Kristian Alfonso
stunned the soap world when she announced that she would not be
returning to Days of Our Lives in September when the show goes back into
production. Now, the Emmy-nominated star is speaking out on why she
opted to vacate Salem after a 37-year run as the beloved Hope Williams
Brady.
The actress appeared on Entertainment Tonight in a segment with correspondent Matt Cohen (ex-Griffin, General Hospital) to talk about why she decided to say goodbye to Hope.
Alfonso shares that DAYS executive producer Ken Corday
approached her about giving the character of Hope a hiatus for
approximately five months. She would then return to the story canvas and
be thrust into a new storyline with a Navy SEAL.
“[It]
was as if Ken had opened that door for me just a little bit and I
opened it all the way and made the decision to depart DAYS,” Alfonso
told ET. “So many milestones in my life happened on that show and I have so many incredible memories.
“I thought to myself, you know what, it’s time for a change and it
was the perfect moment to make that decision,” she says. “I was taken
aback when [Ken] said that they wanted…to take me off camera…It was not
something that ever been been discussed but that’s what it was…I just
thought…it’s time to write a new chapter.”
Alfonso, who debuted on
DAYS in 1983, says that the coronavirus pandemic also played a role in
helping her make up her mind. “COVID,” she says, has “really made me
pause and think about life and to really appreciate our health every
single day and never take it for granted and that was part of my
decision also.”
What’s
next for the actress? She says she’s been enjoying “being home and
doing nothing.” She likes cooking and spending time with family and
friends. She adds that she misses her jewelry line, Hope, Faith, and
Miracles, which she sold back in 2016 so, perhaps she’ll embark on a
similar venture.
Alfonso added that she’s not interested in
dropping in and out of Salem like other actors and characters do. She
shared that Corday told her that the role of Hope would not be recast (how could it be?) but she realizes that’s not her call to make.
Is
acting either on another daytime serial or in another medium in her
future? “I don’t know if I will continue in this business,” she says,
“but possibly. I have been getting calls and some interest on some
projects, so we’ll see.”
Veteran
DAYS fans recall that Alfonso left the show only to return twice
before. She first departed daytime in 1987, returning for another brief
stint in 1990, and then came back full-time to the show in 1994. Might
there be a third time? ET’s Cohen seems to think so. He ended his
televised report on Alfonso by saying, “I know Kristian says she won’t
return to DAYS, but it’s a huge honor in the soap world to be asked back
so, I still think she will,” Cohen said with a smile.
Alfonso leaves grateful to her loyal fan base and
is filled with gratitude for her experiences. “I would say I’m just a
very lucky girl,” she says. The actress is set to air on DAYS through
October.
