The Untold Truth Of Alison Sweeney

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Alison Sweeney became a household name thanks to "Days of Our Lives," but unlike many of her fellow soap actors, she managed to build a diverse and long-lasting career outside of soap operas. Despite facing some hardships early on, she's avoided the tragic real-life struggles that have plagued so many "Days Of Our Lives" stars and has solidified herself as a star of the small screen. At the same time, she also built an impressive personal life with one of the few celeb spouses who work a regular job.

However, despite the decades she's spent in the limelight, there's plenty folks still don't know about the Los Angeles native. As she told Us Weekly back in 2011, she's full of surprises. Sharing some of her best-kept secrets, she revealed she can speak Spanish, loves to create a playlist, hits the grocery store when she needs a cool down, and knows "The Princess Bride" script verbatim. And there's plenty more beyond that. This is the untold truth of Alison Sweeney.

Alison Sweeney doesn't just love acting, she also loves working behind the camera. As her IMDb reveals, she first tried directing in 2004 and, to date, has successfully directed seven episodes of "Days of Our Lives" and three episodes of "General Hospital". What's more, she also enjoys being an executive producer and has done just that for a slew of Hallmark movies, all of which she's also starred in.

Speaking of why she wanted to tackle so many different facets of filmmaking, Sweeney told Closer Weekly that it's a dream she's had for a long time. "I remember telling my dad when I was six years old that I was going to do this someday, and now I'm really doing it!" she gushed. As she told My Devotional Thoughts blog, "I love every aspect of making a project." And she means every aspect. When Sweeney fell in love with Joanne Fluke's "Hannah Swensen Mysteries" book series, she acquired the global TV rights to turn the books into movies, per Forbes. She then sold the U.S. rights to Hallmark and executive produced and starred in the films. But that's not all. As she confirmed to Monsters & Critics, she had a hand in every step that went into bringing the books to the small screen, from finding the right screenwriter to casting and location hunting. Sure, there are a lot of plates to spin, but as she told CW33, "It's a lot of work and a lot of fun."

In addition to acting, producing, and directing, Alison Sweeney has yet another creative passion: writing. It all began in 2004 when she published a memoir titled "All The Days Of My Life (so Far)." She followed that up with 2010's "The Mommy Diet," a self-help book packed with motherhood lessons and tips to teach women how to put themselves first, even while juggling a family, career, and more. "Having two kids of my own, I am one of millions of women facing the challenge of balancing motherhood with a career, not to mention trying to find time for ourselves," she explained, per Entertainment Weekly.

Sweeney kicked her creativity into full gear in 2013 when she set her sights on fiction and published her first romance novel, "The Star Attraction." It was a resounding success with Publishers Weekly applauding, "It all adds up to a pleasurable read, and a particularly impressive first foray into this genre." But it almost didn't happen. As Sweeney told Publishers Weekly, she wrote it strictly for herself in 2005 (without using a ghostwriter) at a point when she'd hit a wall a the "Days of Our Lives" storyline. "My process was very much like an actor's: I wrote scene studies and character breakdowns," she shared. It wasn't until 2011 that she showed her agent and he loved it. "I have high standards," she quipped. Sweeney followed up her debut with "Scared Scriptless" in 2014 and "Opportunity Knocks" in 2016.

When she's not working or spending time with her family, Alison Sweeney is a longtime Stand Up To Cancer ambassador. In 2010, she shared that the cause was close to her heart because both of her grandmothers were diagnosed with cancer, then, in 2019, she had her own health scare. Speaking with Health, Sweeney revealed how a routine trip to the dermatologist led to a scary diagnosis. She had spotted a bump on her nose that looked like a pimple, but after her doctor biopsied the mass, they discovered it was skin cancer. Sweeney was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, which, according to Mayo Clinic, is most often the result of prolonged sun exposure. It tends to appear on the head or neck and can take the form of a scaly patch, a lesion that looks like a dark spot, or a translucent bump.

Luckily for Sweeney, doctors were able to remove the bump and scrape away all of the affected layers of skin that surrounded it. "My doctor said it was a bit tricky to get it all out, and that really hit home for me, but he's confident that he was able to," she told the mag. The actor also shared the news on Instagram in the form of a PSA, telling her followers to always use sunscreen (which she does) and remain vigilant. "Check your skin for any noticeable changes and ask your doctor about it," she wrote.

Alison Sweeney is no stranger to playing an amateur sleuth on TV. First, as baker/investigator Hannah Swensen in Hallmark's "Murder, She Baked" series, which debuted in 2015, and, more recently, as podcaster/cold case solver Alex McPherson in Hallmark's "The Chronicle Mysteries" series, which debuted in 2019. Revealing why she was drawn to co-create, produce, and star in the latter, she told NewsChannel 5 that it was because she herself is obsessed with true crime podcasts.

It all started when she discovered "Serial," binged it. "From there, I was just in the rabbit hole. I listened to other podcasts about 'Serial' and then other cases just caught my eye," she shared. Her own obsession gave her the idea for a character who was a true crime podcaster and became involved in a real-life cold case after discovering it centered around a woman she had known as a child. "I'm so proud of these movies," she told MediaVillage. "Hallmark was thrilled and loved the idea of the Alex character, and the world that I had developed," and so were her fans. One film turned into five and Sweeney's love of true crime has yet to cool. "I can't tell you the last song I actually heard as podcasts are all I listen to," she told the outlet. Another draw is the good they can do. "Podcasts can make a difference and raise awareness of these cold cases that have sat for decades," she mused.

Alison Sweeney's creativity also translates to her home and, over the years, she's shown off her penchant for interior design, which she has a relative to thank for. "My aunt was a great interior decorator and a huge influence on me and my home style," she told Food Network Magazine. Growing up, she lived with her parents in Pasadena and filmed "Days of Our Lives" in Burbank, but spent time off with her aunt in Connecticut. There, she fell in love with the New England aesthetic that's now infused into her home. Giving the mag a tour of her kitchen, she shared some of her favorite features, including a French farm table from the 1800s and a gas fireplace. "We leave it on even when it's not cold out," she revealed. "It makes the room feel so cozy."

She later invited the Los Angeles Times to explore her living room, her top spot in the house. Lined with bookshelves, it features a drop-down screen that turns the space into a movie room. The most special feature, however, are the equestrian paintings linked to Jane. "I've always loved horses, and she helped me learn to decorate the house with things that make it personal," she shared. "They remind me of a special time with her before she passed."

One question Hallmark movie fans often have is how much the network's biggest stars actually earn. As Vancouver Magazine reported in 2021, the amount is a lot less than many think. Because Hallmark movies are shot in Canada on "microbudgets" that clock in at under $1 million Canadian (or about $780,000 USD), industry guidelines dictate that the biggest stars get paid just $900 Canadian (or $700 USD) a day. Given that shoots are quick and usually last 15 days, an actor stands to earn $13,500 Canadian (or $10,500 USD) per film. However, as the outlet notes, many Hallmark A-listers also sign on as executive producers, which means they stand to earn up to 20% of international sales of the film. That's just the case with Alison Sweeney who often does double duty as an actor and executive producer.

What's more, Sweeney also has plenty of other projects bringing in big cash. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her "The Biggest Loser" salary alone was $45,000 per episode. Add to that her earnings from a two-decade run on "Days of Our Lives" (which reportedly pays recurring cast member $1,500 to $3,000 per episode and up to $5,000 per episode to its biggest stars), as well as her best-selling books, and her net worth lands at a cool $9 million. That makes her twice as rich as the Queen of Hallmark, Lacey Chabert, who has a $4 million net worth. Proof that side hustles really do pay off.