Alyssa Milano Biography

Born in Brooklyn, New York on December 19, 1972, Alyssa Jayne Milano is the daughter of Thomas, a film music editor, and Lin, a fashion designer.

After seeing the Broadway play Annie at the age of 7, Alyssa knew she wanted to become an actress. One year later, she made her acting debut as July in the same musical and toured for 18 months. After that time, Alyssa left Annie to star in off-Broadway productions and TV commercials.

alyssa milano joins who's the boss?

Alyssa Milano made her television debut in 1984 with her role as Tony Danza's daughter on the popular sitcom Who's the Boss?, which ran for eight years. And only one year into the sitcom's run, Alyssa nabbed a small role playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's daughter in 1985's Commando.

While her role on Who's The Boss? continued to garner her millions of fans and allowed her to create a best-selling exercise video in 1988 called Teen Steam, Alyssa also starred in a bunch of forgettable TV movies, including The Canterville Ghost (1986), Crash Course (1988) and Voices That Care (1991).

In 1989, a picture of Alyssa served as the inspiration behind Disney's The Little Mermaid and was used to create the image of Ariel in the classic movie.

alyssa milano releases albums

The '90s were a time when Alyssa wanted to shed her little-girl image and prove that she was a sexy adult woman. She did so by starring in Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story (1993) and the sexually charged Embrace of the Vampire (1994) and Poison Ivy II (1996). It worked, as popular men's mag FHM voted her onto its 100 Sexiest Women in the World list four times.

But Alyssa didn't stop at TV and movies. In fact, she also released seven albums including Alyssa (1989), Look In My Heart (1989), Best In The World (1990), Locked In a Dream (1991), and Do You See Me? (1992) -- in Japan.

alyssa milano in fear and on melrose place

On the big screen, one of Alyssa Milano's most important roles came in 1996 when she starred alongside Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg in the surprise hit Fear (1996). Also in 1996, she appeared in To Brave Alaska, a made-for-TV flick about a couple fighting for their lives while abandoned in Alaska.

In 1997, Milano returned to television full time as troublemaker Jennifer Mancini in the primetime Aaron Spelling soap Melrose Place. She was cast as a regular for one season and became the enemy of fellow beauty Amanda, played by Heather Locklear.

alyssa milano on charmed

While her role on Melrose Place was hot in 1997, Alyssa Milano attended the Sundance Film Festival, where her new movie, Hugo Pool, also starring Robert Downey Jr., Sean Penn and Patrick Dempsey, premiered. At the festival, Alyssa was given the Spirit Award for women.

In 1998, Milano began portraying a witch on the WB's Charmed, alongside fellow witches Rose McGowan and Holly Marie Combs (Shannen Doherty quit in 2001 and was replaced by McGowan). She stayed on the show for eight seasons, leaving only when the show came to an end in 2006.

In January 1999, on New Year's Day, Alyssa wed musician Cinjun Tate (lead singer for the rock group Remy Zero), but she divorced him that same year in November.

alyssa milano in dickie roberts

Alyssa's major role in Charmed didn't stop her from appearing in big-screen projects. In 2003, Alyssa starred alongside David Spade in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, and the following year, she did voice work for Dinotopia: Curse of the Ruby Sunstone.

Alyssa also continued doing TV commercials; she was well-known as the spokesperson for 1-800-Collect and for her very provocative commercials and print ads for Candie's perfume.

In addition, Alyssa got seriously involved in humanitarian work; in fact, she is a National Ambassador for UNICEF and she works with PETA.

alyssa milano in the blue hour

In 2007, Alyssa appears alongside Rachel Miner in the big-screen drama The Blue Hour. She also stars in Pathology.

In November of 2007 Alyssa Milano also began appearing regularly on the hit TV show My Name Is Earl.