Exclusive Interview: Alyssa Milano Talks Who Are You People and Creating Conversations Through Art

Alyssa Milano needs no introduction. The actress, author, producer, and writer has been a staple in the industry for over four decades. She’s brought dynamic narratives to life in projects including Who’s the Boss?, Melrose Place, Charmed, Mistresses, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Insatiable, and Brazen. Her latest film, Who Are You People, is no different.

Starring opposite Devon Sawa and Ema Horvath, Who Are You People tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who runs away from boarding school to seek out the biological father her mother always kept hidden and learns the dark secret of her roots.

Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Alyssa about Who Are You People, the thrill of independent filmmaking, how Who Are You People provokes audiences to ask questions, and more!

PC: You’ve done it all throughout your career. What was it about Ben Epstein’s script and character that stood out to you?
Alyssa: It was a good script, first and foremost. I read a lot of scripts. I also write scripts. There was something so complete and yet incomplete, if that makes any sense, about this movie. I knew once I spoke to him and heard the vision that he had and the things that were important to him that it would make for a great film. I was right.

PC: When Judith’s daughter goes on this journey to find her father, it forces the family, particularly your character, to come to terms with the past. How did you create that space for yourself to dive into those darker moments?
Alyssa: Well, I have those darker moments inside of me as a person. It isn’t horribly difficult, sadly, to tap into my own trauma. For your viewers who don’t know, Ema [Horvath]’s character goes to find her biological father and she uncovers this truth about my character Judith’s past that she has kept hidden from her. More than anything, it follows the experience of a teenager who is learning that for the first time. That is very relatable. Our parents are human, messy, flawed, and have pasts.

I’m a proud mommy of two, but I think my kids look at me and have no concept that there were 38 years before they came along. I had my son when I was 38 and my daughter when I was 41. That’s a whole lifetime of mistakes, of growth, of love. That’s what this movie does really, really well. It demonstrates a child figuring out that part of growing up, but there’s also this mystery along with the self-discovery. That makes for great, great, great filmmaking.

PC: When you’re tackling a project that tackles these sensitive topics, does that bring a different weight/pressure to it?
Alyssa: I don’t think so. I think the most important thing for me at this point in my career is to do movies where there is some sort of social commentary attached. It seems like secrets have been a theme of mine for the last couple of years with filming Brazen, my Netflix movie that dropped a couple of weeks ago. I feel like secrets are also a part of that. The other thing that’s so important to say about Who Are You People is that there’s no question about morality. There are many things about these characters that are unforgivable, but I think the movie exists in the space of what happens next. We don’t often see that in filmmaking.

We see a very distinct conclusion that is supposed to make you feel a certain way, whether it’s a happily ever after or whether it’s to be continued, a dun-dun-dun. But Who Are You People leaves us with “Now what?” That’s life.

PC: In addition to starring in the film, you’re also an executive producer and you’ve produced a ton in the past and you’ve also written. How has your work behind the scenes made you a stronger actress and vice versa?
Alyssa: It’s made me a lot pickier. I read a lot of scripts. Sadly, a lot of them are not great. The good news about that is when there is a movie or script that’s sent to you like Who Are You People, you really recognize it for its greatness. I used to hear this thing when I did theater when I was a kid which was, “If it’s not on the page, it’s not on the stage.” I get that now. I really understand that now. That no matter how good you are as an actor, you can’t create something that’s not there. You can’t create things in between the lines because so much of a film depends on the editing.

A lot of the between-the-lines gets cut out. I feel like my job, especially as a producer, was to try to find the between-the-lines moments. There are such strong performances by Devon [Sawa] and Ema in this movie. I was so taken by watching all of their takes. They gave us so much to work with. Ben is such a great director in finding nuance, especially for my character—the nuance of the almost detachment and facade that we all put on.

PC: You’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative?
Alyssa: There’s something really beautiful and fundamental about a crew coming together for the art of filmmaking. I’m not sure that happens on huge budget films anymore. It becomes about overtime. It becomes about the helicopter shot or the drone or whatever it is. A film like this with a director like Ben is all about the filmmaking. Everyone’s there with the same motivation, which is to make a good film. There’s something very beautiful about people from all walks of life coming together with a common purpose. That common purpose was the script and Ben’s vision.

PC: There are so many timely and relevant themes within the film. Was there one in particular that hit home for you? What do you hope audiences take away after they see it?
Alyssa: The thing that is most important about the film is that everyone’s going to take away something different because we’re not telling people how to feel. That’s really rare in a film. When we watch a film, we’re left to our own conclusions about the movie and the characters. In a lot of ways, this movie is a testament to Ben’s vision in that it asks questions. It does not provide answers. It leaves you with this feeling after you watch it (at least for me) where you’re like, “Huh?” It’s very rare that you watch a movie and there are no answers. There’s no conclusion. Things aren’t tidy at the end. They’re not wrapped up. All of our hopes, while we’re making the film in post-production, are that the movie will provoke conversations.

To keep up with Alyssa, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.