Alyssa Milano is a television star that has featured in multiple hit programs over the
course of her ongoing career, including Who’s the Boss?, Melrose Place, and Charmed.
The actress got her start in the entertainment industry at a young age when her babysitter
brought the young girl to an audition for the role of Annie in a touring production.
Alyssa got the role, and she became a teen idol after being cast in Who’s the Boss?
As she was coming of age, Alyssa feared that she was going to be pigeonholed as a result
of her role on Who’s the Boss?
However, she thankfully managed to transform herself into a mature actress that still turns
heads to this day.
Join Facts Verse as we explore how Alyssa Milano’s transformation is turning heads
after Who’s the Boss?
Alyssa Milano Was Destined for Stardom Alyssa Milano was born in Brooklyn towards
the end of 1972.
Her mother was a famous fashion designer, while her father was an editor that worked
with film scores.
Despite the fact that both of her parents existed in very close proximity to the entertainment
industry, it wasn’t as a result of either of them that Alyssa was introduced to show
business herself.
Instead, Alyssa’s introduction to the world of performing came as a result of a babysitter
who took her to an audition.
Alyssa Milano was taken to her first audition by a babysitter at the age of 7.
This audition was for the role of Annie in a touring production, and the babysitter didn’t
ask Alyssa’s parents for permission before taking her to it.
Alyssa ended up being chosen to play the role, at which point the babysitter was forced to
give the news to the young girl’s parents.
Instead of being upset, Alyssa’s parents decided that they were interested in letting
their daughter become a star.
Alyssa’s mother accompanied her throughout the duration of the touring production, which
lasted for 18 months.
Upon Alyssa’s return from performing in the touring production of Annie, she had truly
caught the acting bug.
After returning to New York City with her mother following the end of the touring production
of Annie, Alyssa continued to perform on the stage.
She also began performing on the small screen via commercials.
Pretty soon, Alyssa was a legitimate star with her own agent.
She made her film debut in 1984, appearing in a dramatic coming-of-age film by the name
of Old Enough.
The film was a critical darling, winning the First Prize at that year’s Sundance Film
Festival.
Who’s the Boss?
Made Alyssa a Teen Idol The same year that Alyssa Milano made her
debut on the big screen via Old Enough, she also started performing her iconic role on
Who’s the Boss?
Alyssa was cast in the series as the daughter of Tony Danza’s character, and the two stars
loved working with each other.
Alyssa and Tony’s effortless chemistry helped them play a great father/daughter pair, and
the showed proved a hit with audiences.
Alyssa Milano’s role on Who’s the Boss? turned the young actress into a full-blown
teen idol.
Her appearance on the hit show led to her appearing in more films, including the Arnold
Schwarzenegger-starring action classic Commando.
Alyssa was 12 years old at the time that she appeared in the film, which was released in
1985.
Another film that Alyssa starred in around the time was The Canterville Ghost, which
wasn’t nearly as big of commercial success.
However, the film ended up catching on in Japan, and this oddly resulted in Alyssa being
given a record deal in the country.
Alyssa Milano released several albums as a pop star in Japan during her teenage years.
However, she continued to be better known in the states for her acting abilities.
Who’s the Boss? came to an end in 1992, at which point Alyssa was slightly nervous
about her future career prospects.
So many child stars before her had crashed and burned as soon as their hit projects came
to an end, and Alyssa didn’t want to follow in their footsteps.
Alyssa Didn’t Want to Be Another Cautionary Tale
Not wanting to be pigeonholed in her Who’s the Boss? the role, Alyssa appeared in a 1992
independent film that aimed to shed her innocent image.
In the film, which was titled Where the Day Takes You, Alyssa was cast as a teenage prostitute.
This was certainly a much darker role than the one that the actress had portrayed on
Who’s the Boss?, and audiences were quick to remark on the young woman’s range.
The film was a modest hit within the independent-film circuit, earning the Golden Space Needle Award
at that year’s Seattle International Film Festival.
It seemed like the remainder of the 1990s held a lot for Alyssa to look forward to!
Though Alyssa feared that she would have trouble finding work after Who’s the Boss? came
to an end in 1992, she ended up getting two more iconic roles on television programs within
the remainder of the decade alone.
Of course, those other two television programs would be Melrose Place and Charmed.
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Alyssa Appeared in a Few Erotic B Movies Alyssa Milano didn’t have anything to worry
about after Who’s the Boss? came to an end, as she would receive several more notable
television roles over the course of the 1990s.
Before taking on these roles, however, Alyssa had a bit of an identity crisis that led to
her appearing nude in a couple of B movies.
These movies included Embrace of the Vampire and Deadly Sins.
These films were released directly to video, and the promise of getting to see Alyssa Milano
topless helped copies fly off the shelves.
Alyssa has come to somewhat regret appearing nude in these films, though she claims that
the experiences weren’t all that uncomfortable.
Thankfully, television producer Aaron Spelling saved Alyssa Milano from the world of erotic
B movies.
By 1996, the producer’s popular primetime soap opera Melrose Place had been on the air
for several years and was in need of some fresh blood.
Aaron felt that Alyssa would make a perfect addition to the show’s cast, and she was
subsequently introduced to the show as the character of Jennifer Mancini.
Though Alyssa’s performance as Jennifer proved a hit with audiences, the actress was
only on the show for a season.
The reason that Alyssa Milano left Melrose Place behind was that she had been offered
a more lucrative role on another television program.
That television program would end up being Charmed, which was a supernatural drama that
featured Alyssa as one of its three leads.
On the program, Alyssa played a witch by the name of Phoebe Halliwell.
The show went on to last for eight seasons, all of which featured Alyssa as the character
of Phoebe.
The show proved a bigger success for Alyssa than her time on Melrose Place had, revitalizing
her star power a great deal.
Today, Alyssa Is Considered Television Royalty By the time Charmed came to an end in 2008,
Alyssa Milano had achieved the status of television royalty.
With three hit shows under her belt, it looked like casting Alyssa was the ticket to television
success.
However, Alyssa’s winning streak sadly came to an end when she filmed a failed pilot by
the name of Reinventing the Wheelers.
The show was intended to come on air in 2007 but didn’t even make it past the first episode.
Following this slight disappointment, Alyssa could be seen in a handful of episodes of
the hit sitcom My Name is Earl.
As acting opportunities began to dry up, Alyssa Milano began to turn more and more towards
activism.
Alyssa has always been passionate about her beliefs, and she has flirted with activism
many times since receiving her breakout role on Who’s the Boss?
Alyssa’s first notable bit of activism came in the late 1980s when she appeared on The
Phil Donahue Show alongside an AIDS-stricken fan.
This fan was named Ryan White, and he was a preteen that had reached out to Alyssa after
being diagnosed with the illness.
On The Phil Donahue Show, Alyssa kissed Ryan White on the lips.
She did this to reduce the social stigma surrounding people with AIDS, as most continue to believe
that kissing someone with AIDS will cause the illness to spread.
Alyssa’s charitable deed helped her gain even deeper respect from her already a massive
base of fans.
In the decades since, Alyssa has continued to exude this charitable spirit.
Alyssa’s Charitable Work and Future in Hollywood In more recent years, Alyssa Milano has worked
with organizations such as UNICEF and PETA for charitable causes.
Alyssa’s work with UNICEF has seen the actress continue to work with those affected by AIDS.
However, Alyssa’s work with UNICEF has focused on people from third-world countries afflicted
with the illness instead of people that have been afflicted with it stateside.
As far as her PETA work is concerned, Alyssa appeared in a 2007 advertisement for the organization
that advocated a vegetarian lifestyle to it’s viewers.
In the commercial, Alyssa wore a dress that was made out of vegetables.
Alyssa Milano has also never been afraid to speak on the matter of politics.
She supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election before supporting Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
She continued supporting Joe Biden even after numerous women came out with sexual-assault
allegations against the man.
This comes in spite of the fact that Alyssa has also been a vocal figure in the #metoo
movement over the years.
Today, Alyssa Milano is nearly 50 years old.
The actress has claimed that her and Tony Danza are preparing to work on a sequel series
to Who’s the Boss? that will focus on the father/daughter relationship of their characters
in the present, with Alyssa’s character as a single mother.
Alyssa Milano rose to prominence as a teen idol during the 1980s thanks to Who’s the
Boss?, and those that haven’t seen the actress since will likely be very surprised to see
what a beautiful and mature woman she’s blossomed into!
Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Alyssa Milano was brought to her
first audition as a child without her parents even knowing and that the actress appeared
nude in several B moves during the 1990s?
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