And the second part is available:
iF MAGAZINE:: How has your role on CHARMED reflect your real life?
ALYSSA MILANO: Personally, I think what I’ve been through since I’ve been on CHARMED… I was married, I was divorced, a best friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer… these were very big years of my life. I think anybody’s life from 24 to 33 is pretty impactful. Definitely, I think that 40 years from now this is the experience that I will always remember when I look back on my career. Without a doubt.
iF: Is there something you would have done differently in the show?
MILANO: I think everything worked out exactly the way it was supposed to. I really do. You can’t second-guess a show like this, a show that’s lasted for eight years. It obviously happed the way it was supposed to.
iF: What is your favorite episode?
MILANO: I probably haven’t watched a whole episode since the first year. I could tell you the mermaid episode was great to do. I love doing the episodes where I’m in some crazy get up just because it makes things fun and it gives the crew things to make fun of me about which is always entertaining for everyone. I don’t know if I have a favorite episode.
iF: Why didn’t you watch?
MILANO: I don’t know. When you’ve been on TV since you were 11 years old it’s just really not so interesting. I’d rather watch HUFF or HOUSE or something else.
iF: Are you critical about your own performance?
MILANO: To be perfectly honest I can look and totally disassociate myself with what’s going on. I just feel like I’ve lived it. I’ve lived the episode so to just sit there and watch… kind of narcissistic.
iF: Eight years is an extraordinary achievement in TV terms , but it is hard work, isn’t it?
MILANO: Yes, but the hard work is worth it when a) you feel like you’re doing good work and b) you’re surrounded by people that you love. Man, I just come to work and hang out with my friends. I can’t think of a better job then that. The thrill aspect comes from the excitement of, again, being life, things are constantly changing, in flux, and movement and I think movement is good. No matter in what direction you will learn and grow.
iF: When you’re out and about – what kind of reaction have you gotten from fans?
MILANO: People really haven’t… I mean what are they going to say? "Sorry your show got cancelled." People haven’t really said anything to me. I know they are upset because I read the message boards and such. A lot of fans of the show started watching it at a very early age – 10 or 11 years old, so basically they grew up with watching the show. It’s part of their childhood and it’s going away.
iF: What are the things that you have trouble separating from Phoebe?
MILANO: It’s interesting, because I think the thing that has been… "did Brad [Kern] plan this or has it just been like, hmmm, I’m going to steal from Alyssa’s life," but her quest for love is something that I think ever woman can relate to at some point in their lives. And it’s something that I am still on the quest for… so I don’t know if she’ll be completely removed from me in that aspect.
iF: Has your relationship to magic changed and if you had a power what would it be?
MILANO: For me, as a UNICEF Ambassador, I would have to say the power to heal.
iF: Do you believe in magic?
MILANO: I will, definitely will… where growing up I would have called it prayer. There are definitely certain incantations that I do now. Whether it is, I guess you can call it, mantras, or incantations, or prayers… or whatever.
iF: You’ve been involved in many charities and also Internet safety. What made you get into that?
MILANO: The thing with SafeSearching happened because my little brother did a search with my name and he was 12 at the time and he found a bunch of porn links. So we sued numerous webmasters and won all of our lawsuits and with the money we started SafeSearching.com, which is basically just a clean place for fans to come and learn about the celebrities. We have all authorized celebrity sites and it’s now turned into a little network, with original content and that’s very exciting.
The charity work… I feel that’s there’s no reason to be a celebrity unless you can use your name for good. There comes a point where you have you home, you have your car and you have your family and friends and then you go, "Why am I working all of these hours?" So, I lived in South Africa for 3 months in 2000 and when I came home I needed a place to exorcise my humanitarian aspects of my being and I contacted UNICEF and I’ve been working with them as an Ambassador. That is probably the most important thing in my life that motivates me more then anything else.
iF: What do you do as an ambassador?
MILANO: Being an Ambassador basically I take field trips. I’ve been to Angola, Africa and India. I go to the country and learn about UNICEF’s programs and what they’re doing, everything from health education, equality and protection of children. I make suggestions to the in-house UNICEF people. I come home, make suggestions to the UNICEF people here and basically raise awareness and be the voice of the people who have no voice. Empowering other people to want to make a difference.
iF: Ray Romano said he was going to therapy to help him deal with not being on a show? Would you do this?
MILANO: I’m not opposed to that. [laughing] Definitely not opposed to therapy.
iF: After acting for so many years are you afraid of not being active with it?
MILANO: No, I think that I’m a creative being and as long as I keep creating no matter what venue, arena it’s in, that I will feel fulfilled. I think that’s what it’s about – fulfilling yourself in the things that make you happy… that make you feel strong.
iF: What episode made you crazy doing it?
MILANO: The mermaid episode was pretty tough, but that’s because I’m afraid of water. And I was in pasties and my breasts were chaffed for about two months after. Because they are put on with surgical glue
iF: You wouldn’t want them to come off.
MILANO: [laughing] That’s true. I was glad they were on there with surgical glue. Being afraid of the water and in the ocean and in something where your legs are bound together that’s pretty frightening.
iF: How did they talk you into that?
MILANO: You know what, I made the mistake of not reading the script the week before we started shooting. I said, "You’ve got the wrong sister here. You guys are nuts." I’m from Brooklyn. We don’t have pools in Brooklyn; we’ve got like fire hydrants. It was a very weird thing.
iF: Do you think your friendship will survive the show?
MILANO: Absolutely. I look forward to running into them and seeing how their careers progress. Yes, absolutely.