By Randal C. Hill
Submitted by taxifan

On Alyssa Milano's ninth birthday, her parents took her to see the musical Annie. After it was over, she told her parents, "I can do that!" Two weeks later, a touring company held tryouts for Annie. Fifteen hundred girls tried out for the show. "Four were picked for roles in the play," says Alyssa. "I was one of them. It was my first audition, my first anything!"

A Born Actress

Alyssa loved to perform. She took dance lessons, "When I was a little girl," she says, "I used to put on a lot of makeup and sing and dance for people whenever they'd come to our house to visit."

When Alyssa was chosen for Annie, the Milanos worried that she was too young to tour without her family and friends. But they wanted their daughter to have a chance to see what she could do on stage. Alyssa enjoyed performing in Annie. She toured for over a year.

After Annie, Alyssa acted in plays. Then she was in a movie called Old Enough. She won awards for her acting in this movie at the Cannes Film Festival.

California Bound

In 1984, Alyssa was chosen for the role of Samantha Micelli on the TV show Who's the Boss? She was 12 years old. The show was filmed in California, far from the Milano's New York home. "Both my parents gave up their jobs and had to start over in California," says Alyssa. "I give them a lot of credit for that."

"We all came out-me, my baby brother, my grandmother, my father, my mother, and a friend of ours. We all stayed in a two-bedroom apartment for about five months. It was interesting. We finally decided to rent a house."

Alyssa loves being on Who's the Boss? "I'm so lucky to be on this show," she says. The cast is like a family. "We have a great time when we're together. We all work hard, of course. But since we have so much fun, I never think of it as work."

Because she is busy filming Who's the Boss?, Alyssa has no time to attend school. Instead, she is taught by a tutor. "I like being tutored because it's just me and my teacher, who works at my pace," says Alyssa. "I work better one-to-one, and I love school. I really do!"

Down to Earth

Alyssa gets along well with her parents. "My mom is my best friend," she says. "She gives me advice on everything, just like a sister. My dad's great, too. He's like my backbone. He can be a bit overprotective, but dad's are just like that with their teenage daughters."