Alyssa Milano shares her idea for “Who’s the Boss?” Reboot with Tony Danza (Exclusive)

For Alyssa Milanthe progressive themes and socially difficult aspects of his ’80s sitcom Who is the boss? still resonates today – that’s why it is work diligently to get a revival off the ground.

The actress and activist hit the carpet at the ERA Coalition’s Women’s Equality Trailblazer Awards in Los Angeles on Wednesday, and she spoke with ET’s Denny Directo about the groundbreaking elements of her iconic comedy series.

“Who is the boss? was the first thing where there was really a swap of gender roles, right?” Milano said, explaining how the show’s dynamic really set her apart and brought her to the forefront of the conversation cultural.

In the series, Tony Danza starred Tony Micelli, a widower and former baseball player who accepts a job as a live-in housekeeper for Angela Bower (Judith Light), a divorced and wealthy advertising star, and her son, Jonathan (Danny Pintauro). Milano played the role of Tony’s teenage daughter, Samantha, who lives at the Bower residence with her father.

“Tony was doing all the housework and you know, and Judith was divorced, owned her own business, single mother, all these things we didn’t really see at that time,” Milano said of the show’s unique setup . “And a girl who is such a tomboy.”

Milano has long been working on a way to bring the series back and give fans some insight into the characters’ current situation.

“I think it could be really funny because, in my head, Tony will be the exact same character but everything around him is changing and growing,” Milano explained. “So I’m excited about that prospect. I think it could be really, really fun.”

The actress explained that the revival series is “still in development” and that they are “still looking for a home” for the project.

“We work very hard, because we feel like we still have a story to tell,” Milano explained.

Milano spoke with ET in November 2022and shared some details about a possible premise for the new series.

Proposal Who is the boss? The update reportedly centers on Milan’s Samantha, who is now a single mother living in the same house she grew up in in the original sitcom, which aired from 1984 to 1992. Her father now lives with her and helps take care of the children. children of Samantha.

“It would be Tony who would come and take care of my kids because I have a job that makes me travel a lot, so it’s that whole dynamic,” Milano teased. “But also, the generational difference between raising a child today and yesterday, which is still the conflict I have with my parents in real life about gentle parenting. So I’m really looking forward to this appearance.”

As for the Women’s Equality Trailblazer Awards, Milan helped celebrate the evening’s guests of honor: 9 to 5 co-star Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Partonall of whom were recognized for their contribution to the fight for equality.

The ERA Coalition event also included a special premiere screening of the documentary I always work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.which details the lasting impact of the film and its message, as well as the fight for women’s rights and equality that continues to this day.

Looking back on the beloved 1980 comedy, Milano explained, “The sad thing is that it resonated exactly the same way all these years later.”

“We’re still fighting for equal pay, we’re still fighting for constitutional equality as women, we’re still fighting for racial justice, reproductive justice and environmental justice,” she shared. “So it’s the same problems…we’re still fighting the same fight we were 40 years ago. You could do it today and it would still hold.”

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