How did you feel when you heard that Charmed was going to be over?

ALYSSA MILANO: I knew it was coming, because all three of us only had eight years on our contracts. Which would mean they would have to do some serious renegotiating! Well, I’m far too expensive (laughing). Nine years would break them. I knew it was coming as of last year. I think last year was harder, because we didn’t know. We had another year on our contract – they weren’t giving us a pick-up, they weren’t canceling us, so we were literally at the wrap party last year not knowing if we were saying good-bye forever or if we were going to come back. So it was a little harder last year. We were all prepared for this year.

Is it going to be hard to say good-bye again?

MILANO: Yes, this year is definitely going to be worse. I just think about the last day and Jim Conway, who is one of our Producers, came over to me and said, “we’re doing Phoebe’s wedding scene last, on the last day, because everyone will be there.” And I went, “Oh”, and Jim welled up, just from my response of saying, “Oh.” Yes, I think it’s going to be a lot worse. We’ll all be together in the same room.

It’s a really weird thing and I haven’t been able to articulate it no matter how many times I’ve had a conversation about it. You don’t want to reminisce too much because that’s when the sorrow sort of crawls all over your body and you want to lie in the fetal position… and obviously it’s exciting because this is life and life is about change and tomorrow is a new day and a door closes and another opens and all those clichés that are clichés for a reason. But it’s a hard thing because being on a set you spend more time with your cast and crew than you do your own family and friends. And for eight years they become part of your being on almost a cellular level. They see you at your best and your worst.

I was sitting, New Year’s Eve at my house alone and basking in my misery and I realized how, I have a few really, really close friends that I feel very safe with, but socially I’ve become so lazy because these [cast and crew] are my best friends. So to not have that on a daily basis it’s going to be really weird.

Why were you alone on New Year’s Eve?

MILANO: Every body had plans but me apparently. There was a party, but I wasn’t invited to it. I don’t know. I didn’t make plans and then it was too late and I just sat there are wrote in my diary and listened to really sappy music.

You mean as a big star you can’t be out at some party every night?

MILANO: Well, you do if you only want to go to parties where the paparazzi are going to be. I have lots of invitations to those types of parties. I can only do those types every couple of months, usually I don’t go unless there is money being raised for something.