At 47, 'Days Of Our Lives' Star Alison Sweeney Is Married To A Cop & Has 2 Beautiful Kids With Him

Apr 07, 2023

Alison Sweeney has made a mark for her portrayal of an iconic character in the NBC soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” While she may be best remembered for her onscreen performance on one of the longest-running series in the world, she has also done several other film and television projects that were well-received by the public. But over the last two decades, she juggled between her career and becoming a wife and a mother. While she went on to pursue her passion for acting, she made sure to put her family first.

Born on Sept. 19, 1976, Alison Ann Sweeney is an American actress who has also pursued other endeavors outside her craft as an actress, including becoming a reality show host, director, and author.

Sweeney made her onscreen debut at the age of five. But it wasn’t a film or television role – it was an advertisement for a photography company. But it wasn’t long before she would finally take on an acting role as she appeared in an episode of “Tales from the Darkside a few years later.

She went on to appear in other television series, including “Family Man” and “Brand New Life.” But it wasn’t until she reached the age of 16 that she made her big break via the “Days of Our Lives” – a show that she was a big fan of. For her role as Samantha “Sami” Brady on the show, she earned Daytime Emmy Award nomination, four Soap Opera Digest Awards, and a Fan Voted Daytime Emmy Award.  

Outside her career, she is also a devoted wife and mom. In 2019, Sweeney opened up about her relationship with her husband, David Sanov, whom she has known her whole life because of their parents, who are friends.  

While she admitted that it wasn’t love at first sight, Sweeney told Access Live that she "totally had a crush on him” growing up. Then again, it was only years later that they developed feelings for each other. When she found out that he had become a police officer, she told her mom right away that she wanted him.

"When I found out he became a cop, I was like, I have to see him. Mom, you have to make this happen for me. Then I did run into him," she said of Sanov. 

She admitted in a 2013 interview that she has always been of men in uniform. "I am a fan of a man in uniform!" she said. They got married in 2000. 

While she made sporadic appearances on the “Days of Our Lives,” she never really left the show. But in 2014, she announced on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she would be leaving “Days of Our Lives” after being on air for more than two decades.

Sweeney explained her decision to leave the show, saying it was mainly to focus on her family, which includes her two kids.

"I just have, you know, worked so much and my daughter (Megan) just turned 5 and my son (Benjamin) is 9 and I just want to be with them and enjoy my last year. I'm going to be on ‘Days’ all this year," she said.

Over the last two decades, she has also appeared in several other shows, including “Fear Factor” and “Friends.” She also tried doing hosting duties with “The Biggest Loser.”

While she has made other film and television projects in between, most of her notable works in recent years were made-for-television movies for Hallmark, which include “Chronicle Mysteries” and “The Wedding Veil” trilogy.

Since her contract on “Days of Our Lives” prevented her from pursuing her passion for producing and developing stories for Hallmark, she decided to leave “Days of Our Lives” once again in 2022.

"I love playing Sami but no, full-time is not the plan for me,” she said. "I produce and develop content for Hallmark, and for other streaming services, and I love getting to do my own projects; I love producing. It's really been such a joy, and such a new, fresh, fun challenge for me."

"I do feel so blessed to be able to have the best of both worlds. The opportunity to go back to 'DAYS,' it feels like going home again,” she added.

Based on her social media posts, Sweeney has been enjoying her life these days as she gets to spend time with her family while producing and acting in Hallmark projects at the same time.

In December 2022, she shared a family photo that includes her husband, her two children, and their dogs.

“Though it’s been a hectic December we are so ready for Christmas! Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend,” Sweeney wrote in her Instagram post.

Sweeney also took to Instagram in February 2023 to greet her son Ben on his 18th birthday, and even "tortured" him into taking a photo. She couldn’t believe how time flew by with her “kind and sincere" son.

“As he grew through school we discovered that he’s also smart and thoughtful. But my favorite is his fantastic sense of humor - because he likes all the same 80s comedies as I do! We can’t wait to see where he goes from here,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sweeney announced in March 2023 that she would reprise her role as Hannah Swensen for another Hallmark television film.

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