Kristian Alfonso

Last updated

Kristian Alfonso
Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso.jpg
Alfonso, with Days of Our Lives co-star Peter Reckell in 2004
Born
Kristian-Joy Alfonso

(1963-09-05) September 5, 1963 (age 60)
OccupationActress
Years active1981–present
Spouses
Simon Macauley
(19871991)
Danny Daggenhurst
(m. 2001)
Children3
Website www.kristianonline.com

Kristian-Joy Alfonso (born September 5, 1963) [1] is an American actress, former figure skater, and fashion model. She is recognized for her portrayal of Hope Williams Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives .

Contents

Early life

Alfonso was born on September 5, 1963, in Brockton, Massachusetts, United States, as Kristian-Joy Alfonso. She is Italian-American: her grandparents hail from Sicily and Calabria. Kristian Alfonso was born to her parents Gino and Joanne. She has an older sister, Lisa. [2]

Career

Early works

She began her career as a figure skater and gold medal champion at the Junior Olympic Figure Skating Championships. At the age of 13, a tobogganing accident ended her skating career and Alfonso began modelling. By the time she was 15, she had appeared on the cover of over 30 magazines, including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar . [3] She was first seen on TV playing opposite Rock Hudson in the TV movie The Starmaker in 1981. [4]

Days of Our Lives

Alfonso's career took off in April 1983, when she landed the contract role of Hope Williams on the soap opera Days of Our Lives . The character of Hope became involved in a popular pairing with the character of Bo Brady (played by Peter Reckell). She received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series in 1985.

Alfonso left in 1987, returning in 1990 for a brief stint, and full-time in 1994. In November 2019, it was announced the entire cast of Days of Our Lives were released from their contracts. [5] [6] Alfonso returned to the soap in February 2020. [7] [8] Five months later, she announced she had quit the role of Hope, and would not be returning when the soap resumed production after it shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. [9]

While part of the show, she also appeared in Season 6 of Friends in an episode titled "The One That Could Have Been, Part 1" as Hope.

Other work

After Alfonso exited Days of Our Lives in April 1987, she was cast as Pilar Ortega on Falcon Crest for its last two seasons. In 1993, she starred alongside Dolph Lundgren in the film Joshua Tree , [10] in which she played a cop abducted by an innocent convict on the run.

Alfonso's other film and television credits include MacGyver ("The Negotiator" and "Unfinished Business"), Blindfold: Acts of Obsession , Full House , Burke's Law , Murder, She Wrote , Melrose Place , Baywatch , Amazing Stories , “Out of Time” (1988 TV movie with Bill Maher), Love Stories, and Who's the Boss? . She also co-starred with Kate Jackson in the CBS movie "Whatever Happened to Bobby Earl. [11]

Personal life

Alfonso was married to Simon Macauley from 1987 to 1991. They have a son, born in October 1990. She married Danny Daggenhurst on October 6, 2001. [12] The couple have two children. [1] [13] [14]

In November 2006, Alfonso created her own jewelry line called Hope Faith Miracles and a fashion line, Hope by Kristian Alfonso. [3] Ten years later, she announced the company had been purchased, and she was no longer involved. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Reckell</span> American actor (born 1955)

Peter Paul Reckell is an American actor. He is best known for playing Bo Brady, a role he originated in 1983 on the NBC drama Days of Our Lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison Sweeney</span> American actress (born 1976)

Alison Ann Sweeney is an American actress, reality show host, director and author. Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha "Sami" Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, a role she played under contract with the show from January 6, 1993 to October 30, 2014. In this role, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination, four Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Fan Voted Daytime Emmy Award. After making sporadic appearances since then, she returned as a series regular in 2021. In 2007, she became the host of The Biggest Loser in its fourth season, and left the series at the end of the 16th season in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Brady and Hope Williams</span> Soap opera character

Beauregard "Bo" Brady and Hope Williams Brady are fictional characters and the signature supercouple on the American daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Bo is portrayed by Peter Reckell and Hope is portrayed by Kristian Alfonso. On internet message boards, the couple is often referred by the portmanteau "Bope". Along with General Hospital's Luke and Laura Spencer, Bo and Hope are considered to be one of daytime television's most iconic couples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamara Braun</span> American actress

Tamara Braun is an American actress known for her work on daytime television. She portrayed the role of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital from 2001–2005 and Reese Williams on All My Children from 2008 to 2009. In 2009, Braun won the Daytime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Ava Vitali on Days of Our Lives. She departed the series in 2008, briefly returning in the role of Taylor Walker during 2011. In 2015, Braun resumed the role of Ava as part of the series' 50th anniversary commemoration, remaining until 2016.

The Cruise of Deception was a major cliffhanger and resolution storyline on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Billed as a "miniseries" by NBC advertisements, it aired from June 7 until July 16, 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Lowder</span> American actor (born 1980)

Kyle Brandon Lowder is an American actor and news anchor. He began his career in 2000, when he was cast in the role of Brady Black on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives; he remained in the role until his exit in 2005. Lowder went on to portray the role of Rick Forrester in the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful from January 2007 to January 2011. In 2018, he returned to Days of Our Lives as Rex Brady. Starting in July 2023, Lowder announced via his Instagram page that he will be the new morning co-anchor for CBS affiliate KTVN in Reno, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Brady</span> Fictional character from Days of Our Lives

Bo Brady is a fictional character from the NBC daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. The role has been most notably portrayed by Peter Reckell, who originated the role on May 3, 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hope Williams Brady</span> Soap opera character

Hope Williams Brady is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by writer William J. Bell, she was portrayed by Kristian Alfonso on and off from April 1983 to the present day, most recently appearing in late April 2023. Hope is a member of the Horton family, the long-running core fictional family on Days. She is the mother of Shawn-Douglas Brady, Zack Brady, and Ciara Brady. Hope is one half of the supercouple Bo & Hope. She works as a cop for the Salem P.D. Hope was promoted to Commissioner of Salem P.D. in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen DiMera</span> Fictional character from Days of Our Lives

Kristen Blake DiMera is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The role was originally portrayed by Eileen Davidson. Davidson joined the cast of Days of Our Lives in 1993, and departed in 1998 after a five-year stint. After a 14-year absence, Davidson returned to the role of Kristen in the fall of 2012. Kristen and her brother Peter were raised by super villain Stefano DiMera at a very young age following the deaths of their parents; however, their mother Rachel was later revealed to be alive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis</span> Fictional character

Adrienne Johnson Kiriakis is a fictional character on NBC's daytime drama Days of Our Lives. She had been portrayed by actress Denise Wanner from November to December 1986 before Judi Evans took over the role from December 1986 to February 1991, from May 2007 to January 2008 and from March 2010 to January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carly Manning</span> Soap opera character

Carly Manning is a fictional character on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Crystal Chappell portrayed the character from June 12, 1990, to October 18, 1993. After a sixteen-year absence, she reprised the role on October 2, 2009, to September 22, 2011. Chappell's most memorable storyline was in 1993 when her longtime rival Vivian Alamain buried her alive, which has become one of the show's most notorious plots. Along with Vivian, most of Carly's stories revolve around her ex-husband Bo Brady and late husband Lawrence Alamain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ava Vitali</span> Fictional character

Ava Vitali is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by and introduced by then-executive producers Ken Corday and Edward J. Scott, the role is portrayed by Tamara Braun, who won a Daytime Emmy Award for the role in 2009. Introduced as a "mysterious woman from Steve's past," Ava was later revealed as a woman from a Mafia family. Ava appeared for six months in 2008, and returned in December 2015 for a three-month guest appearance. Following a brief voice appearance in 2017, Ava returned to the show on a regular basis in November 2020. She departed again on December 20, 2022 and returned on August 8, 2023

<i>Days of Our Lives</i> American daytime soap opera (1965–present)

Days of Our Lives is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television network NBC from 1965 to 2022, is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965. A co-production of Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television, the series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday. During Days of Our Lives' early years, Irna Phillips served as a story editor for the program and many of the show's earliest storylines were written by William J. Bell, who would depart the series in 1975 to focus full-time on The Young and the Restless, which he created for CBS in 1973. Following the 2007 cancellation of Passions, Days of Our Lives remained the only soap opera airing on NBC. On August 3, 2022, NBCUniversal announced that it would relocate the series exclusively to its Peacock streaming service beginning September 12 after 57 years on the network and leaving NBC as the only Big Three network without a daytime serial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciara Brady</span> Soap opera character

Ciara Brady is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by Hogan Sheffer and Meg Kelly, the role is portrayed by Victoria Konefal since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theresa Donovan</span> Soap opera character

Theresa Donovan is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. Introduced in September 1990, she was portrayed by several child actors until the character left the series in 1992, with further guest appearances in both 1996 and 1997. The character was reintroduced to the series in July 2013, under the portrayal of actress Jen Lilley, best known for her portrayal of Maxie Jones on General Hospital, and departed in November 2016. Lilley reprised the role in May 2018 for a three-month stint, departing again in July. Lilley briefly returned to the role in September 2023, with Emily O'Brien assuming the role in the following month.

Olivia Rose Keegan is an American actress. She came to prominence playing Claire Brady on NBC network daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. She was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series for the role in 2018 and 2019, and was the first winner for the Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series category in 2020. She played the recurring role of Lily in the second season of the Disney+ television series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Since March 2023, Keegan has starred as Duela, the daughter of the Joker, on The CW superhero television series Gotham Knights.

Marci Miller is an American model and actress. She portrayed the role of Abigail Deveraux on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 2016 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2022. Miller's performance of Abigail has been met with critical acclaim, earning three Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2018, 2019 and 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Konefal</span> American actress (born 1996)

Victoria Konefal is an American actress. She has portrayed Ciara Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives since 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 "Official Kristian Alfonso Website". Official Kristian Alfonso Website. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013.
  2. "Kristian Alfonso, Danny Daggenhurst Biography". MySportDab. September 26, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Kristian Alfonso | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  4. "Kristian Alfonso Archives". Soap Opera Digest. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  5. Ausiello, Michael (November 12, 2019). "Days of Our Lives: Entire Cast Released From Contract — Is the End Nigh?". TVLine . United States: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  6. Todisco, Eric (November 12, 2019). "Days of Our Lives Put on Hiatus — But Source Says Soap Will 'Almost Definitely Get Renewed'". People . United States: Time Inc. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  7. Ausiello, Michael (January 29, 2020). "Days of Our Lives Renewed at NBC — Which Cast Members Are Returning?". TVLine . United States: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  8. SOD (January 30, 2020). "DAYS to Resume Production February 3". Soap Opera Digest . United States: American Media, Inc. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (July 6, 2020). "Kristian Alfonso Exits Days of Our Lives After 37 Years". Deadline Hollywood . United States: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  10. "About the Actors - Kristian Alfonso". soapcentral.com. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. "Hope Alice Williams: Days of our Lives Character - NBC.com". NBC. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  12. Kroll, Dan J. (October 19, 2001). "Alfonso's double commitment". Soapcentral.com . United States. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  13. "Kristian Alfonso 411". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013.
  14. "Heiress who casts herself as a struggling actress". September 20, 1996. Archived from the original on April 9, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2018 via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  15. Kroll, Dan J. (November 11, 2016). "DAYS' Kristian Alfonso bows out of jewelry world". Soapcentral.com . United States. Retrieved August 24, 2020.