How did you break into
acting? Have you studied it at all?
How did you break into
acting? Have you studied it at all?
I have studied, but how I got into it was all sort of by accident, because I was an ice skater. And I was also a dancer and I was in a dancing competition in New York and Wilhelmina had seen me, which was a modeling agency in New York. At that time I wasn’t interested. I really wasn’t the typical teenager, you know, getting the magazines and saying, “Oh, I have to get this new outfit, and that new outfit.” I was too busy training, and skating, and dancing, so there was a very limited amount of time for that [typical teenage stuff], although I don’t really feel like I missed out on anything in my life. Anyway, then I had an accident, a tobogganing accident, and I broke my landing leg which kind of ended my career, and we thought, well maybe we should just listen to what this woman has to say. I was only five foot whatever at that time, and so young, and when we went to meet with Wilhelmina, they signed me up and I started modeling for Vogue and Glamour amongst a lot of other magazines. I was flying all over the world.
That’s really cool, getting to travel like that when you were so young.
It was very cool, it was a great experience and my mother traveled with me until I was 18 years old.
To keep a watchful eye on you.
Absolutely. And I’m glad she did. It was very exciting, and like I said, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything in my life, whether I was skating, or dancing, or modeling.
So were you not actually in school very much when you were growing up?
No, I wasn’t. But I had to keep a certain average with the school, it had to be an A/B average, to be able to continue what I was doing. When I was in town, I was at school, but then also they would put packets of work together for me that I would have to take with me.
Do you have any advice for those of your young fans who’d like to get into acting?
I remember that I wasn’t sure when I got into acting whether I really wanted to be an actor, whether it was something I was striving for — I don’t think I really knew what I wanted to be at that time. I came out here during pilot season, and they [NBC] had asked me to read for the character of Hope, but I was still in school at the time and scared to death because I mean, I didn’t know how to act, I didn’t know what to do, so I just got on a plane and flew home. Then some odd years later, the character came up again, and I read for it and — knock on wood — I got it, even though everyone else was far better than I was.
And even though you fell down the stairs during the screen test.
Oh yeah, I fell down the stairs. I was just a disaster waiting to happen, but for some reason they hired me, and thank God! And then they cast Bo and they wanted me to come in and read with all the different Bo’s and I came up with every excuse in the book why I couldn’t come in — I was in New York, I wasn’t here — because I was afraid they would find out I really couldn’t act and that they made this horrible mistake, so it was best if they didn’t see me until we signed the contract! And so basically, that’s how it really started. I had done a movie of the week, with Rock Hudson, so I was under contract with NBC at the time.
Yeah, I just saw that movie for the first time not long ago.
Starmaker? Oh gosh, wasn’t I terrible? Scary!
You were so little!
I know, with my high voice.
And eating that ice cream cone.
I was in heaven.
So you think all of the
aspiring actors out there should study the craft and — ?
I think they should study the craft, yes. You know, acting is just really being honest. From within, with your own emotions. Just really taking words from a page and making them your own. And feeling those words. It’s a tough business, but then anything great, or anything you enjoy doing, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. My dad has always said, “Getting there, Kristian, is the easy part. But staying there, is the most difficult work of all.” And I have to say that Days has always been incredibly kind, welcoming me back with open arms. I certainly wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t happy.
Speaking of acting as merely being honest, you cry on camera so beautifully. What do you do to make the tears come? Do you draw from personal experience?
Oh yeah. I have to dig deep. If the emotions aren’t there and aren’t something I feel overwhelming me and coming upon me, it isn’t something I can just make happen. Like some actors, they can just turn them on no problem. For me, it has to be something I am truly feeling at that moment. I don’t think what makes a great actor is that she can cry. I think it’s when you can see real pain.
Oh definitely. I think one of the reasons you resonate for me as an actor, one of the reasons I like you and am so drawn to you — and this is probably true for all of your fans —is that what you do seems so real.
Well, thank you.
So how long does it take you to memorize a day’s script?
It all depends. It depends on the script. It could take me an hour, or it could take me hours. Five, six hours. Days, sometimes, to go back and go over it again because for some reason, it just won’t compute. I’m not one of those people who is an easy study.
Do you have any other acting projects in the works?
No, not now.
Anything else you’d like to try at some point in your career?
I’d like to go back to film again, and shoot with one camera. Obviously I won’t be doing anything for a while right now.
Your new baby will keep you pretty busy.
Yes, for sure. But
who knows? I mean, I’ll work through my pregnancy, just like I worked
through my pregnancy last time on the show. But you know, I’ve been
so busy on the show lately, I haven’t really had time to even consider
anything else. I get a little time off and I’m just so happy to relax,
enjoy the kids. My life is very full right now.
What do you like best
about working at Days?
It’s like home. I love the warmth that’s here. I love that it is like a family. It’s sad when you see actors leave, you’re happy to see them come. It feels safe here, and the thing is too, we all spend so much time together, that there has to be a trust. And it’s sort of like a beauty salon, you know? Everyone is always talking and sharing with each other, about their families and their kids, and it’s just nice. It’s a great environment to work in, it really is. Ken [Corday] has done very well.
Who on the show are you closest with and who have you learned the most from, as an actor?
I think it’s pretty equal for both. I’m close with everyone, and I’ve learned a little bit from everyone. Just observing them and watching them. I love to observe, to people watch. You know, sitting in a little coffee shop, or just walking down the street or whatever, and just watching people. Everyone is so incredibly interesting, everyone is just so completely different.
What would be your dream
storyline?
My dream storyline? Well, I love what they’ve been doing with the characters. I mean as far as the Princess Gina storyline, with Gina is Hope and Hope is Gina and all of it, if they had told me back then what was truly going to take place during those two years, I would have been scared to death and petrified and so overwhelmed with fear, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all of the work and the task that I had before me. Because there was just this enormous amount of work. And I often would be playing opposite both characters at the same time. They kind of eased me into it. They said, “Well, we’re just going to do a few flashbacks,” and then just a few this and a few that. And there was the prosthetics and the wardrobe changes — I look back on it now and think, “My God, how did I do that?” The crew was great. Wardrobe, and makeup, and hair, the producers — everybody was there supporting each other, because they were just such incredibly long, long hours.
You know, a lot of funny things happened. One time, they had me running on a treadmill, literally, at three in the morning. I’m in a gown, Princess Gina is having a nightmare, she’s in the wig and the crown and the high-heeled sneakers — of course nobody would see those — and I’m on a treadmill and everything is blacked out. There’s just this one light, but it’s on me, so I can’t see anything around me, and there’s no railing, and suddenly they start the treadmill and I just go — floop! — right off the back of it! Then there was Princess Gina in the dungeon, she’s blaming Stefano — “Why Stefano? Why” — and she goes to run, and she passes out. But I never got up because my face was stuck to the carpet, because the prosthetics I was wearing were so sticky, they had to keep them moist. And they called to me from the booth, “Kristian, are you alright? Are you stuck?” And I said, “Yes, my face is stuck!” And they were like, “Don’t move! Don’t move!” But it was all fun, it was a great opportunity for me, an incredible challenge. I love it because I got to work with so many different people. I loved that. And I love that they challenged me.
So what would you like to see happen for Hope now?
I would love to see Bo and Hope going on their adventures, investigating again.
They should open up their private investigating firm again.
They should, exactly. I think there’s such wonderful chemistry between Peter and me, and one of the things that make Hope and Bo so interesting is that there’s that one upmanship. You know, that bickering, but not in a mean way of course. It’s just, I’ll show you, no, I’ll show you. It’s who’s going to have the last word. And it’s all in good humor. I think that would be great. I think it would be fun, it would be interesting, it would be exciting. It’s sort of like that — well, we could only ever hope for this kind of comparison — but it’s like that whole Ricky and Lucy sort of thing. You know, the back and forth, and Hope always getting herself into some sort of turmoil.
Yeah, she’s always getting herself into some scrape or another.
Right. I mean, Hope has certainly matured over the years, but I love that she still has that sort of childlike quality.
Okay, tell me about your
earrings. I get more questions about your earrings than anything
else. Everyone loves them.
My fleur de lis earrings?
Yes, can people get them anywhere or are they custom made?
Actually, my fleur de lis aren't custom made. I haven't seen them anywhere though. They sort of look like crosses, don't they? On the screen? (Ed. note: These earrings were in part the inspiration for Kristian's jewelry line, Hope Faith Miracles.)
They do a little. In fact, some of the people who write think they are crosses, and then others can't tell what they are. They just think they're pretty and want to get a pair.
Yeah, I like them because they're easy. You can wear them if you're dressed up, you can wear them if you're casual — I prefer casual! (laughs) But that's what I like about them. They're very simple.
What kind of products do you use on your hair?
Right now, I like Biolage a lot, especially their conditioner. But I change products all the time because for some reason, after a while, my hair gets too used to it and it gets weighted down. When you first start using a product, you can see a difference, but then after a certain amount of time, it doesn't work anymore. And it's like that with skin care products as well. You hear about some new magical, whipped up moisturizer that costs X amount of dollars, but if it works, why not try it? So I have tons of skin care products as well, which one by one I end up getting rid of because pretty soon, they just don't work anymore.
You are such an inspiration
to the fans because you were a little heavier when you were younger and
now you're so svelte, can you share whether you have a diet and fitness
regimen that you stick to, or what do you do to maintain your figure?
You know the thing about weight is, we all look for that magical pill or diet — six bananas one day, five oranges another day, the Scarsdale Diet, the Atkins Diet — and really it's just about staying active. There's no way to get around it. If you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and ends up using its own muscle for fuel and holding onto the fat. Your metabolism actually speeds up when you eat enough and eat correctly. I mean, I've had a weight problem my whole life, I constantly fight my weight. My thing is that I have to get on the scale every single day, that's what works for me. Most doctors will say, you don't want to weigh yourself everyday, or even every week, but that's the only way I could ever monitor it. That way I wasn't cheating myself. But you really just have to keep moving, and there isn't anything you can't eat, it's just everything in moderation. There's just no secret — I wish there were!
Since we're talking about food, tell me what would be your ideal meal.
I like it all. That is my problem!
It's in the genes.
Oh, I love Italian food. Love it! But I love a good burger too. Or a good grilled hot dog with mustard and onions — can you tell I'm pregnant? — I love french fries. I love Mexican. But Italian, of course, is my favorite.
What do you do to relax?
Lately, I lie down! (laughs)
I
love going for walks, just strolling along and seeing what good things
are in the store windows! I love hiking and riding my bike.
I don't like to do anything too strenuous, but I like to be outside.
I find it invigorating. I especially enjoy being by the ocean.
It's just so tranquil. When my husband and I take the kids to the
beach, I feel so renewed and relaxed by the time I get home. That
is, of course, after we clean the car out, shake all the sand out of everything.
But the beach just feels so healthy, that salt water and sea breeze.
Are you 100% Italian?
Yes.
And where does your family hail from, what part of Italy?
My grandparents are from Calabria, in the southern part of Italy, and Sicily.
What was it like growing
up with a sister so close in age? Did you get along well?
My sister and I are incredibly close, I just adore her. Gino and Spart [Spartan, Danny's son] are so connected as well and I was explaining to them just the other day that the older they get, the greater friends they'll become, like my sister and me. I really admire her, she's my best friend. I can't imagine her not being such a huge part of my life.
What makes you angry?
Unfairness. Disloyalty. Dishonesty. I do not like when people lie. Those are the things that make me angry.
What is your greatest fear?
I really don't have a fear right now. I'm in a good place in my life, I feel very secure.
Do you have a philosophy of life?
Live each day to its fullest. Appreciate what you have and don't complain about what you don't have.
What is the best thing that's ever happened to you?
There's a lot, I can't just say one thing. A lot of great things have happened to me. Gino — that goes without saying of course. Meeting Danny, my husband, an amazing man, and his son, Spartan. All of us sharing our lives together. We're a family and it's just a very fulfilling thing.