Biography
While many child stars tended to fall off the radar once hitting adulthood, actress Alyssa Milano rode out the initial disinterest she received following her run as Tony Danza's daughter on "Who's the Boss?" (1984-1992) to become the star of numerous television movies and a second hit series. During her eight-year stint on the ABC sitcom, Milano made her feature film debut as Arnold Schwarzenegger's kidnapped daughter in "Commando" (1985), while starring in several high school-themed television movies. But once the sitcom was axed, she quickly sought to ditch her good girl image in favor of a more sultry adult one by starring in erotic thrillers like "Embrace of the Vampire" (1994) and "Poison Ivy II: Lily" (1996), which featured little more than an excuse for the actress to shed her clothes in highly-charged sex scenes. Her decision to appear in such films had unintended consequences, namely the appearance of stills on the Internet, leading to an effort by Milano and her mother to crusade against websites for celebrity copyright infringement. Meanwhile, she returned to series television on the sexy supernatural drama "Charmed" (The WB, 1998-2006), which had its own behind-the-scenes challenges with original star Shannen Doherty. Involved in numerous philanthropic ventures over the years, including serving as a UNICEF ambassador, Milano used her celebrity to help raise awareness for a wide variety of causes. Settling into a more comfortable maturity, Milano remained a steady presence on television, appearing in shows ranging from absurdist comedy "My Name is Earl" (NBC 2005-09) to steamy drama "Mistresses" (ABC 2013-16). Through it all, Milano remained the rare child actor-turned-adult celebrity who maintained a successful career while elevating herself to a valued international humanitarian.
