Alyssa Milano

Birthday: 19 December 1972, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name: Alyssa Jayne Milano

Height: 157 cm

Alyssa Milano comes from an Italian-American family; her mother Lin Milano is a fashion designer and father Thomas Milano is a film music editor. Alyssa was born in a working-class neighborhood in Brooklyn and grew up in a modest house on Staten Island. One day her babysitter, who was an aspiring dancer, dragged Alyssa along to an open audition for the first national tour of "Annie". However, it was Alyssa and not the sitter who was chosen from 1500 other girls for the role. So at the tender age of seven, with her mother in tow, Alyssa joined the tour as July, one of the orphans. After 18 months on the road Alyssa, who had begun to garner a reputation as an energetic and charismatic young actress, left Annie to be featured in off-Broadway productions and television commercials. Then in 1983, at age 10, she landed her breakthrough role on the sitcom Who's the Boss? (1984) as Tony Danza's saccharine sweet daughter, "Samantha Micelli", a kid whose native Brooklyn accent rivaled her TV dad's. In order for Alyssa to accept the gig, the Milano family had to uproot and move 3,000 miles to Hollywood. Show less «

I've always believed in experiencing everything in life. When you walk out with blinders on, you cut...Show more »

I've always believed in experiencing everything in life. When you walk out with blinders on, you cut yourself off from the angels and the fairies. Show less «

First, accept sadness. Realize that without losing, winning isn't so great.

Every time I decide I want a child I get another pet. I have 3 dogs, 13 birds and 3 horses, what doe...Show more »

Every time I decide I want a child I get another pet. I have 3 dogs, 13 birds and 3 horses, what does that tell you? Show less «

I had to deal with a certain amount of guilt that accompanied being successful at a young age. The g...Show more »

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. The guilt that my brother had to deal with having a famous sister. It was not easy, but thank God I had them to remind me what is important in life. Show less «

"I turned vegetarian after 9/11. A friend of mine came back from New York and said that he couldn't ...Show more »

"I turned vegetarian after 9/11. A friend of mine came back from New York and said that he couldn't stand the smell of burnt flesh. It immediately reminded me of a barbecue." - On her decision to become a vegetarian. Show less «

I'm a big believer in individual responsibility.

Baseball is, in many ways, like a boyfriend or spouse. You can love him, you *should* love him, but ...Show more »

Baseball is, in many ways, like a boyfriend or spouse. You can love him, you *should* love him, but you need to learn that he exists without you, and you without him. You need to learn the same thing about baseball, that as much as you care, you need to be able to step back. Show less «

In my book, the number-one sign that you're all grown up is when your baby brother's giving YOU pigg...Show more »

In my book, the number-one sign that you're all grown up is when your baby brother's giving YOU piggyback rides! Show less «

We were in Brooklyn and we stopped by a neighbor's house ... there were these dogs there and I guess...Show more »

We were in Brooklyn and we stopped by a neighbor's house ... there were these dogs there and I guess they had puppies, she was going to keep one but said she may have to put the rest to sleep if she couldn't find homes for them, so if we knew anyone that wanted puppies to let her know. I asked what she meant by "putting them to sleep", so I asked and my mom being as subtle as possible said it means they are going to kill them. So we took home one named Pluto. Show less «

Animals, they are one of the most beautiful gifts we have and, you know, if there are people that ha...Show more »

Animals, they are one of the most beautiful gifts we have and, you know, if there are people that have compassion, there are very few people that put their money into animal rescue organizations. And if there is someone that has that passion, animals need all the help they can get. Show less «

Alyssa's favorite saying is "It's nice to be important, but it's important to always be nice."