Alyssa Milano is an American actress, producer and activist best known for her roles in the classic sitcoms “Who’s the Boss?” and “Charmed“. With nearly four decades in show business under her belt, Milano has grown from child actor to leading lady to high-profile activist in Hollywood and beyond.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 19, 1972, Alyssa Milano grew up in Staten Island, New York. She is the daughter of Italian American parents – Tom, who works as a music editor, and Lin, a fashion designer. She has a younger brother named Cory. With overwhelming support from her parents, Milano embarked on her acting career at a young age by appearing in TV commercials. She landed her first full-time role when she was seven years old in “Who’s the Boss?“, which made her a household name. After completing filming for the sitcom in 1992, Milano focused on her education and graduated from high school.
Breakout Role and Film Career
In 1998, Milano starred alongside Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty in Aaron Spelling’s TV show “Charmed”. She played Phoebe Halliwell, the youngest of the Charmed Ones, and rose to international fame in the series. With its mix of magic and teen drama, “Charmed” soon became one of the highest-rated shows on WB for its first five seasons. Though she left the show in 2005 following completion of its seven seasons, “Charmed” solidified Milano’s place in the pop culture landscape and catapulted her to stardom.
After Charmed, Milano acted in films such as “Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star”, “Hugo Pool”, “Commerical Breaks” and “Pathology”, all of which were relatively less successful. Outside of acting, she released four albums as a singer including three that went Gold. She also released an exercise video named “Teen Steam“.
Philanthropic and Activist Work
Apart from acting and singing, Milano has given back to various humanitarian causes. She has travelled as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and raised funds for UNICEF’s Clean Water Campaign. She has also advocated for Animeals on Wheels to support Los Angeles shelters during COVID-19. Most recently, Milano has lent her support to gun safety legislation and boosted Democrats in Georgia senate elections through her social media influence.
In 2017, she was instrumental in starting the #MeToo movement on Twitter, which empowered victims of sexual assault and harassment all over the globe. TIME magazine subsequently named “The Silence Breakers,” including Alyssa Milano, their 2017 Person of the Year.
Milano currently serves on the Board of Directors for Me Too International, a non-profit organization helping survivors of sexual violence. She also co-founded the #PatriotNOTPartisan campaign to weed out extremism in US politics and promote civil public discourse.
Latest News and Ongoing Feud with Shannen Doherty
Just last week, Milano made headlines again when her former “Charmed” co-star Shannen Doherty sued her for $4 million. Doherty claimed that Milano instigated her firing from the series by giving producers an ultimatum – “Her or me”. Milano has refuted these claims, stating that it was a mutual decision for Doherty to exit the show. The lawsuit comes on the heels of the CW rebooting “Charmed” in 2018, which Doherty has said cost her potential earnings. Milano has not directly responded to the lawsuit but maintains that her 5-year working relationship with Doherty on “Charmed” had ups and downs, but was overall positive.
Personal Life
Milano has two children with her husband, Dave Bugliari – son Milo and daughter Elizabella. The family-of-four resides in West Hollywood, California. Outside of her career and family life, Milano is an avid lover of baseball and a huge fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Stats and Figures
- Age – 50 years old (DOB: December 19, 1972)
- Height – 5′ 2″
- Net Worth: $20 million
- Social Media following: 3.8 million Twitter followers, 4 million Instagram followers
Interesting Facts and FAQs
In 2022, Milano starred as socialite turned spy Sydney Sage in the third season of Netflix’s “Insatiable”. This marks her first comic book adaptation role.
Milano has received multiple award nominations but is surprisingly yet to win a major industry honor like the Emmy or Golden Globe for her iconic roles.
Milano has 9 known tattoos including one for her husband David Bugliari as well as tattoos representing her children and family.
In the 1990s, Milano converted to vegetarianism after learning more about industrialized processing of livestock. She currently adheres to plant-based diet.
She has Italian, and English ancestry.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Alyssa Milano is a multi-talented entertainer who has made her mark through popular American television shows, commercial films, music albums and Broadway plays. Even in her 50s, Milano continues to take on interesting acting roles while fighting for social causes close to her heart.
Though recent feud allegations surrounding “Charmed” have put her back in the spotlight, Milano remains a pop culture force to be reckoned with thanks to her ever-growing reach online and enduring star status formed over an impressive 40-year long career in show business.
