Alyssa Jayne Milano was born in theBensonhurst neighborhood ofBrooklyn inNew York City on December 19, 1972,[1] the daughter of fashion designer and talent manager Lin Milano and film music editor Thomas M. Milano.[citation needed] She and her family left Bensonhurst after a neighborhood shooting, relocating toGreat Kills, Staten Island.[1] She is ofItalian descent[2] and has a brother named Cory,[3] who is a decade younger.[4] She was raisedCatholic, and still practices the faith.[5][6]
Milano began her career at age seven, when her babysitter, without notifying her parents, took her to an audition for the national touring company ofAnnie. She was one of four selected from more than 1,500 girls. During the course of her work in the play, Milano and her mother were on the road for 18 months. After returning to New York, Milano appeared in television commercials,[7] and performed several roles inoff-Broadway productions, including the first American musical adaptation ofJane Eyre. While accompanying a friend fromAnnie to the office of a New York agent, the agent signed Milano.[8] She does not feel that growing up in front of the camera harmed her childhood[4] and has said: "I love my family very much – they've really backed my career. I consider myself to be normal: I've got to clean my room, and help in the kitchen".[9] In August 1984, Milano made her film debut in the coming-of-age dramaOld Enough, which she recalled as a "great way of starting out".[1] The film was screened at theSundance Film Festival,[10] where it won First Prize.[11]
Milano auditioned as the daughter ofTony Danza's character on the sitcomWho's the Boss? After winning the part, she and her family moved to Los Angeles, where the show was produced. It premiered onABC on September 20, 1984.[8] ThroughoutWho's the Boss?, Milano developed a close relationship with co-star Danza.[12] Commenting on their early years together, Danza observed: "She was just the sweetest little girl of all time ... She became much like my daughter".[8] The series established Milano as a teen idol,[8][13][14] and provided her opportunities for other roles.[13] Her education was split between school and an on-set tutor with whom Milano would work for three hours a day.[15]
At age 12, Milano co-starred inCommando (1985) as Jenny Matrix, the daughter of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger).[13] Subsequently, she starred in the children's filmThe Canterville Ghost, which did not achieve much praise or attention andVariety 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".[16] 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.[1]
On stage, Milano starred inTender Offer, aone-act play written byWendy Wasserstein,All Night Long by AmericanplaywrightJohn O'Keefe,[17][18] and the first American musical adaptation ofJane Eyre. She returned to the theater in 1991, producing and starring in a Los Angeles production ofButterflies Are Free from December 26, 1991, to January 19, 1992.[8] Milano starred in two 1988 television films,Crash Course andDance 'til Dawn. Both projects allowed her to work alongside close personal friendBrian Bloom, who worked with his brotherScott with her inepisodes ofWho's the Boss; this working camaraderie would later expand in 1993 when Milano made acameo appearance in Bloom's filmThe 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".[8] Simultaneously, she wrote a weekly column called "From Alyssa, with love" for the teen magazineTeen Machine.[19]
Milano played a teenage prostitute in the 1992 independent filmWhere the Day Takes You. The film, which focuses on a group of young runaway and homeless teenagers,[20] was shot on and aroundHollywood Boulevard[21] and was met with positive critical reception.[22] It was nominated for the Critics Award at theDeauville Film Festival, and won the Golden Space Needle Award at theSeattle International Film Festival.[23] Although Milano feared that viewers would only recognize her as "the girl fromWho's the Boss?",[8] she was noticed by the media, which helped her land the role ofAmy Fisher in the high-profile television filmCasualties of Love: The "Long Island Lolita" Story, one of three TV films based on Fisher's shooting ofMary Jo Buttafuoco.[24][25] Milano said that her portrayal of Fisher in the film, which was based on the Buttafuoco's point of view,[24] "was the least 'Alyssa' of anything [she had] done".[12] The film was shot from November–December 1992.[26] She welcomed the cancellation ofWho'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".[8]
In the early 1990s, Milano auditioned for nearly every film role in her age bracket, includingB movies,[8] and finally tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing nude in several erotic films targeted at adults, such asEmbrace of the Vampire,Deadly Sins andPoison Ivy II: Lily. She said the nude appearances taught her to begin requiring anudity clause in her contracts giving her "full control" over all her nude scenes.[12] In a 1995 interview, she explained her motivation for some explicit scenes inEmbrace 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".[19]
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.[38] It also became available in 2009 through a boutique store located inCiti Field, the home of theNew York Mets.[39] She has an interest in theLos Angeles Kings,[40] aNational Hockey League team, and is involved with a related clothing line. In 2008, she expanded that to NFL football, as aNew York Giants fan. Since Milano is from the same hometown as NFL Network'sRich Eisen, she revealed some of her family's connections with the Giants.[41] In 2013, Milano expanded "Touch" intoNASCAR.[42]
On March 20, 2009, it was announced that Milano voiced Dr. Ilyssa Selwyn inGhostbusters: The Video Game.[43] 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.[44] 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 produceMy Girlfriend's Boyfriend, a romantic comedy in which she plays a woman with a relationship dilemma.[45] Milano starred in the sitcomRomantically Challenged as Rebecca Thomas, a recently divorced single mother attorney in Pittsburgh who has not dated "since Bill Clinton was president". The series premiered onABC on April 19, 2010.[46] The series was cancelled after airing four episodes.[47][48] Milano produced and led the cast of Lifetime's TV filmSundays at Tiffany's.[49] which was her second collaboration withLifetime, afterWisegal (2008).[49]
Milano promoting her graphic novelHacktivist in 2015
In 2011, Milano appeared in two comedy films,Hall Pass andNew Year's Eve.[50] In 2013, Milano created the comic book seriesHacktivist, which was written byJackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, drawn byMarcus To, and published byArchaia Entertainment. The book, which explores the modern world of hacking and global activism, is described as "a fast-pacedcyber-thriller about friendship and freedom in a time of war". The publication was released digitally in late 2013, while the first print edition issue of the four-issue miniseries was published in January 2014. A hardcover edition collecting all four issues was released in July 2014.[51] The series received positive reviews, as it holds a score of 8.1 out of 10 at the review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup.[52]
In June 2013, she played Savannah Davis in ABC drama seriesMistresses, which is about the scandalous lives of four girlfriends,[53] but she left the show after season two, due to conflict between filming location and family issues.[54][55] She signed on as host and judgeProject Runway: All Stars beginning with season three.[56] On March 2, 2015, Milano was a guest host onThe Talk.[57] In September 2015, Milano began to make appearances as abrand ambassador for the preschool television channelSprout, being billed as the network's "mom-bassador".[58] In 2017 and 2018, Milano joined the cast of two Netflix comedy series:Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later[59] andInsatiable.[60] In 2018 she was cast in the lead role inTempting Fate, based on the best-selling book byJane Green.[61]
In 2019, she released a children's bookHope: Project Middle School Book which is part of her 'Hope' book series which she co-authors with Debbie Rigaud.[62] Also in 2019, Milano began hosting the podcastAlyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry. The podcast deals with social and political commentary and frequently features actors, activists, and political luminaries.[63] In 2020, Milano was a recurring star on theQuibi comedyThe Now.[64] In 2021, Milano was cast to star in the Netflix film adaptation ofNora Roberts' novelBrazen Virtue.[65]
In October 2021, Milano's bookSorry Not Sorry was released. It contains 32 essays describing her activism and thoughts on current political and social issues.[66] On October 29, 2021, she signed a first-look production deal withA&E Studios.[67] She also signed a deal with theUnited Talent Agency (UTA) more recently, on December 13, 2021.[68] Milano will perform the role of Roxie Hart inChicago on Broadway in the fall of 2024.[69]
In the late 1980s, Milano contactedRyan White, a preteen boy ostracized for havingAIDS, and a fan of hers.[15][70] She attended a party for him where she sat with him for six hours makingfriendship bracelets.[71] They appeared together onThe Phil Donahue Show, where Milano kissed White on the cheek to emphasize that people do not catch the disease through casual contact.[72]
Since 2004, Milano has canvassed for national, state, and local candidates.[73]
In October 2004, Milano participated in UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as the national spokesperson.[74] She raised approximately US$50,000 forSouth African women and children withAIDS by selling her own and schools' photo work.[75]
In support ofPETA, she appeared in a 2007 advertisement for them, advocatingvegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables.[76][77]
In June 2007, TheSabin Vaccine Institute named Milano a Founding Ambassador for theGlobal Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to controlneglected tropical diseases, to which Milano donated US$250,000. She is also aUNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States of America.[78][79] Her field work for the organization has included a 2004 trip toAngola to speak withHIV-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 the2004 tsunami; and a 2010 trip to the settlement of Kolonia in westernKosovo 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.[80]
Milano in 2011
For her 37th birthday, December 19, 2009, Milano ran an online fundraising campaign forCharity: Water. 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.[81] In September 2013, Milano released a parody of acelebrity sex tape onFunny or Die that drew attention to theSyrian civil war.[82][83]
In 2014, Milano, with the South Korean rescue group, CARE, andThe Fuzzy Pet Foundation inSanta Monica, helped rescue a SouthKorean Jindo mix dog, found covered in mange, chained, and raised for dog-meat.[84][85][86]
On October 15, 2017, Milano posted the message that re-launched what is known as the#MeToo movement, which was started in 2006 byTarana 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 ofHarvey Weinstein's expulsion from theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences forsex crimes against women in the film industry.[87] 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".[88]
In 2018, she was announced as a co-chair of the Health Care Voter campaign.[89] She wrote an op-ed inTime on why health care would decide her vote in 2018.[90] In July 2018, and again in December 2020, Milano encouraged Twitter users to seek outVoteRiders to help eliminate confusion aboutvoter ID laws.[91][92]
In October 2021, Milano was arrested during a voting rights demonstration outside the White House.[97]
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 theNazi Party which founded the then state-owned company in 1937.[98][99]
On May 28, 2024, Milano became anambassador of theUNITED24 global initiative in support of Ukraine in the field of education and science.[100]
In March 2020, Milano endorsed former US vice presidentJoe Biden for president of theUnited States.[115] She declined to withdraw her endorsement of Biden despitea sexual assault allegation against him.[116] 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."[117] This was after criticism of Milano's support for Biden where she appeared to backtrack on her previous stance forbelieving women.[118] On April 28, in anop-ed forDeadline 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."[119]
In October 2023, Milano signed an open letter from several artists to Biden, calling for a ceasefire of theIsraeli bombardment ofGaza.[120] In September 2025, she signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated ingenocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."[121]
Milano was involved with actorCorey Haim from 1987 to 1990. Milano and her parents, together with his manager at the time, unsuccessfully tried to get Haim help for his addiction.[125] In 1993, she became engaged to actorScott Wolf, but they broke off their engagement the following year. She had two abortions while in the relationship with Wolf.[126]
In 1998, Milano sued pornographic websites for publishing unauthorized nude photographs of her.[127]
On January 1, 1999, Milano married singer Cinjun Tate fromalternative rock bandRemy Zero. They separated on November 20, 1999, and were divorced on December 1, 1999.[128][129][130]
In a 2004 interview, Milano explained how she deals with herdyslexia: "I've stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. SirJohn Gielgud, whom I worked with onThe 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."[131]
After a year of dating, Milano became engaged toCreative Artists Agency (CAA) agent David Bugliari in December 2008.[132] They were married at Bugliari's family home in New Jersey on August 15, 2009.[133] They had a son on August 31, 2011,[134][135] and a daughter on September 4, 2014.[136][137]
In 2017, Milano's $10 million lawsuit against her business manager resulted in a cross-complaint.[140][141]
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.[142]
In April 2022 Milano disclosed in an interview her diagnosis oflong 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.[143]
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