1977–1981: Early work After her skating career ended, Alfonso was signed to
Wilhelmina Models. By the time she was fifteen, she had appeared on the covers of 30 international magazines, including
Vogue and ''
Harper's Bazaar. She appeared on the cover of Seventeen
in 1979. Alfonso considered herself lucky to be working as a model because she stands at only 5 feet 4 inch tall. She sometimes had to stand on apple boxes to appear taller. She was asked to audition for the role of Hope Williams on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives'', but she declined because she didn't want to move to Los Angeles. The character of Hope Williams was paired with
Bo Brady (played by
Peter Reckell).
Soap Opera Digest said the love story was "classic in its origins and continues to make people melt: gruff boy from the wrong side of the tracks...tames the spoiled rich girl who was getting into all sorts of trouble." She was nominated for a
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress (then known as Outstanding Ingénue) in 1985. She also received
Young Artist Award nominations in 1983, 1984, and 1985. In 1985, Alfonso guest starred on
Amazing Stories. In 1986, she and Peter Reckell received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Daytime Super Couple.
1987-1994: Other work Alfonso and Peter Reckell decided to leave
Days of Our Lives, last airing in April 1987. The characters of Bo and Hope left Salem to sail around the world with their son, Shawn. After leaving
Days, Alfonso made guest appearances on ''
Who's the Boss? and Murder, She Wrote. She played Cassandra in the television film Out of Time (1988). From 1988 to 1989, she had recurring roles on MacGyver and Full House. She had a recurring role on Baywatch. From 1993 to 1994, Alfonso played the recurring role of Lauren Ethridge, a Hollywood madam, on Melrose Place. She was considered to play figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in a television film. She received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination in 1996 for Hottest Actress for her role on Days
. She played Jeanna in the film In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King. In 1997, Alfonso played Chelsea Coals in the television film What Happened to Bobby Earl? She also appeared in the television film Steve.Oedekerk.com''. In 1999, she won a
Soap Opera Digest Award for Hottest Female Star for her role on
Days of Our Lives. In 2000, she played her
Days character, Hope Brady, on an episode of
Friends. In 2000, Alfonso received a
Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Actress. In 2001, Alfonso and Peter Reckell won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Couple. In 2002, they won a special
Daytime Emmy Award, voted on by fans, for America's Favorite Couple. She and Peter Reckell were nominated for a
Daytime Emmy Award in 2005, voted on by fans, for Most Irresistible Combination. She guest starred with Reckell, playing their
Days characters, on an episode of
30 Rock in 2009.
2019-present In November 2019, it was announced that the entire cast of
Days of Our Lives had been released from their contracts. The show was put on an indefinite hiatus. In January 2020, the show was renewed for season 56. Alfonso returned as Hope in February 2020.
Days suspended filming in mid-March 2020 because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, Alfonso announced that she wouldn't be returning to the show when it resumed production in September. In a statement, she said, "It is now time for me to write my next chapter." In October 2020, it was announced that Alfonso would join her former
Days co-star
Alison Sweeney in the
Hallmark Channel film
Chronicle Mysteries. In 2021, she joined the cast of
Lifetime's four-movie
V. C. Andrews event, appearing in the episodes
All That Glitters and
Hidden Jewel. In July 2022, Alfonso returned to the role of Hope Brady in
Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem, a spinoff series streaming on
Peacock. In 2023, she returned to
Days of Our Lives for a short time, along with her former co-stars Peter Reckell and
Victoria Konefal. In April 2024, it was announced that Alfonso would make a brief return to
Days for the funeral of
Doug Williams (
Bill Hayes), airing November 29. == Personal life ==