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Alyssa Jayne Milano ( ; born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and activist. She has played Samantha Micelli in Who's the Boss? (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini in Melrose Place (1997–1998), Phoebe Halliwell in Charmed (1998–2006), Billie Cunningham in My Name Is Earl (2007–2008), Savannah "Savi" Davis in Mistresses (2013–2014), Renata Murphy in (2017), and Coralee Armstrong in Insatiable (2018–2019). As an activist, Milano is known for her role in the MeToo movement in October 2017. She was the replacement of the role of Roxie Hart, and did her own singing in Chicago.
Milano auditioned as the daughter of Tony Danza's character on the sitcom Who's the Boss? After winning the part, she and her family moved to Los Angeles, where the show was produced. It premiered on ABC on September 20, 1984. Throughout Who's the Boss?, Milano developed a close relationship with co-star Danza. Commenting on their early years together, Danza observed: "She was just the sweetest little girl of all time ... She became much like my daughter". The series established Milano as a teen idol,Leone Shewfelt, Raechal (September 8, 2015). "Alyssa Milano Remembers Her Totally Awesome '80s Workout Video 'Teen Steam'". Yahoo! Celebrity. and provided her opportunities for other roles. Her education was split between school and an on-set tutor with whom Milano would work for three hours a day.
At age 12, Milano co-starred in Commando (1985) as Jenny Matrix, the daughter of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Subsequently, she starred in the children's film The Canterville Ghost, which did not achieve much praise or attention and Variety magazine noted in its review: "Milano as the catalyzing daughter Jennifer adapts to the ghostly Sir Simon without a qualm; that, of course, is the true charm of the story, but Milano doesn't exhibit enough presence to match the droll, charming John Gielgud". Variety magazine. September 26, 1986. A few years later this film was shown in Japan, prompting a producer to offer Milano a five-album record deal. Milano's albums, which she described as "bubblegum pop", scored platinum in the country, though she later criticised their musical quality.
On stage, Milano starred in Tender Offer, a one-act play written by Wendy Wasserstein, All Night Long by American playwright John O'Keefe, "All Night Long" . Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved September 16, 2015. and the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre. She returned to the theater in 1991, producing and starring in a Los Angeles production of Butterflies Are Free from December 26, 1991, to January 19, 1992. Milano starred in two 1988 television films, Crash Course and Dance 'til Dawn. Both projects allowed her to work alongside close personal friend Brian Bloom, who worked with his brother Scott Bloom with her in episodes of Who's the Boss; this working camaraderie would later expand in 1993 when Milano made a cameo appearance in Bloom's film The Webbers. She produced a teen workout video, Teen Steam, and achieved some fame outside the US with her music career, which lasted until the early 1990s. Even though she scored platinum in Japan, Milano had no interest to pursue a music career in the United States: "I'm not interested in crossing over. I'd much rather have it released where it's appreciated than laughed at". Simultaneously, she wrote a weekly column called "From Alyssa, with love" for the teen magazine Teen Machine."Alyssa Milano: Idol Chatter" by Mark Ebner. Premiere Magazine, 1995.
Milano played a teenage prostitute in the 1992 independent film Where the Day Takes You. The film, which focuses on a group of young runaway and homeless teenagers,Brod, Doug (January 22, 1993). "Where the Day Takes You ". Entertainment Weekly. was shot on and around Hollywood BoulevardEbert, Roger (September 11, 1992). "Where The Day Takes You". RogerEbert.com and was met with positive critical reception. "Where the Day Takes You (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 17, 2015. It was nominated for the Critics Award at the Deauville Film Festival, and won the Golden Space Needle Award at the Seattle International Film Festival.Obenson, Tambay A. (June 3, 2014). "Have You Seen Will Smith's Feature Debut As Crippled Homeless Man In 1992's 'Where The Day Takes You'?" . Shadow and Act, Indiewire. Although Milano feared that viewers would only recognize her as "the girl from Who's the Boss?", she was noticed by the media, which helped her land the role of Amy Fisher in the high-profile television film , one of three TV films based on Fisher's shooting of Mary Jo Buttafuoco.Svetkey, Benjamin (December 18, 1992). "Amy Fisher on TV". Entertainment Weekly.Hofstede, David (October 1, 2004). Boss%2CMilano%2Camyfisher What Were They Thinking?: The 100 Dumbest Events In Television History. Back Stage Books, p. 165. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved September 17, 2015. Milano said that her portrayal of Fisher in the film, which was based on the Buttafuoco's point of view, "was the least 'Alyssa' of anything she done". The film was shot from November–December 1992. "Casualties of Love: Long Island Lolita Story(1993"). Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 17, 2015. She welcomed the cancellation of Who's the Boss?, as she was ready to move on to other roles and enthusiastic to "showcase" what she was able to do. Looking back on eight years of playing the same role, Milano commented, "Creatively, it's been very frustrating. I gave her more of a personality. I changed her wardrobe, cut her hair, anything to give her new life".
In the early 1990s, Milano auditioned for nearly every film role in her age bracket, including B movies, and finally tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing nude in several erotic films targeted at adults, such as Embrace of the Vampire, Deadly Sins and . She said the nude appearances taught her to begin requiring a nudity clause in her contracts giving her "full control" over all her nude scenes. In a 1995 interview, she explained her motivation for some explicit scenes in Embrace of the Vampire: "I'm not going to say that I was manipulated into doing things that I didn't want to do. I did it because it was a woman director and I felt protected. And I learned a lot as far as knowing where the camera is and what coverage they need so that it's not all explicit".
She starred in other roles, such as Candles in the Dark, Confessions of a Sorority Girl, The Surrogate, To Brave Alaska and Fear, which did not receive very positive reviews, although Jack Matthews of the Los Angeles Times called Milano's performance in Fear "very good". Milano starred in the lead role in Hugo Pool (1997). In late 1996, Milano was offered a role of Jennifer Mancini on the drama Melrose Place by producer Aaron Spelling: Variety magazine. December 12, 1996. "We were looking for someone with sparkle. Alyssa was the perfect choice". Complete Woman, December/January 2002. She left early in season seven. In 1998, she was cast as Phoebe Halliwell, one of the three lead characters on Spelling's show Charmed. She and Holly Marie Combs became producers for the show during season four. The series ran for eight seasons, concluding in 2006.Goldberg, Lesley (October 25, 2013). "'Charmed' Reboot in the Works at CBS". The Hollywood Reporter.
Also in 1998, she played Mark Hoppus's love interest in the music video for Blink-182's "Josie". (2026). 9780743422079, Pocket books. ISBN 9780743422079
The same year, she launched her signature "Touch" line of team apparel for female baseball fans, selling it through her blog on Major League Baseball's website.Stein, Joel (November 27, 2013). "How Alyssa Milano Created a Fan-Gear Fashion Empire for Women". Bloomberg Business. It also became available in 2009 through a boutique store located in Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. She has an interest in the Los Angeles Kings, 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 from the same hometown as NFL Network's Rich Eisen, she revealed some of her family's connections with the Giants. In 2013, Milano expanded "Touch" into NASCAR.
On March 20, 2009, it was announced that Milano voiced Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn in . 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. 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. Milano starred in the sitcom Romantically Challenged as Rebecca Thomas, a recently divorced single mother attorney in Pittsburgh who has not dated "since Bill Clinton was president". The series premiered on ABC on April 19, 2010. The series was cancelled after airing four episodes. Milano produced and led the cast of Lifetime's TV film Sundays at Tiffany's. which was her second collaboration with Lifetime, after Wisegal (2008).
In June 2013, she played Savannah Davis in ABC drama series Mistresses, which is about the scandalous lives of four girlfriends, but she left the show after season two, due to conflict between filming location and family issues. She signed on as host and judge beginning with season three. On March 2, 2015, Milano was a guest host on The Talk. In September 2015, Milano began to make appearances as a brand ambassador for the preschool television channel Universal Kids, being billed as the network's "mom-bassador". In 2017 and 2018, Milano joined the cast of two Netflix comedy series: and Insatiable. In 2018 she was cast in the lead role in Tempting Fate, based on the best-selling book by Jane Green.
In 2019, she released a children's book Hope: Project Middle School Book which is part of her 'Hope' book series which she co-authors with Debbie Rigaud. Also in 2019, Milano began hosting the podcast Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry. The podcast deals with social and political commentary and frequently features actors, activists, and political luminaries. In 2020, Milano was a recurring star on the Quibi comedy The Now. In 2021, Milano was cast to star in the Netflix film adaptation of Nora Roberts' novel Brazen Virtue.
In October 2021, Milano's book Sorry Not Sorry was released. It contains 32 essays describing her activism and thoughts on current political and social issues. On October 29, 2021, she signed a first-look production deal with A&E Studios. She also signed a deal with the United Talent Agency (UTA) more recently, on December 13, 2021. Milano will perform the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway in the fall of 2024.
Since 2004, Milano has canvassed for national, state, and local candidates.
In October 2004, Milano participated in UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as the national spokesperson. She raised approximately US$50,000 for South Africans women and children with AIDS by selling her own and schools' photo work.Siegler, Bonnie (July 25, 2008).
In support of PETA, she appeared in a 2007 advertisement for them, advocating vegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables.
In June 2007, The Sabin Vaccine Institute named Milano a Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to control neglected tropical diseases, to which Milano donated US$250,000. She is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States of America. Her field work for the organization has included a 2004 trip to Angola to speak with HIV-positive women and people disfigured by land mines during the country's civil war; a trip to India to meet displaced mothers living in squalor following the 2004 tsunami; and a 2010 trip to the settlement of Kolonia in western Kosovo to witness impoverished living conditions. Milano wrote on her blog that the latter trip was "the hardest experience I've had on a field visit", and described a waste dump close to the settlement where children spent time looking for metal to sell or scavenging for food.
For her 37th birthday, December 19, 2009, Milano ran an online fundraising campaign for . Her original goal was to raise US$25,000, but a donation from her husband led to a total of over US$75,000 on December 18. The fundraiser ran until December 26. In September 2013, Milano released a parody of a celebrity sex tape on Funny or Die that drew attention to the Syrian civil war.
In 2014, Milano, with the South Korean rescue group, CARE, and The Fuzzy Pet Foundation in Santa Monica, helped rescue a South Korean Jindo mix dog, found covered in mange, chained, and raised for dog-meat.
On October 15, 2017, Milano posted the message that re-launched what is known as the #MeToo movement, which was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke. According to Milano, a friend suggested that she post a message on her Twitter account encouraging survivors of sexual harassment and assault to post #metoo as a status update. This was to gauge the widespread problem of sexual misconduct. She was inspired to bring awareness to the commonality of sexual abuse of women in the wake of Harvey Weinstein's expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for sex crimes against women in the film industry. Milano emphasized that the basis of her hashtag was to create a platform where women had an "opportunity without having to go into detail about their stories if they did not want to".
In 2018, she was announced as a co-chair of the Health Care Voter campaign. She wrote an op-ed in Time on why health care would decide her vote in 2018. In July 2018, and again in December 2020, Milano encouraged Twitter users to seek out VoteRiders to help eliminate confusion about voter ID laws.
Milano, who spoke at the 2018 Women's March, refused to participate in 2019, citing the failure of 2019 Women's March leaders Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour to condemn the homophobia, antisemitism, and transphobia of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. In 2018, she was selected as one of the "Silence Breakers", who were picked as Time Person of the Year.
In May 2019, Milano advocated celibacy in the form of a sex strike in retaliation of a recently passed abortion law in the U.S. state of Georgia.
In October 2021, Milano was arrested during a voting rights demonstration outside the White House.
In November 2022, Milano announced via Twitter that she had exchanged her Tesla for a Volkswagen electric vehicle. She declared, "I gave back my Tesla, I bought the VW ev. I love it. I'm not sure how advertisers can buy space on Twitter. Publicly traded company's products being pushed in alignment with hate and white supremacy doesn't seem to be a winning business model." Critics were quick to point out Volkswagen's past relationship with the Nazi Party which founded the then state-owned company in 1937.
On May 28, 2024, Milano became an ambassador of the UNITED24 global initiative in support of Ukraine in the field of education and science.
Milano helped raise money for Richard Dien Winfield, a Democrat in Georgia's 2018 10th congressional district race. Milano Canvassing, a political campaign strategy to collect voter data and get out the vote, with Piper Perabo and drove people to the polls for the United States Senate special election in Alabama on December 12, 2017, to vote for Democratic candidate Doug Jones. Milano, with actor Christopher Gorham, drove voters to the polls during early voting and on March 27, 2017, for Georgia's 6th congressional district 2017 special election for Jon Ossoff, and she later posted photos of herself with the voters on Instagram. Milano and Gorham had been in the area for the Television pilot of Insatiable.
In 2015, Milano endorsed Bernie Sanders for president of the United States. In 2016, after the Democratic Party presidential primaries, she expressed support for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She was also involved in get-out-the-vote efforts for Rob Quist.
In March 2020, Milano endorsed former US vice president Joe Biden for president of the United States. She declined to withdraw her endorsement of Biden despite a sexual assault allegation against him. On April 27, Milano tweeted that she was "aware of the new developments in Tara Reade's accusation against Joe Biden. I want Tara, like every other survivor, to have the space to be heard and seen without being used as fodder. I hear and see you, Tara." This was after criticism of Milano's support for Biden where she appeared to backtrack on her previous stance for Believe women. On April 28, in an op-ed for Deadline Hollywood, Milano reiterated her support for Biden and considered "Believing women was never about 'Believe all women no matter what they say,' it was about changing the culture of NOT believing women by default."
In October 2023, Milano signed an open letter from several artists to Biden, calling for a ceasefire of the Israel bombardment of Gaza City. In September 2025, she signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."
In 2024, Alyssa Milano supported Ukraine and joined UNITED24 ambassadors in raising funds for Ukraine.
In 1998, Milano sued pornographic websites for publishing unauthorized nude photographs of her.
On January 1, 1999, Milano married singer Cinjun Tate from alternative rock band Remy Zero. They separated on November 20, 1999, and were divorced on December 1, 1999.
In a 2004 interview, 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."
After a year of dating, Milano became engaged to Creative Artists Agency (CAA) agent David Bugliari in December 2008. "Alyssa Milano is Engaged!" US Weekly. January 6, 2009. They were married at Bugliari's family home in New Jersey on August 15, 2009. They had a son on August 31, 2011, and a daughter on September 4, 2014.
In 2015, Milano sold her condominium in West Hollywood and moved to Bell Canyon, California, where she owns land and nine horses, eight chickens, two rabbits, and five dogs.
In 2017, Milano's $10 million lawsuit against her business manager resulted in a cross-complaint.
In 2021 she was a passenger in a car crash. The car she was in was being driven by her uncle who had a medical condition and “became unconscious.” The car veered into another lane and crashed. Milano was uninjured but her uncle was taken to the hospital.
In April 2022 Milano disclosed in an interview her diagnosis of long COVID. She described years of persistent symptoms following a presumed COVID-19 infection, including hair loss, shortness of breath and tachycardia, and has spoken publicly about living with long COVID.
| 1984 | Old Enough | Diane | |
| 1985 | Commando | Jenny Matrix | |
| 1988 | Teen Steam | Alyssa Milano | |
| 1989 | Speed Zone | Lurleen | Alternate title: Cannonball Fever |
| 1992 | Where the Day Takes You | Kimmy | |
| Little Sister | Diana | ||
| 1993 | Conflict of Interest | Eve | |
| 1994 | Double Dragon | Marian Kelly | |
| 1995 | Embrace of the Vampire | Charlotte Wells | |
| Glory Daze | Chelsea | ||
| Deadly Sins | Cristina Herrera | ||
| 1996 | Lily Leonetti | Direct-to-video | |
| Fear | Margo Masse | ||
| Public Enemies | Amaryllis | Direct-to-video | |
| Jimmy Zip | Francesca | Short film | |
| 1997 | Below Utopia | Susanne | Also producer |
| Hugo Pool | Hugo Dugay | ||
| 2001 | Angel (voice) | Direct-to-video A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. | |
| 2002 | Buying the Cow | Amy | |
| Kiss the Bride | Amy Kayne | ||
| 2003 | Cyndi | ||
| 2005 | 26 (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
| 2007 | The Blue Hour | Allegra | |
| 2008 | Pathology | Gwen Williamson | |
| 2010 | Aimee Brenner (voice) | Short film; direct-to-video | |
| My Girlfriend's Boyfriend | Jesse Young | Also producer | |
| 2011 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Biminy (voice) | Direct-to-video |
| Hall Pass | Mandy Bohac | ||
| New Year's Eve | Nurse Mindy | Segment: "Hospital Story" | |
| 2018 | Little Italy | Dora | |
| 2022 | Brazen | Grace | Also executive producer |
| Give Me an A | Abigail Adams | Segment: "Abigail" | |
| 2023 | Who Are You People | Judith | Also executive producer |
| No Overnight Parking | Nicole | Short film | |
| 2025 | Dr. Goodman | Completed |
| 1984–1992 | Who's the Boss? | Samantha Micelli | Main role, 196 episodes |
| 1986 | The Canterville Ghost | Jennifer Canterville | Television film |
| 1988 | Crash Course | Vanessa Crawford | |
| Dance 'til Dawn | Shelley Sheridan | ||
| 1989 | Living Dolls | Samantha Micelli | 2 episodes |
| The Making of The Little Mermaid | Herself (Host) | TV special | |
| 1993 | Amy Fisher | Television film | |
| At Home with the Webbers | Fan | ||
| Candles in the Dark | Sylvia Velliste | ||
| 1994 | Confessions of a Sorority Girl | Rita Summers | |
| 1995 | The Surrogate | Amy Winslow | |
| The Outer Limits | Hannah Valesic | Episode: "Caught in the Act" | |
| 1996 | Mr. Show with Bob and David | Audience member | 2 episodes |
| To Brave Alaska | Denise Harris | Television film | |
| 1997, 2001 | Spin City | Meg Winston | 2 episodes |
| 1997–1998 | Melrose Place | Jennifer Mancini | 40 episodes (seasons 5–7) recurring season 5-6 main role season 7 |
| 1998 | Frances Ella 'Fizzy' Fitz | Television film | |
| Fantasy Island | Gina Williams | Episode: "Superfriends" | |
| 1998–2006 | Charmed | Phoebe Halliwell | Lead role; 178 episodes; also producer (seasons 5–8) |
| 2001 | The Diamond Hunters | Tracy Van der Byl | Miniseries |
| Family Guy | Herself (live-action) | Episode: "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington" | |
| 2004 | April the Gorlock (voice) | Episode: "" | |
| 2007–2008 | My Name Is Earl | Billie Cunningham | 10 episodes (season 3) |
| 2008 | Wisegal | Patty Montanari | Television film; also producer |
| 2010 | Castle | Kyra Blaine | Episode: "A Rose for Everafter" |
| Scarlett Rosetti (voice) | Episode: "Frame Story/And... Action!" | ||
| Sundays at Tiffany's | Jane Claremont | Television film; also producer | |
| 2010–2011 | Romantically Challenged | Rebecca Thomas | 6 episodes |
| 2011 | Young Justice | Poison Ivy (voice) | Episode: "Revelation" |
| 2011–2012 | Breaking In | Amy | 2 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Mistresses | Savannah "Savi" Davis | Main role (seasons 1 & 2), 26 episodes |
| 2013–2016, 2018–2019 | Project Runway All Stars | Herself/host | Judge |
| 2014 | Hollywood Game Night | Herself | Episode: "Things That Go Clue-Boom in the Night" |
| 2015 | RuPaul's Drag Race | Herself | Judge |
| 2017 | Renata Murphy Delvecchio | 5 episodes | |
| 2018–2019 | Insatiable | Coralee Armstrong | Main role, 18 episodes |
| 2019 | Tempting Fate | Gabby Cartwright | Television film |
| Grey's Anatomy | Haylee Peterson | Episode: "Reunited" | |
| 2020 | Celebrity Call Center | Herself | Episode: "The Shift With the Brony" |
| You Are My Home | Sloane | Television film | |
| 2021 | The Now | Sarah | 3 episodes |
| 2025 | Elsbeth | Lisette "Pupetta" Del Ponte | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn |
| 1985 | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Series | Who's the Boss? | |
| 1986 | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Feature Film – Comedy or Drama | Commando | ||
| 1987 | Best Young Female Superstar in Television | Who's the Boss? | ||
| 1988 | Best Young Actress in a TV Special, Pilot, Movie of the Week, or Mini-Series | Dance 'til Dawn | ||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Actress | Who's the Boss? | rowspan=3 | |
| 1989 | Favorite TV Actress | |||
| 1990 | Favorite TV Actress | |||
| 2001 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Feature Production | Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure | rowspan=6 |
| RATTY Awards | Outstanding Ensemble in a Science Fiction Series | Charmed | ||
| Wand Awards | Best Fight (Alyssa Milano and Shannen Doherty) | |||
| 2004 | Spacey Awards | Favorite Female TV Character (Phoebe Halliwell) | ||
| 2005 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Television Actress | ||
| 2006 | Teen Choice Awards | Television – Choice Actress | ||
| 2007 | AOL TV | Top TV Witches (Phoebe Halliwell) | rowspan=2 | |
| 2008 | ||||
| 2015 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Dramatic TV Actress | Mistresses | |
| 2016 | UNICEF Award | Spirit of Compassion Award | ||
| 2017 | Women's Choice Awards | SpotLight Choice Women Award | ||
| 2018 | GLAAD Gala Forum | Ariadne Getty Ally Award |
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