Alyssa Milano Biography

Fast Facts

• Won three Young Artist Awards for her role in "Who's the Boss?" between 1986 and 1988
• Is an ambassador for the Global Network to raise awareness of neglected tropical diseases, or NTDs, as well as Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF
• Made her screen acting debut as Diane in the film "Old Enough" in 1984
• Began her career at age 8 after beating out 1,500 girls for a role on a traveling production of "Annie․"
• Despite rising to fame at such an early age, she considers her childhood relatively normal, as her family lived in Brooklyn and later Staten Island
• Quote: "I had to deal with a certain amount of guilt that accompanied being successful at a young age․ The guilt that my parents gave up their dreams, friendships, and the only life they knew to make my triumphs a possibility․"
• After eight years as a teen idol on "Who's the Boss?," she made the transition to successful adult actress after landing recurring roles on sitcoms such as "Charmed," "Melrose Place," and "Spin City․"
• Best known for her role as Phoebe Halliwell in "Charmed" and as Samantha Micelli in "Who's the Boss?"
• Diagnosed with dyslexia since childhood, she admits that it is easier to memorize scripts by writing them by hand
• Offered a five album record deal in Japan as a teen, many of which hit platinum status in the country