Alison Sweeney

Soap Opera Update hails Days of our Lives star Alison Sweeney as one of the Sexiest People on Television, and the editors at Soap Opera Digest have recently nominated Sweeney as Outstanding Younger Lead Actress for the upcoming Soap Opera Awards (March 10/NBC-TV). Sweeney is a three-time-winner of The Soap Opera Award in the Outstanding Villainess category (1996, '98 and '99). She has graced the covers of all of the leading soap opera magazines a dozen times over and throughout her career has starred with such respected actresses as Dyan Cannon, Barbara Eden and Sally Kirkland.

On January 22, 1993, Sweeney joined the cast of the Emmy Award-winning, NBC-TV series Days of our Lives as Sami Brady-the devious, complex and often misunderstood daughter of Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall). Since taking on the role, Sweeney has tackled storylines ranging from date rape to eating disorders, and she has been receiving praise from the media all along the way.

"Young Sweeney holds her own with the best of them on Day of our Lives, including powerhouse Deidre Hall," wrote Soap Opera Digest in an article naming Sweeney Performer of the Week.

Soap Opera Weekly most recently singled out Sweeney as Breakout Performer of the Year (1999) and praised her portrayal of Sami Brady as the stuff which Emmy nominations are made.

Born in Los Angeles, California on September 19, Sweeney has an older and younger brother; however, she is the only daughter of their concert and studio violinist mother and business investor father. At the age of six, Sweeney appeared on Days of our Lives for the first time in the role of Adrienne for two days of flashback sequences. As a child actress, Sweeney was also featured in numerous national television commercials for various products, including Kodak Film. Starring roles on Simon & Simon, Webster, St. Elsewhere, Family Man, Brand New Life, I Married Dora and Tales from the Darkside followed shortly thereafter. In Dyan Cannon's feature film The End of Innocence, Sweeney played the role of Stephanie (Dyan Cannon's character as a preteen), and she also starred as Alice in the film The Price of Life.

Away from the television and film studios, Sweeney leads an active life. She enjoys swing dancing, swimming, water & snow skiing, rollerblading, riding her gray thoroughbred horse, Apparition (nick-named Ghost), and sometimes just hanging out with her close friends. Sweeney also likes to read novels and write short stories. In fact, if she were not acting, writing would be a major career consideration along with directing.

An extensive traveler, Sweeney has developed an appreciation for various cultures and speaks fluent Spanish. When she has the opportunity to travel, her ideal destinations are Italy, France and anywhere she can find a ski slope. Sweeney was married not so long ago to longtime boyfriend Dave, who is a California Highway Patrol Officer, and they are expecting their first child in early 2005.