Kristian Alfonso of Days of Our Lives Reminisces on Bo and Hope, ’80s Hair, and Working With Peter Reckell

If your heart isn’t aching after watching the last few episodes of Days of Our Lives, then maybe you’re related to Stefano DiMera. After all, the powerhouse performance that Kristian Alfonso has turned in day in and day out has been equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. As Hope Brady, the beloved character she’s played on and off since 1983, she’s been asked to do the insurmountable as of late, playing tragedy after tragedy, all while delivering Emmy-worthy performances every day. There was the physically demanding scenes when Hope’s new husband, Aiden, tried to strangle her, and then the disbelief when her ex-husband/love of her life, Bo, rushed in to save her from certain death. If that wasn’t enough to warrant at least a few months of happiness, Alfonso had to switch between joy, guilt, and devastation after reuniting with Bo, facing an uncertain future, and then losing the love of her life to a brain tumor. Maybe the phrase, “only in daytime” applies here, but only an actress of Alfonso’s caliber could deliver.

Now, as Hope prepares to mourn life without her Brady, fans have taken solace in re-watching old clips as they too grieve the death of a character that has in many ways become like family. Thankfully things are looking up for Alfonso, who has had six months to process the emotional scenes that us viewers are just now watching and is, by all accounts, having the time of her life in Salem. Thanks to new writers who are infusing the show with juicy story lines full of romance and drama (and again, trust us, because we’ve seen what’s to come), Alfonso is full of gratitude for the place she’s called home for nearly half her life.

In person, she’s as delightful and charismatic as they come, as stunning as you’d expect, and as kind as if she was born into the Horton/Brady clan herself. During our weeks-long visit to the set of Days of Our Lives, we holed up in co-star Mary Beth Evans’ dressing room to talk about the early days on Days, her first impression of Peter Reckell, and the surprising gift she gave her dad.

Glamour: Let’s go back in time to the early ’80s. What do you remember about your audition?

Kristian Alfonso: Oh my gosh—I was a nervous wreck. Everyone was far superior in acting in their craft. I was so new to the business. I had a scene [in the screen test], I believe, with Susan Hayes and Wayne Northrop. It was in the Horton house, and the scene called for Hope to walk down the stairs. I remember grabbing the post that’s at the bottom, but little did I know, it’s not attached, so I come swinging around like out of The Sound of Music or something and just went right down. I’m thinking, “I’m already a liability.” I can’t believe it was so many years ago, but it really does feel like it was just yesterday. I’m just as excited walking in here. I still get nervous, like, “Galen, let’s run lines,” or “Pete, let’s run lines.” I want it to be the best that it can be.

Glamour: Who was your first scene with, and what was your first impression of them?

Kristian: My first scene, I believe, was with Peter Reckell! It was at Shenanigans! I remember I had this red jacket that I got from Bleecker Street in New York from when I was living there, and I had the two little barrettes in my hair. Hope was pretending to be older, not recognizing Bo at first, and him not recognizing her, until finally he realizes who she is! And he’s like, “Aha, little one!”

Glamour: What was your first impression of Peter Reckell?

Kristian: My first impression of Pete [was that he was] very serious, a little intense, and intimidating, but I think I felt that way about a lot of people because I was so nervous inside. I was the new kid on the block trying to find my way, and everyone was such a wonderful actor. I was a fan of the show as well, and now, “Oh, my god, here I am.” I always tell the story of arriving in Grand Central [in New York City] and seeing the huge billboard of Susan and Bill on the cover of Time, and, “Oh, my god!” But anyway, Pete and I have had so much fun over the years, but like any relationship, we’ve had our ups, we’ve had our downs. We’ve spent so much time together, but what they wrote for us was such a gift. We had a lot of fun and shared a lot of laughter together.

Glamour: What do you remember about your first wedding to Bo in England?

Kristian: It was on location. The interior was shot here, in the church on Highland and Franklin in Hollywood. And then we shot the exteriors in England, and we all flew to England and had so much fun. I remember the last scene that we did, Hope had to jump into a moat, and it was horrible. It was in the middle of nowhere! So, of course, I was wet, damp, and dirty! I’m like, “What is in there?” But, we had so much fun.

Glamour: Where does the ice skating scene rank for you?

Kristian: Oh, another panic attack! I have a lot of panic attacks. I was so excited that I was going to be able to ice skate on the show, but also I was scared because I hadn’t skated in so many years. And the rink was probably a little bit bigger than this room, which is seriously, incredibly small. I remember I went to land a jump, and I landed like, right near the lights. I had to balance myself. But that was so much fun too. That costume, I believe, disappeared.

Glamour: As in it disappeared into your closet at home? [Laughs]

Kristian: No! We don’t know where it is. Lee Smith designed it, as well as the wedding dress. [Plus], all that Princess Gina story line, all the gowns, seriously, I was a little girl in a candy store.

Glamour: Let’s talk about the Cruise of Deception, when you were in a cage over a vat of acid.

Kristian: I was nine months pregnant with my son. I was there for a short amount of time, and they asked me to come back. It was really to bring Peter back. I remember when [executive producer] Al Rabin asked me to come back, and I was pregnant, and the crew, funny enough, figured it out because I was eating everything in sight. I love that you remember that story. Ernesto was a great illusionist. But yeah, I was so pregnant, and whenever Bo would kiss Hope, [my son] Gino would kick him! Peter and I were in a hot spring, and I was so buoyant! He kept having to hold me down because I would pop up! [Laughs]__