All The Days Of My Life (so Far). Alison Sweeney
milestones, and I knew not to expect to get my ears pierced until I was twelve. So when I saw the script, was I ever excited! My mom was hesitant, of course, but she finally gave in. I got my ears pierced two years ahead of schedule (although the pain associated with the procedure certainly got my attention!). Family Man didn’t last long—it was canceled after only seven episodes—but at least I had a few pairs of earrings to show for it.
Backstage on the set of Family Man
One episode of the show was about my character getting an embarrassing haircut and being teased at school. My mom was able to talk the producers into a wash-out perm. Equally embarrassing, but not quite as long-lasting.
My mom occasionally bent on other issues, but she held her ground on many more. She was a Stage Mom in the best possible sense; she guarded me and looked after me without being intimidated by anyone, and she always spoke up if she thought a script crossed the line. Remember, my mom insisted that I have as normal a childhood as possible, and in an era when kids were being cast in horror movies like Poltergeist, she kept me away from auditions for those kinds of films.
I remember one motion picture, The Price of Life, which I appeared in at age twelve. It had a futuristic plot in which I played a rebellious girl named Alice, who had a tough attitude and made the wrong turn at every point in life. The script called for me to smoke and curse, which definitely didn’t find a warm place in my mother’s heart. In particular, she is very antismoking, and when it came to a twelve-year-old—particularly her own twelve-year-old daughter—smoking in a movie was simply out of the question.
My mom dug in her heels with the director of the movie. She was determined to reach some kind of compromise that would keep a lit cigarette out of my mouth—and she ultimately succeeded. They finally agreed that I would be allowed to hold the cigarette and pretend to smoke it. But I never really took a puff.
It was just one of several incidents where my mother intervened, speaking on my behalf, usually without me even knowing about it. She insisted that I always show up on the set prepared, take the job seriously, and know my lines. But she protected me from the tough negotiations that sometimes went on behind the scenes. She wanted me to enjoy the acting experience as much as possible without stressing out about some of the details and the fine print.
My mom also did something else that was very important: As I continued to act and was cast in better and better parts, she made sure that I stayed humble. As I mentioned earlier, Hollywood is renowned for egos soaring out of control, but my parents wouldn’t stand for it. In 1989, a year after The Price of Life, I landed a role in a new NBC situation comedy called A Brand New Life.
On location with the cast of A Brand New Life
In the show, Don Murray portrayed a millionaire father of three who marries a blue-collar waitress (played by Barbara Eden) with three children of her own (no, we weren’t the Brady Bunch, despite the obvious similarities). Don’s character raised his children in a permissive, free-spirited household, and Barbara’s family grew up in a much more conservative environment. Much of the series’ conflict grew out of the attempts to merge the families (the original name of the show was Blended Family, although that title never got out of the starting gate). I played Barbara’s daughter, and Jenny Garth (pre-Beverly Hills 90210) was cast as one of my siblings.
One day backstage on A Brand New Life, a hairdresser was brushing my hair, and when I felt she was tugging on it too hard, I raised my voice and complained to her. Bad move.
Later, the hairdresser took my mom aside, and said, “You may want to talk to your daughter and tell her to get her act together. My job is to make her look good. If she’s going to go anywhere in this business, she needs to treat everyone here with respect.”
Ouch. That really pressed my mom’s buttons, and she wasn’t happy with me at all (and understandably so).
“Look, Ali,” she told me, “you aren’t entitled to a ‘star attitude’ here. You aren’t going to be a ‘star brat’—you’re my daughter, you’re a normal kid, and you’re very lucky to be working here. So start treating people with respect, or you’re not going to be here for long.”
True story.
My mom was right. And I’ll never forget it. Let’s face it: At age twelve, it’s a rather make-believe life to be on television, have people tell you how special you are, and pamper you endlessly by tending to your hair and makeup. If you’re not careful, it really can go to your head. But I was lucky to have parents who would bring me down a notch or two if necessary, and make sure I kept things in perspective. It was an important lesson, and as I matured, I’ve never allowed myself to think I’m somehow better or different than other people just because of the type of work I do—because I know I’m not.
Nowadays, my husband, Dave, also helps me stay grounded. He’s not only a wonderful guy, but it’s such a relief to spend so much time with someone not in show business (Dave’s career is in law enforcement). He’s not starstruck. He’s not particularly impressed with what’s going on in Hollywood. Our life together really is separate from my job, and I’ve learned that it’s important for me to avoid immersing myself in show business twenty-four hours a day. As much as I love the entertainment industry, I also know it’s good for me to go home at night and enjoy time with my husband, play with the dogs, and lead a completely normal, nonshow-business life.
You Gotta Have Friends
Both before and during Days, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some wonderful people both in front of and behind the camera, and I’ve learned so much from them. In 1991, I appeared in The End of Innocence, a feature film in which Dyan Cannon not only starred, but served as director and screen-writer. It was a movie about the challenges of growing up female, and I played Dyan’s character, Stephanie, as a preteenager (the late Rebecca Schaeffer was cast as the same character at a little older age). Dyan is not only a talented actress in her own right, but she was a wonderful director to work with—never pushing me in ways that would raise my anxiety levels off the charts, but still challenging me at every turn. She’d say things like, “I know you can do this. You’re the best. That’s why I hired you, Ali.” When she’d talk to me like that, I’d think, “I can do this.” With her support, I did.
I landed a number of other roles in my pre-Days career, including guesting on TV shows like Simon & Simon, Tales from the Darkside, and I Married Dora. Tales from the Darkside was such a dark show, similar to The Twilight Zone. In the episode I was in, my character would say “goodbye” to people and then they would die. A pretty creepy script. I remember my mom talking to the schoolteacher on the set about all the special effects that would be required to fulfill the writer’s vision. One scene required me to stand in the set while the crew filled the room with smoke. My mom was really concerned about me inhaling all that smoke, as was the on-set school teacher (who was also a social worker and was responsible to help protect minors). Fortunately, this particular production company was very responsible and didn’t question the teacher’s authority. A special kind of smoke was used that isn’t damaging to the lungs, and the camera angles were changed to minimize the smoke that was required. The scene was still powerful, and the show was a success.
Since joining Days, one of my most memorable guest appearances, and one that fans often ask me about, was my appearance on Friends in 2000, in which I portrayed an award-winning, diva actress on Days of Our Lives (of all soaps!).
On the set of this successful prime time series, I could see that the cast and crew were so dedicated to creating the best possible show. Similar to Days, Friends has a confident cast and crew who had created a routine that was professional yet comfortable and easygoing. The atmosphere at Friends is different than that of a first-year sitcom that’s just getting started and trying to prove itself. On the new shows, life can be hectic and even a bit chaotic as