“First, accept sadness. Realize that without losing, winning isn’t so great.” – Alyssa Milano
About Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress, producer and former singer. She is best known for her roles in Who’s the Boss?, Melrose Place, Charmed and Mistresses.
Milano began her career at age seven, when her babysitter, without notifying her parents, took her to an audition for one of the four principal parts in a national touring company of Annie. Milano was one of four selected from more than 1,500 girls. During the course of her work in the play, Milano and her mother were on the road for 18 months. After returning to New York, she appeared in television commercials and did several roles in off-Broadway productions, including the first American musical adaptation of Jane Eyre.
When accompanying a friend from the Annie production to the office of a New York agent, Milano was introduced to the agent, who began representing her. She does not feel that growing up in front of the camera harmed her childhood, and has said: “I love my family very much – they’ve really backed my career. I consider myself to be normal: I’ve got to clean my room, and help in the kitchen.”
In August 1984, Milano made her film debut in the coming of age drama Old Enough, which she recalled as a “great” way for “starting out”. The film was screened at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won First Prize.
Milano has dyslexia. In a 2004 interview, she explained how she deals with the disorder:
I’ve stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir John Gielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghost years ago, gave me great advice. When I asked how he memorized his monologues, he said, “I write them down.” I use that method to this day. It not only familiarizes me with the words, it makes them my own.
(Source – Wikipedia)