Hello everyone! I'm really happy to be here!

Q--Congratulations on your Soap Opera Digest nomination. Who are you going to the awards show with?
A--Thank you! I'll be going to the awards with my mother, my father and my sister.

Q--(I missed this question b/c I got kicked out for a minute, but I think I can surmise it had something to do with the new writer vs. Reilly and where the storyline is now headed)
 A--I really enjoyed Jim Reilly's writing, but I'm glad to see Bo and Hope working at getting back together, and I'm looking forward to more adventure for them soon.

Q--What is your favorite Days moment from the last 15 years, give or take?
A--Oh, there are so many! Well, I really loved the New Orleans storyline, and I liked the one with John in the jungle, and the present storyline. I had fun this summer with that one. I'm getting to explore new areas with the character and that's fun.

Q--What were your goals growing up? Did you always want to be an actress?

A--No, I'd never even thought about it. It just happened by accident, but once I got a taste of it, I was curious. That doesn't mean it's never hard work, though!

Q--Besides Peter who do you (have you) most enjoyed working with?
A--I have been blessed. The cast is great. You can always have a good time and a good laugh with anyone on the show. Tanya Boyd, Joe Mascolo, Frances Reid, Drake, Krista Allen, Millicent Martin. . . I could go on and on. I love working with everyone, and working with different people all the time keeps things interesting.

Q--Who's your best friend on the set?
A--It's like a family because we spend so much time together.

Q--What advice would you give to an aspiring actress trying to follow her dreams?
A--Always follow your dreams and believe in yourself, but know that it won't happen unless you make it happen. Also, nothing is out of your reach.

Q--Do you ever go online and if you do, do you ever go to the Days of Our Lives chatroom?
A--I don't. I'm embarassed to say that I'm completely computer illiterate.

Q--Which character do you prefer playing, Hope or Gina?
A--Hope is the one character that I have held close to my heart. Gina is one new to me, I am just discovering who she is, which makes it confusing for me. As for the other Gina with red hair, I don't know who SHE is.

Q--Are you glad you signed back with DOOL after being gone so long? Like being with friends you haven't seen in forever?
A--Yes, it is always like coming home. It is a very safe environment. It is one of the best characters I have ever played. Hope is a very versatile character.

Q--Kristian, do you think Bo and Hope's love is understood by the people who write for your character?
A--(long pause--had to mention that!) I think so. A script I just read is very sweet, touching and a moment that everyone has been waiting for, for a long time, including me and Peter.

Q--Kristian, if you could bring back a character from Days' past, who would you bring?
A--Tony DiMera

Q--Are you in any other projects?
A--Not at the present time

Q--Do you still ice skate?
A--I love it. I was just watching it on TV, which brought back a lot of memories. But, I don't skate anymore, only with my son.

Q--What is a typical day on the set like?
A--There is no typical day. There are no two alike. First, makeup, wardrobe, hair, dry block and then taping. If you aren't first, then you are rehearsing with other actors.

Q--Did you watch Days before you started acting on the show?
A--I didn't. I'm sorry to admit.

Q--Who was your favorite actor or actress when you were growing up?
A--Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro...still is. Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon

Q--What are some of your most funniest times working with Deidre and Drake?
A--Remembering our lines!

Q--Do you pick the clothes you wear on the set or does someone tell you what to wear?
A--Richard Bloore is the designer, he is responsible for what everybody wears. He goes out and does the shopping and gets stuff that you feel comfortable in and is right for the scene.

Q--What did you do during the time you took off from Days a few years ago?
A--I was doing Melrose Place, Falcon Crest, I did a couple movies and I gave birth to my son. I was pretty busy!

Q--Who's the practical joker on the set? Who is the best kisser?
A--I have only kissed one man on the set, that is Bo, so I would have to say Peter. I think we all add to the joking a little, there isn't a day when we don't share a good laugh. Sometimes they have to move on because we can't pull ourselves together.

Q--Have you ever done any work in the theater? What type of training have you received? What are your future acting goals?
A--No, I haven't done theater. I have studied with a coach, who I still study with at times. My goals . . . as long as it is a good project, it doesn't matter to me if it is TV or film. I would have to enjoy and get something out of it. If I didn't I would be cheating myself and the audience.

Q--Did you have fun with the Princess Gina wardrobe--that crown had to be heavy?
A--That crown was very heavy. I was also wearing hairpieces. I got great enjoyment with the wardrobe, the hair. What girl doesn't have the dream to be a princess? Rod Ortega, the hairstylist did a great job as did Bloore. There were two crowns that were very heavy. If I bent down to pick up my script, I felt like it would fall off. I am not too dainty. I was tripping over cables and wires and the crew was always saying, "Uh-oh, look out! Here comes the princess!"

Q--Do you think you'll be involved in the new soap, "Passions"?
A--No, I'm very happy right where I am. Another rumor put to rest!

Q--Kristian, what is the next big secret on Days?
A--I wish I knew! We want to know what's going to happen as much as you do. We want to know what there is to look forward to. It also keeps it interesting for ourselves. If we could only look into a crystal ball.

Q--Kristian, do the writers know the conclusion of a storyline or do they work on it as they go?
A--I think they know what the conclusion will be, but it could always change or they will take it in another direction. It is how they wrap it up, how it will be resolved. Stories don't always go the way you have been told for many reasons. There are always many twists and turns that do occur.

Q--How many hours a day do you work?
A--It is different all the time. I could work 4-5 hours a day or 15-16 hours a day. Just because my work at the studio is done, I am sitting in front of five scripts right now. My son has homework. I have homework.

Q--What do you think when they show old clips of you?
A--Sometimes I die a thousand deaths, also many great memories. Also, I was heavier, the clothes and the hair, the styles were so much different.

Q--How did you get the role of Hope on Days?
A--I was out in LA during pilot season, while NBC had me under contract. I was scared to death. I was underage. I flew back to New York after trying out. I got a call to screen test for the part. I thought I would never get the part because the actors were so good.

The amount of work in daytime is so much. I don't think a lot of people are aware of how much work goes into it. We are doing in one day what primetime does in 6-7 days. Tomorrow we are doing two shows. It tends to make us a little nutty at the end of the year.

Q--Who first told you that you were nominated for the Soap Opera Award?
A--Michael Feeney our press God on Days.

Thanks everybody! Have a great night! Oh, and don't forget to vote--the ballots are on the stands now!

Happy Holidays!

Thanks to Gina Gurus for this chat.

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