What To Know About Days Of Our Lives Star, Kristian Alfonso
Kristian Alfonso is best known for her role as Hope Williams Brady on the long-running soap opera "Days of Our Lives." The actor first made her debut on the sudser in 1983 as a legacy character born to Addie Horton and Doug Williams. She quickly became a fan favorite among viewers. When the character was paired with the likes of Peter Reckell's Bo Brady, the two went on to become soap opera royalty as one of the most beloved super couples on daytime television. However, it wasn't always Alfonso's dream to be a soap star. When she was young, she aspired to become a professional figure skater.
The Massachusetts native worked hard on her skill and even became a gold medalist at the Junior Olympics (via TV Overmind). Sadly, Alfonso's skating career was cut short when she suffered a debilitating injury from a tobogganing accident. Her life was changed, and she was forced to look towards other career paths. She eventually broke into the modeling business and had graced the cover of more than 30 magazines by the time she was 15. She even appeared in major publications like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar during that time.
Alfonso later started acting and appeared in the TV movie "The Star Maker" in 1981 before being hired at "Days of Our Lives."
Kristian Alfonso has a successful career and personal life
In the early days of her soap opera career, Kristian Alfonso made quite the splash. She was even nominated for three Young Artist Awards between 1984 and 1986. Over the years, she's won multiple Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Daytime Emmy and was nominated for several others. Although Alfonso was busy with her role on "Days of Our Lives," she still made time for other TV gigs along the way. Through the years, she appeared on shows like "Who's The Boss," "Macgyver," "Baywatch," "Friends," "Full House," "Murder She Wrote," 30 Rock," and others. She even had recurring roles on "Melrose Place" and "Falcon's Crest" while also starring in movies such as "Army of One, "In the Kindom of the Blind," and more.
Alfonso has also been successful in her personal life. The actor married her first husband, Simon Macauley, in 1987. During their wedding ceremony, the actor even wore the same wedding dress that her character Hope Brady wore to marry Bo Brady on screen. Sadly, the couple called it quits in 1991. They share one son together, Gino Macauley. In 2001, Alfonso married her current husband, Danny Daggenhurst, and they also share a son together, Jack Daggenhurst.
In 2021 when the couple celebrated their 20th anniversary, Alfonso took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute to her husband, calling him her rock.
Kristian Alfonso once had a jewelry line
Kristian Alfonso has also dabbled in the business world. In addition to her acting career, she developed her own line of jewelry in 2006. The line, Faith Hope Miracles, was inspired by Alfonso's "Days of Our Lives" fans always inquiring about the jewelry she was wearing, per the company's website. Meanwhile, Soap Hub reports that Alfonso even incorporated some of her favorite designs, such as the Fleur de lis and the Maltese cross, into her jewelry. The Fleur de lis could even be found in her soap opera character Hope Brady's home.
Ten years after starting the jewelry company, Alfonso opted to sell the brand. "I am no longer involved with Hope Faith Miracles. The company was purchased," she tweeted at the time (via Soap Opera Digest). "It was a Beautiful journey for 10 yrs. It's [a] time of change. ... The company was sold to someone whose been in the jewelry business for 50 yrs... I'm not designing any longer nor involved with hope faith miracles," she added.
In 2020, Alfonso made another big career move when she opted to leave "Days of Our Lives" behind. However, her character wasn't gone for long. In 2022 she reprised the role for the show's spin-off series "Beyond Salem," and even returned for a short arc on the flagship show in 2023. In addition, she's also appeared in Lifetime's V.C. Andrews' "Landry Family" series and Hallmark's "The Chronicle Mysteries."