Alyssa Milano is best known for her television roles, such as Jennifer Mancini in the Fox soap opera from the '90s, Melrose Place, and Phoebe Halliwell on Constance M. Burge's supernatural drama, Charmed.
The actress has, all the same, evolved a lot in the last decade or so, in both her personal and professional spheres of life. While the small screen has almost always been her bread and butter, Milano has taken the plunge to try her hand at movies in a more extensive way than before.
Some of the films that she has starred in include Hall Pass alongside Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis, as well as the rom-com Little Italy by Canadian actor and filmmaker, Vinay Virmani. In 2019, she starred in Lifetime's Tempting Fate, a film adapted from a novel of the same name by Jane Green.
Tempting Fate was directed by Grey's Anatomy star Kim Raver, in what was her feature film directorial debut. Working alongside her in the director's chair was her husband of two decades, Manu Boyer.
While that arrangement was particularly fun for Raver, Milano apparently loathed working with them, as they reportedly could not keep their hands off each other.
Alyssa Milano Remained Professional Despite Her Discomfort
It was in fact Raver who revealed the extent of Milano's discomfort at her and Boyer's overt PDA, in a 2019 interview with People Magazine. The actress, also famous for Third Watch and 24, explained how exciting it had been for her to work with her husband for the first time in a directorial capacity.
"This is gonna sound really corny, but I have to say it. It was really sexy watching my husband do what he does, so well," she said. "You know, I've been on set with him when he is directing, but [not] to really, really watch him while he is directing."
Raver went on to explain how she really tried to keep away from any romantic displays on set, so that the crew and cast could take them seriously as the directors, and not perceive them as 'just as a romantic couple.' Her efforts did not quite bear fruit, however, at least going by Milano's eventual reaction.
Despite her said discomfort, the Charmed actress remained quite professional, waiting until filming had wrapped to express her opinion.
Milano Told Kim Raver And Manu Boyer To 'Get A Room'
Milano did actually grow quite close to Raver and her husband over the course of the production period, which could explain why she had no qualms calling out their antics in public.
"We got very close with Alyssa Milano," Raver said in the People Magazine interview. "And literally, like the minute we wrapped, her car was pulling up, and I saw her window go down, and she's like, 'Are you guys making out?' She's like, 'Get a room!'"
On Lifetime's official site, Tempting Fate is described as 'the story of mother-of-two Gabby (Milano), whose picture-perfect marriage to Elliott (Steve Kazee, Shameless) is jeopardized when she meets Matt (Zane Holtz, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), a handsome younger man who seemingly ignites a fire and desire within her.'
'What begins as a business opportunity soon develops into an emotional affair leading Gabby to eventually succumb to Matt’s unrelenting attraction and attention, never foreseeing the life-changing consequences that lie ahead.'
The film received a decent reception, with a slightly-above-average rating of 5.5./10 on IMDb. However, Milano's role was criticized in some quarters.
Milano's Role In 'Tempting Fate' Elicited Controversy
Away from her work as an actor, Milano has often inspired the masses with her work as a social activist. One of the issues that she is very outspoken about is a woman's right to choose, which is where the controversy regarding her role in Tempting Fate arose.
In the movie, Gabby and Matt's flirtations lead to her becoming pregnant. With her husband having had a vasectomy in the past, she is advised by a friend to terminate the pregnancy. She refuses to even consider this possibility, choosing instead to come clean to Elliott and their two children.
While some felt that it was disingenuous of Milano to portray a character who did not share her views, the actress argued that she saw the role as a way to remove the politics from the conversations around abortion.
"I think anytime you’re able to convey social, political issues in art and storytelling, it’s an important thing to do, because it kind of depoliticizes [it]," she told Glamour magazine in 2019. "It’s good for the social movement aspect because it humanizes it."
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