Kristian Alfonso

American actress (born 1963)

Simon Macauley

(m. 1987; div. 1991)

Danny Daggenhurst

(m. 2001)

Children2Websitewww.kristianonline.com

Kristian-Joy Alfonso (born September 5, 1963)^[1]^[2] is an American actress, former figure skater, and fashion model. She is best known for playing the role of Hope Williams Brady on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives (1983 to 1987, 1990, 1994 to 2020, return appearances from 2023 to present). She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress (then known as Outstanding Ingénue) in 1985 for her role on Days. Alfonso also played Pilar Ortega on Falcon Crest (1988 to 1990) and Lauren Ethridge on Melrose Place (1993 to 1994).

Early life

Alfonso was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. Her birth name is Kristian-Joy Alfonso. Her grandparents hailed from Sicily and Calabria, giving her full Italian heritage.^[3]^[4] She has one sibling, an older sister.^[5]^[6] As a teenager, she was an above-average student. Her extra-curricular activities were focused on ice skating and dance classes. Alfonso won the gold medal in figure skating at the Junior Olympics when she was thirteen years old.^[7] After injuring her leg in a sledding accident, she had to give up skating and dancing.^[6] Alfonso soon received opportunities that led to a modeling career and eventually acting. She graduated from Brockton High School in 1982.^[7]

Career

After her skating career ended, Alfonso was signed to Wilhelmina Models. By the time she was fifteen, she had appeared on the covers of 30 international magazines, including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She appeared on the cover of Seventeen in 1979.^[7]^[3] Alfonso considered herself lucky to be working as a model because she stands at only 5'4½ inches tall. She sometimes had to stand on apple boxes to appear taller.^[6]

Alfonso's modeling work gained attention from NBC and she received her first acting role. She was cast as Kelly Blake in the television film The Star Maker (1981), co-starring with Rock Hudson.^[6]^[4]^[8] She was asked to audition for the role of Hope Williams on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives, but she declined because she didn't want to move to Los Angeles.^[4]

In 1983, Alfonso had another opportunity to audition for the role of Hope on Days of Our Lives and she took it. During her screen test, she tripped and fell down the staircase at the Horton house. The producers were charmed by her clumsiness and she was signed to a contract.^[4] Alfonso was the fifth actress to play Hope. The role had previously been played by Tammy Taylor in 1981. Alfonso's first air date was April 14, 1983.^[9] The character of Hope Williams was paired with Bo Brady (played by Peter Reckell). Soap Opera Digest said the love story was "classic in its origins and continues to make people melt: gruff boy from the wrong side of the tracks...tames the spoiled rich girl who was getting into all sorts of trouble."^[6]

Alfonso won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Exciting Female Newcomer for her role on Days in 1984.^[10] She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress (then known as Outstanding Ingénue) in 1985.^[11] She also received Young Artist Award nominations in 1984, 1985, and 1986.^[12]^[13]^[14]

Alfonso and Peter Reckell decided to leave Days of Our Lives, last airing in April 1987. The characters of Bo and Hope left Salem to sail around the world with their son, Shawn.^[9]^[15] After leaving Days, Alfonso made guest appearances on Who's the Boss? and Murder, She Wrote.^[16] She played Cassandra in the television film Out of Time (1988).^[17] From 1988 to 1989, she had recurring roles on MacGyver and Full House.^[16]

In 1988, Alfonso joined the cast of the CBS series Falcon Crest, playing Pilar Ortega.^[16] In April 1990, it was announced that she would return to Days of Our Lives for a few months during a hiatus from Falcon Crest.^[15] Since Peter Reckell was able to make a long term return to Days and Alfonso wasn't, the character of Hope was killed off.^[9]

Alfonso co-starred with Dolph Lundgren in the film Joshua Tree (also titled Army of One) (1993).^[18] She had a recurring role on Baywatch. From 1993 to 1994, Alfonso played the recurring role of Lauren Ethridge, a Hollywood madam, on Melrose Place.^[16] She guest starred on Burke's Law.^[7] Alfonso played Chris Madigan in the television film Blindfold: Acts of Obsession (1994).^[19]

Alfonso returned to Days full-time in 1994. In November 2019, it was announced the entire cast of Days of Our Lives were released from their contracts.^[20]^[21] Alfonso returned to the soap in February 2020.^[22]^[23] 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.^[24]

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. Alfonso co-starred with Kate Jackson in the CBS movie "Whatever Happened to Bobby Earl.^[25]

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.^[26] The couple have two children.^[1]^[27]^[28]

In November 2006, Alfonso created her own jewelry line called Hope Faith Miracles and a fashion line, Hope by Kristian Alfonso. Ten years later, she announced the company had been purchased, and she was no longer involved.^[29]

Filmography

Film


Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Joshua Tree	Rita Marek
1995	In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King	Jeanna
2004	Day of Redemption	Mary Everly
2019	Cool Cat's Crazy Dream	Dream World Kristian	Video

Television


Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	The Star Maker	Kelly Blake	Television film
1983–1987; 1990; 1994–2020; 2023, 2024	Days of Our Lives	Hope Williams Brady	Contract role (1983–1987; 1994–2020); Recurring role (1990; 2023; 2024)
1985	Amazing Stories		Episode: "Remote Control Man"
1987	Who's the Boss?	Frankie	Episode: "Frankie and Tony Are Lovers"
1988	Murder, She Wrote	Michele Gambini	Episode: "A Very Good Year for Murder"
1988	Out of Time	Cassandra Barber	Television film
1988; 1989	MacGyver	Deborah	2 episodes
1988; 1989	Full House	Judge; Robin Winslow	2 episodes
1988–1990	Falcon Crest	Pilar Ortega Cumson	Series regular 44 episodes
1993	Baywatch	Debra Harris	2 episodes
1993–1994	Melrose Place	Lauren Ethridge	Recurring role 7 episodes
1994	Burke's Law	Susan Bell	Episode: "Who Killed the Legal Eagle?"
1994	Blindfold: Acts of Obsession	Chris Madigan	Television film
1997	What Happened to Bobby Earl?	Chelsea Coals	Television film
1997	steve.oedekerk.com	Lisa	Television film
2000	Friends	Hope Brady	Episode: "The One That Could Have Been: Part 1"
2000	Days of Our Lives' 35th Anniversary	Hope Williams Brady	Television film
2003	Secret Lives	Host
2009	30 Rock	Hope Brady	Episode: "Dealbreakers Talk Show #0001"
2021	The Chronicle Mysteries	Sheriff Williams	Television miniseries
2021	V.C. Andrews' Landry Family	Gladys	2 episodes
2022	Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem	Hope Williams Brady	Television miniseries 5 episodes

References

^ ^a ^b "Official Kristian Alfonso Website". Official Kristian Alfonso Website. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013.
^ Waldo, Garren (September 5, 2022). "Days of our Lives Alum Kristian Alfonso Celebrates Her Birthday". Soap Hub. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Kristian Alfonso Biography". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Kristian Alfonso Archives". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ "Kristian Alfonso, Danny Daggenhurst Biography". MySportDab. September 26, 2020. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "#TBT - Kristian Alfonso". Soap Opera Digest. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "About the Actors - Kristian Alfonso". soapcentral.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
^ "The Star Maker - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Who's Who in Salem: Hope Williams Brady". Soap Central. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
^ "The Soap Opera Digest Awards 1984". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 9, 2004. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "1985 Emmy Winners & Nominees". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Fifth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1982-1983". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1983-1984". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Seventh Annual Youth in Film Awards 1984-1985". youngartistawards.org. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Bonderoff, Jason (April 17, 1990). "Late Breaking News: Can Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso Bring Back the Magic?". Soap Opera Digest. 15 (8): 72–73.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Credits: Kristian Alfonso". TV Guide. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Out of Time - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Army of One - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ "Blindfold: Acts of Obsession - Full Cast & Crew". TV Guide. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
^ Ausiello, Michael (November 12, 2019). "Days of Our Lives: Entire Cast Released From Contract — Is the End Nigh?". TVLine. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 6, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
^ 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. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
^ Ausiello, Michael (January 29, 2020). "Days of Our Lives Renewed at NBC — Which Cast Members Are Returning?". TVLine. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
^ "DAYS to Resume Production February 3". Soap Opera Digest. United States: American Media, Inc. January 30, 2020. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 6, 2020). "Kristian Alfonso Exits Days of Our Lives After 37 Years". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 25, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
^ "Hope Alice Williams played by Kristian Alfonso: Actor Bio". NBC. Archived from the original on June 4, 2017. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
^ Kroll, Dan J. (October 19, 2001). "Alfonso's double commitment". Soapcentral.com. United States. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
^ "Kristian Alfonso 411". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013.
^ "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.
^ Kroll, Dan J. (November 11, 2016). ""Days" Kristian Alfonso bows out of jewelry world". Soapcentral.com. United States. Archived from the original on March 17, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2020.