Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell as Hope Williams and Bo Brady on "Days of our Lives | Alfonso with her son Gino Macauley | Source: Getty Images
"Falcon Crest" actress Kristian Alfonso did not struggle to find her happily ever after — as her character Hope Williams in "Days of Our Lives" did — and despite a failed first marriage, she settled down with a wonderful man and now boasts a beautiful blended family of five. At 59, she prioritizes her family and thrives in their adventures and the memories they make together.
Many may recognize actress Kristian Alfonso for her appearances in "Baywatch," "She Wrote," "Amazing Stories," and "Murder," but her most prominent role is in the famed long-running saga, "Days of Our Lives." She plays Hope Williams, a member of the Horton family and a mother of three kids, Shawn-Douglas, Zack, and Ciara.
Careerwise, Hope is a cop for the Salem Police Department, who was promoted to Commissioner in 2017. Alfonso has played the character since she joined the show in 1983, but to her fans' chagrin, she announced her departure in 2020 after 37 years on the show.
Actors Kristian Alfonso stars as (Hope Williams Brady) and Peter Reckell stars as (Bo Brady) in NBC's daytime soap series "Days of Our Lives." | Source: Getty Images
When asked by Soap Opera Digest whether she saw herself returning to the show, seeing as the show had planned a great story for her character in the ensuing months, the "MacGyver" actress said she would not be returning as she wanted to pursue other interests.
However, despite her departure, she acknowledged the great time, the beautiful moments, and the incredible people she had worked with and met while on the show.
Peter Reckell as Bo Brady, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Brady, Lauren Boles as Ciara Brady on season 44 of "Days of Our Lives" | Source: Getty Images
She said she was looking to start a new chapter professionally. However, after a short hiatus, the actress returned to the show on March 16 with her costar Peter Reckell who plays Bo Brady.
Fans were shocked when they saw her in a sneak peek shared before the episode's debut and wondered what had influenced her return after confirming she'd never be back.
Actress Kristian Alfonso and son Gino Macauley attend the 'Happy Birthday, Camp Snoop!' - A Festive Celebration Marking the 10th Birthday of the Children's Wonderland, Camp Snoopy on April 25, 1993 at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. | Source: Getty Images
She explained that her comment two years earlier had been gravely misunderstood. She claimed she had not said she would never be coming back. Instead, she'd meant she would not be popping in and out as other actors have done in the past. She explained:
"I never said I'm never, ever coming back. I was not absolute."
Despite their shock, fans were thrilled about the return of Bo and Hope and expressed their excitement at the prospect of having their favorite couple back.
A fan gets excited about the news of Alfonso's return to "Days of our Lives | Source: Facebook/Days Of Our Lives
One fan said they could not recall the last time they were so excited to watch a soap opera. She explained that Hope was why she started watching the show as a young teenager:
"I'm so excited to see them back on Days! I have been hoping someday they would be back together."
A fan gets excited about the news of Alfonso's return to "Days of our Lives | Source: Facebook/Days Of Our Lives
Another fan said she fell in love with the signature super couple after Bo crashed Hope's wedding to Larry Welch, as she thought nothing could be more romantic than fighting for one's love. A third reminisced about the music and storylines that put fans on the edge of their seats and the much simpler times "when romance was simply romance."
And now, fans are in for a treat as Alfonso and Reckell reprise their full-time roles as Hope and Bo and as they continue to bring smiles to their fans' faces.
A fan gets excited about the news of Alfonso's return to "Days of our Lives | Source: Facebook/Days Of Our Lives
But away from work, the "Out of Time" actress is also a wonderful mom with a blended family of five. Unlike her character Hope, who had a miscarriage before welcoming her first child, got stolen from her own wedding, and had difficulty finding love, Alfonso did not have any problem finding the man of her dreams and starting a family of her own.
Kristian Alfonso Takes Pride in Her Beautiful Family
Alfonso is one of the most private soap actresses. Still, she occasionally loves sharing sneak peeks of her incredible family of five and life away from the cameras.
The actress first married her first husband, Simon Macauley, in 1987 and had a son in 1990. For her wedding to Macauley, Alfonso wore the same dress her character Hope wore when she walked down the aisle with Bo.
Unfortunately, the union that began with such a sentimental act did not last very long, and four years later, Alfonso and Macauley divorced.
Years after her first marriage ended, she married Danny Daggenhurst in 2001 and is today a mother of two — Gino from her first marriage and Jack with her current husband — and a stepmom of one, Spartan.
A fan shares her thoughts on Alfonso's photo | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
Fans who followed the actress as she sought love on "Days of Our Lives" are often excited about her real-life family and will usually gush over the actress' photos with her husband and boys.
In 2019, Alfonso shared a beautiful photo where she stood surrounded by her husband and sons as they all looked into the camera. The actress looked gorgeous in white while the men around her shone in various shades and hues of blue.
A fan praises Alfonso for her beautiful family | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
A fan compliments Alfonso's family | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
Fans could not keep calm about how gorgeous the family looked and took to the comment section to compliment the actress for her beautiful family, gushing over how handsome and grown the boys were.
One fan praised the actress for such a stunning family and observed how alike she looked to her son Gino. The fan also noted that Spartan looked a lot like the actress's husband. A second fan described how good-looking the actress' sons were, while a third congratulated her on her flawless family.
A fan comments on Alfonso's post | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
A fourth explained that they had been a fan of the actress since the 80s before congratulating "The Star Maker" star for her impeccable family.
Another photo posted on the actress' Instagram during the Easter period in 2019 evoked the same reactions from fans. Alfonso stood between her husband and one of her sons, while the other two stood next to their dad as they all stared and smiled into the camera.
A fan comments on Alfonso's post | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
A fan comments on Alfonso's post | Source: Instagram/Kristian Alfonso
One fan commented about how gorgeous her family was, while a second one thought they were fantastic. "Surrounded by strong men! Happy Easter, Kristian," they wrote, while another one added:
"Great picture of you and your family. Your sons are handsome."
The Actress' Thoughts on Her Family
Unlike her character, who has plenty of trouble having a family, the actress' sons are a source of pride for her, and she is incredibly close with them.
Actress Kristian Alfonso and son Gino Macauley attend the American Ireland Fund's Heritage Award Honoring Gene Kelly on November 8, 1990 at Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
During a sit down with People in 2007, she revealed that she could not stand to be away from them for long. She retold how her husband once wanted to take her out for a couple of days to escape their busy lives, but instead of getting excited at the prospect of taking a break, she started worrying about being away from her boys.
She remembered how her husband had taken her to the Beverly Hills Hotel for her birthday years back, and while they had plenty of fun, they had missed their kids so much. In light of that, she told her husband she would rather go to a hotel down the street.
So they went, had lunch, laid out by the pool, and relaxed, and when it was time for dinner, they drove home, checked on the kids, then went out to dinner and back to the hotel.
As any mother would, Alfonso also disclosed that she worried about her boys and hoped they never caused her problems. She prayed she never had to be confronted with the same teenage problems that her character Hope had to deal with.
At the time, she also shared that Gino, who was so similar to her that her coworkers called him her clone, was already taller than her, and she had to look up at him.
She shared that she had often had to turn her son down whenever he wanted to go out late at night. As for Jack, Alfonso shared that he had similarities with her but looked more like his dad. She added:
"And Spartan looks like his dad as well."
Her posts allude to a woman that is incredibly smitten with her family, and she always uses the hashtags #mythreesons, #mylife, #blessed, and #my love whenever she posts about her husband and sons.
A Delve Into Her Relationship With Her Kids, Husband, and Other Family Members
Spending quality time with her family has always been a priority for the actress, and over the years, the five have created lasting memories. To emphasize her love for family, the actress once stated: "Nothing's better than family."
Actress Kristian Alfonso and son Gino Macauley attend "The Indian in the Cupboard" Hollywood Premiere on July 8, 1995 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
The family became complete after Alfonso and Daggenhurst welcomed their youngest baby Jack on July 18, 2002. While motherhood was already fulfilling for her long before Jack came around, the young boy soon filled their lives with love and laughter.
The five have since shared enviable memories that the "Day of Redemption" actress has documented on her Instagram for years. Some of their precious moments include trips to gorgeous destinations, having dinner together, celebrating milestones, and even taking on communal causes, like giving back at the Los Angeles Mission Thanksgiving dinner.
In June 2014, Alfonso posted a beautiful photo of her youngest son, Jack, silhouetted against the gorgeous orange sunrise during a trip to Greece. The image, taken as the ocean waves crashed in the background, was a piece of art captioned:
"Good Morning, world. May it be beautiful for all."
Weeks later, the family set out for a historical trip to Boston, with Alfonso sharing that Jack wanted to be a historian. The family has also visited Newport, Rhode Island, to spend a little time with Alfonso's dad.
In January 2015, the family packed up for a skiing trip with the "Joshua Tree" actress posting photos of the fun times they had skiing down the slopes in the gorgeous weather.
Like Alfonso, it appears that her dad shares her love for family, and he also joined the family in celebrating Jack's 12th birthday.
However, that was only one of the many milestones the family celebrated together. For Mother's Day 2015, the actress shared a peek into how close her family was with a photo of one of her older sons holding Jack as the other stood close to the pair.
In 2017, Alfonso shared a funny video of her reaction to Jack as he took a break from working out, only to return with a sugary treat.
Over the years, she has shared some of her family's most treasured moments, including having fun at photo booths, shopping, and spending weekends at the beach.
Family dinners are also a special bonding moment for the family, and the "Full House" actress shared some beautiful moments as the family prepared to settle down for a homemade meal with grins on their faces. "Dinner with all my boys make for a very happy mother and father," she wrote.
In 2020, the family once again celebrated Jack's high school graduation and took beautiful family photos of the life-changing event.
As her sons grow older, the actress is even prouder of them and their achievements and will often post photos of the trio on her Instagram. In 2020, Alfonso posted a series of cute photos of her three sons, including some throwback pictures of them and the family, captioned:
"When a mother doesn't feel she could possibly love her sons any more than she does...I do. My heart is full. I'm so proud to be your mom."
In 2020, Alfonso posted photos of her family all masked up due to the pandemic, and even though half their faces were behind masks, they looked happy and content in each other's company.
Even as Alfonso continues to cherish her time with family, fans now look forward to seeing what her character Hope has in store for them with her TV family.
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