Alyssa Milano Interview

Girlfriend Interview


Alyssa Milano

Wearing pink pj's and ugh boots, Alyssa bounces over in between takes. Instead of doing the interview in her trailer she directs me to the infamous 'attic' where the book of shadows and many of the spells are cast.

GF: So you're enjoying working on the show more than last year?

I love Rose. She's a little doll face and she keeps things everything very light on the set and I'm so glad she's here.

GF: Shannen's character was so popular. Do you think it was hard for Rose to jump in and be the long-lost half-sister?

It's sort of like jumping on a moving train because we've been doing the show for years so I think it was probably hard for her at first but she's done a great job. I'm proud of her.

GF: You work a 12 to 16 hour day, five days a week, what do you do when the cameras aren't rolling and you're not required on set?

Well on my trailer I have a satellite dish and an internet DSL line so I like to go in an email friends when I get the chance. I also love doing yoga too so you'll probably find me doing a bit of that (laughs).

GF: Speaking of friends, do you have a whole heap or just a select few?

Since I started the show I have like three friends now. I have a couple of girlfriends and my best friend is a guy. Because of the schedule that we work it's hard to maintain a friendship so you find the true friends stick around and the acquaintances seem to disappear and that's OK. I really can only have a small circle of friends because we're in a town and in a business that can be very sort of fickle and some people have ulterior motives so I like to just have a close circle of people around me.

GF: What about your family? Are you close with them?

I've actually just bought a house which is about a block away from my parents and I live with my 19-year-old brother so we're all extremely close. I always make sure I go to mum and dad's about twice a week for dinner.

GF: What is it that makes you happy?

The thing that makes me most happy would be Sunday dinners at my parents place because it's usually a big thing and I've been doing it since I can remember. It's become a tradition now in our family and it feels like anything can happen during the week but I'm ready for it as long as I have my mum's meatballs and have that dinner with them on Sunday night.

GF: Besides having dinner with your family, what else do you like to do when you get five minutes to spare?

I have seven horses to look after and they take a LOT of work and I also love to do photography and yoga. That keeps me pretty busy.

GF: You've grown up on television. Do you ever wish you had a 'normal' childhood?

A: I didn't know any different so to me it was all normal. It's all I knew. The thing I remember most about being a teenager was that I was very pimply. And I didn't go to school so I couldn't really relate to other teenagers as such because I wasn't around them. So I think I took on a very old-soul-like personality from a very young age because I was always around adults and because ever since I can remember I've had to be professional and do my job.

GF: As a result of always being on television, people must feel like they know you when they see you out?

I don't mind that at all. I love the connection that you're able to make with people and fans. That's what I love about my job the most - that you're actually able to capture that connection.

GF: So you're not the type of star who has an assistant who does everything for them?

(laughs) I do EVERYTHING. I go buy my own toilet paper, I drive here to the set each day by myself and I pump my own gas. I do everything because I always felt like it was important to maintain some semblance of a normal life. I always felt that if ever it came time that I had to hire someone to do those things for me then I would have to get out of the business.

GF: Why?

I think half of that is something that an actor takes upon themselves because if you don't do the normal things in life then you can alienate yourself from the rest of the world. I think that 'mystique' can lead to some craziness whereas if you just walk into Starbucks and get your coffee then nobody really cares. They're just like 'oh there's Alyssa Milano at 5am in the morning and she must feel as tired as I do'.

GF: You've been playing Phoebe now for four years. Do you feel like you've almost become the same person?

It's funny but I find myself doing Alyssa-type things in Phoebe. Just mannerisms and hand gestures and things that I know are just things I do. There's a lot of me in Phoebe and the thing I love most about playing her is that she can find humour in any situation which is how I grew up. My mother always taught me that as long as you could laugh then everything will be OK and I love that Phoebe is almost like an audience member in that she always says what the audience is thinking.

GF: Does it feel like hard work?

You know, we really have the greatest jobs in the world and I'd like to say it's not all that glamorous but it is. I've been acting since I was six years old and I can't imagine doing anything else. It's a strenuous work schedule but the show is very light and fun and that's what we try to keep in mind when we're here. Rose, Holly and I never take ourselves too seriously, that's for sure (laughs)