Alyssa Jayne Milano was born on December 19, 1972, in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, to Lin Milano, a fashion designer and talent manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a film music editor. She and her younger brother Cory grew up in Staten Island. At age seven, she was cast in the national tour of Annie — selected from 1,500 girls — which launched her professional career. In 1984, at age 11, she was cast as Samantha Micelli in ABC’s Who’s the Boss?, a role she held for eight seasons through 1992, making her one of the most recognizable child actors of the 1980s.

After Who’s the Boss?, Milano rebuilt her career through television movies and erotic thrillers before landing the role of Phoebe Halliwell in The WB’s Charmed in 1998 — a role she held for all eight seasons through 2006. She went on to appear in Melrose Place, Mistresses, My Name Is Earl, Insatiable, and many others. From 2013 to 2019, she hosted five seasons of Project Runway All Stars on Lifetime, replacing Carolyn Murphy as the show’s third host. She also hosts the podcast Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry.

Off-screen, Milano is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and a prominent activist, most notably for her role in amplifying the #MeToo movement in October 2017. She is married to talent agent David Bugliari and has two children.