Who's The Boss Cast Then And Now

If you grew up in or simply lived through the 1980s, there's a good chance you sat down and watched a few episodes of "Who's the Boss?" The popular sitcom dominated the airwaves throughout its eight seasons and 196 episodes, earning numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and many more. While series lead Tony Danza was already well known for his work in "Taxi," "Who's the Boss?" brought Alyssa Milano to the world's attention, establishing her decades-long career.

"Who's the Boss?" ran from 1984 until 1992, and like any popular sitcom during that time, it featured a large and impressive cast of characters. There are the core characters of Tony (Danza), Angela (Judith Light), Samantha (Milano), Jonathan (Danny Pintauro), and Mona (Katherine Helmond), but there were also many guest stars, single-episode characters, and series regulars who popped in every once in a while. The final episode of "Who's the Boss?" premiered over 30 years ago, and it's natural to wonder what happened to everyone involved with the series.

Three decades is a long time, and everyone who worked on the show went on to appear in other programs, films, and elsewhere. Sadly, some stars have since died, while others faded into relative obscurity. There was even a plan to launch a "Who's the Boss?" sequel series, but the show was ultimately scrapped. Regardless, here's what the cast of "Who's the Boss?" has been up to since the series came to an end over 30 years ago.

Tony Danza has had an interesting and diverse career, having started his professional life as a boxer. Danza competed as a middleweight from 1976 to '79, with a record of eight wins and three losses. Shortly before he hung up his gloves, Danza landed his debut role of Tony Banta on "Taxi." That part made him a star. He went on to perform in movies but primarily spent most of the 1980s on the small screen.

Danza's next big role was playing Tony Micelli on "Who's the Boss?" While "Taxi" brought Danza to the world's attention, he was one of many in an ensemble cast. In "Who's the Boss?" he played the lead, and he helped carry the series for nearly 200 episodes. While he didn't win any awards during his time on the series, Danza was nominated for multiple Golden Globes and other accolades. Danza was a face on primetime for years, and it helped him to establish his career as an actor.

While Danza continued working long after "Who's the Boss?" wrapped, he never attained the same level of fame. However, he did land his own talk show in the mid-2000s, and he's appeared in dozens of movies and television series. In 2023, Danza joined the cast of "And Just Like That..." and he's shown no sign of retiring anytime soon. Outside of acting, Danza co-wrote a cookbook called "Don't Fill Up on the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook" with his son.

Judith Light began acting professionally in 1970 with a role in a stage production of "Richard III," and it didn't take long for her to make an impact on daytime television. Light played Karen Wolek on "One Life to Live" from 1977 to '83, earning two Daytime Emmy Awards. She spent a good portion of her early career appearing in episodes of popular shows. Her most prominent early role came when she was cast to play Angela Bower on "Who's the Boss?" where she played Tony's boss.

Light's performance as Angela was perfectly balanced by Tony Danza's work as her employee-turned-boyfriend-turned-fiancé. While she helped lead the series to numerous accolades, like Danza, Light never received an award for her work on "Who's the Boss?" Regardless, the series only boosted Light's career in Tinseltown, and she's been a gainfully employed actor ever since the series wrapped in 1992. Light did dabble in film, and you've likely seen her in movies like "The Menu," "Tick, Tick... Boom!," and "The Young Wife."

Still, Light's career has played out mostly on the small screen, and she's racked up plenty of credits on shows like "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Ugly Betty," and "The Politician." One thing Light has done since leaving "Who's the Boss?" is return to her roots in the theater: She has performed in over a dozen theatrical productions, for which she's been honored with two Tony Awards as well as the Isabelle Stevenson Award for her advocacy work.

Alyssa Milano began acting at the age of eight, appearing in a theatrical production of "Annie." She continued to hone her skills on the stage while setting her sights on television. Milano's breakout performance came when she joined the cast of "Who's the Boss?" as Samantha Micelli, the young daughter of Tony. Like her TV father, Milano remained on the series through its entire run, winning several awards for her work on the show.

Playing Samantha managed to permeate pop culture for decades, as Milano inspired the naming of an important ship in "Guardians of the Galaxy" decades after "Who's the Boss?" ended. That makes sense, as it's the show that made Milano a household name, and it wasn't long after she joined the cast that she found her way onto movie sets. Her biggest early film role was in 1985's "Commando," where she played the kidnapped daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character.

After that, Milano diversified her resume significantly, performing in all kinds of movies and TV shows, and she even recorded five studio albums. She has kept herself incredibly busy, landing major and leading roles in numerous popular television series, including "Melrose Place," "Charmed," and many others. Milano is also an advocate and was instrumental in reigniting the #MeToo movement that helped bring down the disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein and several other prominent men working in the entertainment industry.

Danny Pintauro's acting career began in 1983 when he appeared as Paul Stenbeck in the soap opera "As the World Turns" and Tad Trenton in "Cujo," a film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. He followed that up with the film "The Beniker Gang" and a two-episode gig on "Highway to Heaven." Pintauro then landed the role that made him famous: Jonathan Bower on "Who's the Boss?"

Pintauro remained on the series throughout its entire run. He won a Young Artist Award for playing Jonathan, and he was nominated four additional times. While he had several storylines on "Who's the Boss?," Jonathan wasn't as significant a character as the adults or Alyssa Milano's Samantha. Regardless, Pintauro played him exceptionally well, giving every indication from his performance and professionalism that he'd be a lifelong actor.

While he's continued to work as an actor since "Who's the Boss?" came to an end, his time in front of the camera has been sporadic, to say the least. That's because he tried other professions, including selling Tupperware, managing a restaurant in Las Vegas, and working as a veterinary technician. He's since returned to acting, having relocated to California from Austin, Texas. Pintauro typically flies under the radar, but in December 2024, he made headlines after a scooter accident led to emergency surgery, which he ultimately recovered from without complications.

Katherine Helmond made her film debut in 1955's "Wine of Morning" and she became a well-known name on the theater scene throughout the 1960s. In 1971, Helmond took home the Clarence Derwent Award for her work in "The House of Blue Leaves," and later received a Tony Award nomination. She was working steadily in films and television by this point, and she continued doing so for the remainder of her career, with noteworthy performances in "Time Bandits," "Brazil," and "Overboard."

Helmond joined the cast of "Who's the Boss?" as Mona Robinson, Angela's mother and Jonathan's grandmother. Mona was the older woman who gave the younger characters a run for their money, and she never failed to land a joke and get laughs. In many ways, she was the lynchpin of the entire cast, helping to make the show a hit. When "Who's the Boss?" ended, Helmond popped up in the likes of "Coach," "Everybody Loves Raymond," True Blood," and many others.

Outside of television, Helmond entertained millions of children by voicing Lizzie in the "Cars" trilogy, and she worked until 2018, playing Betty Burns in the film "Frank & Ava." Sadly, Helmond was one of many actors we lost in 2019. She died at the age of 89 at her Los Angeles home. After her passing, many posted loving tributes, including Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano, who wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Helmond was "My beautiful, kind, funny, gracious, compassionate, rock."

Nicole Eggert's acting career kicked off in 1979 when she appeared in a pair of TV movies titled "When She Was Bad..." and "When Hell Was in Session." She dipped her toe into various television series and films in the early 1980s, appearing in several popular shows, including "Fantasy Island" and "T.J. Hooker." This type of work continued for a few years, and in 1985, Eggert joined the cast of "Who's the Boss?" as Marci Ferguson, a role she'd reprise in six more episodes.

For Eggert, "Who's the Boss?" was one stop on a long road of acting jobs, and she continued performing for years in television and in films. Most notably, Eggert was a series regular in the cast of "Charles in Charge" for over 100 episodes. The films Eggert starred in were primarily direct-to-video or B-movies few have seen. That said, Eggert isn't best known for her film work or for her time on "Who's the Boss?" — it's her work in "Baywatch" that made her a star.

Eggert played Roberta "Summer" Quinn as a series regular in Season 3 and Season 4 of "Baywatch." Since finishing her time running in slow motion in a red swimsuit, Eggert has continued to work, mostly in television. She's appeared in all kinds of shows, often playing herself in series like "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and other reality TV series like "Botched." While Eggert continues to work, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in December 2023 and has been undergoing treatment.

Rhoda Gemignani is one of those actors you feel like you've seen a hundred times but you probably don't know her name. That's because she's appeared in tons of TV shows over the years, often playing supporting roles that take advantage of her ability to deliver a line and get a laugh in return. She started acting in the 1960s with a single appearance on "General Hospital" before finding her way onto variety shows and sitcoms, including "The Jeffersons," "The Facts of Life," and others.

Gemignani has also dabbled in feature films, and you may recall her from "Ghostbusters," as she's the real estate agent who sells the guys their firehouse. She has appeared in plenty of movies during her career, but the small screen is bread and butter. Despite only appearing in 21 episodes, Gemignani's performance as Mrs. Carmella Rossini in "Who's the Boss?" is probably her best-known work. She had a notable performance in the Thanksgiving episode from Season 2 that demonstrated her impressive comedic timing and acting chops.

When her time on the series ended, Gemignani continued to work in a similar capacity, appearing in all kinds of shows in supporting roles. Some of her most notable work includes single episode appearances in "Seinfeld," "Friends," and "Caroline in the City." After the turn of the century, Gemignani slowed down, lending her voice to several characters, though her work was sporadic. Her last credit came via two episodes of Matt LeBlanc's series "Episodes," and she hasn't worked since 2017.

Billy Gallo made his way to Hollywood with $200 to his name when he was only 18 years old. He landed a guest spot on "The Fall Guy," which helped him get his foot in the Tinseltown door. Gallo spent the 1980s jumping from one popular series to the other, playing supporting roles in "Hill Street Blues," "Empty Nest," and "Heart of the City." His big break came when he secured the role of Francis Lottabucci in the sitcom "Second Chance" (later renamed "Boys Will Be Boys") opposite the late "Friends" star Matthew Perry. The show was one of the first on the Fox network, though it didn't last long.

In 1989, Gallo landed the recurring role of Al (one of Tony's buddies) in "Who's the Boss?" He remained on the show for nine episodes, last appearing in the series' final season. After this, Gallo kept doing what he'd done so well for years: Securing walk-on roles in a variety of television series, from "Married with Children" and "Murder, She Wrote" to "JAG" and "Diagnosis Murder."

On the big screen, you may know Gallo from his turns as Carlos in "Pretty Woman" and Officer Hill in "Crash." In recent years, he has spent some time on daytime television, appearing in episodes of "Days of Our Lives" and "General Hospital." He also has his own production company, Brooklyn Bridge Productions, and he's written, produced, and directed various projects over the years. Gallo also has a podcast called "Hollywood Dream Maker," helping young professionals get started.

Jonathan Halyalkar was born in 1985 and by 1990 he was acting, making his debut in an episode of "The Cosby Show" that year. He then played William "Billy" Napoli in "Who's the Boss?" from 1990 to 1991, appearing in 21 episodes. Billy is an orphaned child from Tony's old neighborhood. His grandmother left him in Tony's care, and he moves in with the family in Season 7, working as a comic foil for Tony.

He was ultimately written off the series with an explanation that he returned to live with his grandmother. Despite being written off the show, Halyalkar achieved some success from his work, and it looked as if he'd continue acting — which he did for a short time. After leaving "Who's the Boss?" Halyalkar appeared in only a handful of series, including "Veronica Mars" in 2006 and "American Bully" in 2009, which was his final credit as an actor. Halyalkar transitioned into production in 2014, having executive produced three episodes of the sci-fi series "The Well."

While he never committed to being a full-time actor, there's not much information available as to why he made that decision. Some child stars simply don't pursue acting as a profession, and Halyalkar can count himself among them. Outside of acting, he's competed as a professional poker player. He placed 22nd at the 2012 World Series of Poker, earning nearly $6,000. His World Series of Poker bio lists him as a poet, lyricist, and lap dancer, so he's certainly diversified.

Ralph P. Martin began working as a professional actor in 1974, playing a waiter in the comedy film "Throw Out the Anchor!" After that, he spent most of his career on television, appearing in several high-profile shows, including "Matlock," "Dragnet," and "Cheers." In 1989, he joined the cast of "Who's the Boss?" as Ernie, one of Tony's buddies who often kept him out too late when he'd previously made plans with Angela (which happened often).

Ernie enjoyed busting Tony's chops on the show, and Martin played the character for ten episodes. The rest of Martin's career after leaving "Who's the Boss?" was primarily on television, and he typically appeared in single episodes of numerous popular series. His work had him playing all sorts of characters in shows like "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," "Married with Children," "Timecop," and many others.

Martin also worked in film throughout his career, though he was never a leading man. That said, he landed some impressive gigs in movies like "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Evan Almighty," and "Hail, Caesar!," which was his last film in 2016. Martin spent the majority of his life in front of the camera, and he had many talents, including the ability to play the five-string banjo. He landed a commercial playing the instrument, which ran for three years. Martin died on November 21, 2017, just a few weeks after turning 71.