A true California girl, Alison was born into an artistic family (mom is a pro violinist). Even though she's been acting professionally since she was four, Ali manages to keep her life grounded. She's happily married to real-life California Highway Patrol officer David Sanov (who once appeared on "Days of Our Lives" as -- what else? -- a cop). Their son, Ben, was born February 25, 2005. But things haven't always been sweet for her. In her moving 2004 memoir, "All the Days of My Life (So Far)", she goes behind the scenes of her own life as a child actor and her long battle with her weight.

Young Alison guested on some of the biggest shows of the '80s ("Simon & Simon", "Webster","St. Elsewhere"). She made quite an impression as a kid-- she still hears from fans of her two appearances on "Tales from the Darkside." She joined "Days" in 1993 as Sami Brady, a role that's earned her five Soap Opera Digest awards (three as "Favorite Villain") and a Daytime Emmy as America's Favorite Villain. All the honors haven't gone to her head: Ali spoofed her "Days" work on "Friends." In 2007, she became host of reality TV slim-down battle "The Biggest Loser."