Nimitz, Alyssa-milano-picture-3.jpg Alyssa Milano visiting the USS Nimitz, 2003 | |
| Born | Alyssa Jayne Milano |
| Other names | Lyssie (nickname), Lissy-girl (childhood nickname) |
| Website | www.alyssa.com |
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 191972) is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed.
Biography
Early life and career
Milano was born in New York to Italian American parents Lin, a former fashion designer and talent manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a film music editor and a well-known boating enthusiast.[1] She has a younger brother, Cory (born in 1982), who is also an actor. Milano grew up in Staten Island, New York and was raised Catholic.[2] She began her career at the age of eight when she won a part in an open audition for a national tour of Annie. She appeared in television commercials and off-Broadway productions. At the age of eleven, she earned her first major role in the TV show Who's the Boss?, alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Danny Pintauro and Katherine Helmond. She starred as Samantha Micelli, the daughter of Danza's character, Tony Micelli. When Alyssa won the role, her family relocated from Staten Island to Hollywood. Alyssa produced a teen workout video in 1988 called Teen Steam. Won Kids' Choice Awards in 1988, '89, and '90 for her role on Who's the Boss? ... nominated for an "Annie" Award (not the orphan this time) for her work on Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.
Later career
At the beginning of her career, Milano was known mainly for her role on Who's the Boss? (1984-1992). She tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing in several films targeted at adults, such as Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story (1992), Embrace of the Vampire (1994), Confessions of a Sorority Girl (1994), Deadly Sins (1995), and Poison Ivy II: Lily (1995), where she starred opposite Johnathon Schaech and Xander Berkley. She gained more mainstream success in TV as Jennifer Mancini on Melrose Place (1997-1998), Meg Winston in Spin City and most notably as Phoebe Halliwell on Charmed (1998-2006). Both Milano and Holly Marie Combs became producers for Charmed during the show's fifth season. In 2007, Milano filmed a pilot for ABC entitled Reinventing the Wheelers. The series was not picked up for the 2007-2008 season.
Milano played the role of Eva Savelot in MCI's 1-800-COLLECT commercials.
On stage, she starred in Tender Offer, a one-act play written by Wendy Wasserstein, All Night Long, and the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre. She returned to her theater roots in 1991, when she starred in and produced a Los Angeles production of Butterflies Are Free. Alyssa also appeared in the Josie music video by Blink-182.
In 2007, Milano began appearing on television commercials for Veet.
Milano is currently part of TBS' special coverage installment Hot Corner for the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs.[3] She reported at Fenway Park during the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. She is also expected to report at Chase Field and Coors Field during the NLCS between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
Starting in November 2007 Milano will appear in a minimum of eight episodes on the show My Name is Earl as a "possible love interest for Jason Lee". This will reunite her with Jaime Pressly who guest starred in the Season 5 premiere of Charmed.[4]
Personal life
Outside of acting, her hobbies include photography, humanitarian work and spending time with her four dogs; Ripley, Stella, Hugo, and Lucy. Her other pets are birds and horses.
Milano suffers from Dyslexia.[5] In an interview in 2004, Milano explained how she deals with her Dyslexia:
"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".
Milano is an avid fan of the L.A. Dodgers. In 2007 she created her own signature "Touch" line of team apparel for female baseball fans, currently available on Major League Baseball's website. She also maintains a baseball blog.[6]
Philanthropy
Milano was recently appointed Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. 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 that are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.
Milano is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States. She traveled to India, as well as Angola, to work with UNICEF field officers there. In the fall of 2004, she launched UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as an official spokesperson. She raised approximately $50,000 for South African women and children who have AIDS by selling her own photo work and a school's photo work.
Milano is also a supporter of PETA.
Filmography
Films
TV series
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Seasons | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984–92 | Who's the Boss? | Samantha "Sam" Micelli | 1–8 | |
| 1997–98 | Melrose Place | Jennifer Mancini | 5 & 6 | |
| 1998–2006 | Charmed | Phoebe Halliwell | 1–8 |
TV appearances
| Title | Season | Role | Episode titles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Outer Limits | 1 | Hannah Valesic | Caught in the Act | |
| Spin City | 2 | Meg Winston | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | |
| Spin City | 5 | Meg Winston | Rain on My Charades | |
| The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | 2 | April Gorlock | Win, Lose & Kaboom! | Voice |
| Family Guy | 3 | Herself | Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington | Ep.3 |
| My Name is Earl | 3 | Billie | Frank's Girl | Ep. 4- |
Discography
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Teen Steam
|
J2 Communications |
| 1989 | Look In My Heart | Pony Canyon #68 Japan |
| 1989 | Alyssa
|
Pony Canyon #15 Japan |
| 1990 | The Best In The World: Non-Stop Special Remix/Alyssa's Singles
|
Pony Canyon #9 Japan |
| 1990 | I Love When We're Together | Pony Canyon |
| 1991 | Locked Inside A Dream | Pony Canyon #19 Japan |
| 1992 | Do You See Me?
|
Pony Canyon #47 Japan |
| 1995 | The Very Best Of Alyssa Milano
|
Pony Canyon |
References
- ^ "Alyssa Milano Biography (1972-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2003-01-23.
- ^ "WITCH ON HEELS". Geocities.com. Retrieved 1999-05-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/hotcorner/index.jsp
- ^ "Exclusive: Earl Charmed By Alyssa Milano". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ "Us Weekly reports Alyssa Milano was spotted sipping champagne at Mansion in Miami Beach". Abstracts.net. Retrieved 2004-03-29.
- ^ ""I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS A BALLPLAYER WHO GAVE ALL HE HAD TO GIVE" – ROBERTO CLEMENTE". Alyssa.mlblogs.com. Retrieved 2007-09-06.
- ^ "Alyssa Milano signs up for Wisegal". AndhraNews.net. Retrieved 2007-09-16.