Kristian Alfonso, born Kristian-Joy Alfonso on September 5, 1963, in Brockton, Massachusetts, is an American actress, former figure skater, and fashion model. She is best known for her long-running role as Hope Williams Brady on the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives," a character she has portrayed on and off since 1983. 

Her grandparents hailed from Sicily and Calabria, giving her full Italian heritage. She has one sibling, an older sister.

As a teenager, Kristian Alfonso was an accomplished figure skater, winning a gold medal in a figure skating championship at the age of thirteen. However, her skating career was cut short due to a leg injury from a tobogganing accident. 

This setback led her to pursue modeling, and by the age of fifteen, she had appeared on the covers of 30 international magazines, including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Her modeling work eventually led to opportunities in acting.

Kristian Alfonso made her acting debut in the 1981 television film "The Star Maker," co-starring with Rock Hudson. In 1983, she auditioned for the role of Hope Williams on "Days of Our Lives" and was cast after a memorable screen test. 

Her portrayal of Hope, paired with Peter Reckell's Bo Brady, became one of the most beloved and iconic couples in soap opera history. Her performance earned her a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in 1985.

In addition to her work on "Days of Our Lives," Kristian Alfonso has appeared in other television shows and films, including "Falcon Crest," "Melrose Place," "Baywatch," and "Joshua Tree." She has also made guest appearances on shows like "MacGyver" and "Friends."

Kristian Alfonso has been married twice. She was first married to Simon Macauley from 1987 to 1991, and they have one child together. In 2001, she married Danny Daggenhurst, and they have one child together.