Inside Hallmark Star Alison Sweeney's Experience As A Child Actor
Alison Sweeney has starred in over 25 Hallmark movies, with the romcom star even flexing her screenwriting skills for "One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery." Still, while feel-good fans will know her from flicks like "The Wedding Veil Legacy" and "Chronicle Mysteries: Recovered," the Los Angeles-native had an entire career before debuting on the network in 2013. In fact, among the things you might not know about Sweeney is that she actually began acting as a child, making guest appearances on shows like "Webster" and "St. Elsewhere."
Despite getting her start in showbiz at the age of 4, Sweeney says she didn't live out her early life in Hollywood glamor. "My childhood is actually quite normal," she told Authority Magazine. "Except that occasionally I would take days off from school to go on auditions and for filming." The star emphasized that she was always the driving force behind her own acting career, explaining that it was her parents who kept her grounded and reminded her of her roots. "I am very lucky to have two great parents who worked hard to keep the trappings of 'Hollywood' distant from me," she added.
Sweeney fell in love with acting at a young age
Alison Sweeney has enjoyed a successful career as an adult actor, with her love for the craft blossoming when she was just a kid. In conversation with Smashing Interviews, the Hallmark star opened up about landing her first gig in a Kodak commercial at the age of four. "It was actually sort of a fluke thing and kind of a family story," Sweeney said. "I basically ended up accidentally in a print ad when I was a little kid and my mom thought that was a fun day. She took me on an audition just for kicks because we live here in LA."
After landing the role in the Christmas-themed Kodak commercial, Sweeney found herself falling in love with acting. "The next thing you know, I started going to workshops and acting classes and getting a private coach," she added. "I just loved it from the first moment." The TV personality also mentioned her experiences at Equity Waiver Theater as being a formative part of her show business journey, emphasizing her love for the rehearsals and her awe of the adult actors.
Still, while Sweeney was able to cultivate her love of acting throughout her adolescent years, her family made sure to keep her centered. Not only did her parents require her to prioritize her education, but her entire family was supportive. "My parents are super grounded and normal and real and tough and strict," she told Fox News. "I was always really guided by my brothers and my parents, who were all very loving."
Her first major role was on Days of Our Lives
Long-time fans will know that Alison Sweeney is one of the Hallmark stars who've also starred on "Days of Our Lives," with the California native debuting as Sami Brady when she was only 16 years old. The part was an important milestone in Sweeney's career, but it was one she had to work hard to maintain. "I was a junior in high school and my dad was really serious about my academics and my going to college," she told Entertainment Weekly. "I was able to stay at my school and I would film in the afternoons. For my senior year, I was applying to colleges like normal."
It was no-doubt challenging for the Hallmark star to balance her everyday schoolwork and college preparation with her "Days" job, but her father's perspective on the situation changed after a significant college tour. "We went to Northwestern," Sweeney said. "The dean of the entertainment school pulled my dad aside and said, 'Please don't make her do this. Kids go to four years of college to have the opportunity she has. When she gets fired, we'll accept her but don't make her give up this opportunity.' I'm so grateful. That turned my dad around!"
After high school graduation, Sweeney did attempt to take evening classes at UCLA while working on "Days of Our Lives," writing in her book "All The Days of My Life (So Far)" that she eventually accepted that she couldn't do both. "The show's producers helped in every way they could," she said. "But it was still impossible to find time for everything." While Sweeney's dreams of college didn't come to fruition, her acting career has taken her further than anyone could've expected.