Alison Sweeney Previews Major LEGO Masters Jr. Drama, Hears Our Pitch For A LEGO-Themed Hallmark Flick
Alison Sweeney is forever building up that resume — this time, using LEGO bricks.
On Monday, Aug. 18 at 8/7c, Sweeney and fellow celebs Ravi V. Patel, Andy Richter, Jordin Sparks and Porsha Williams will lend young builders a hand in Fox's LEGO Masters Jr., hosted by Kelly Osbourne.
The four-week LEGO Masters offshoot teams LEGO enthusiasts age 9-17 with a celebrity partner to pull off amazing, themed builds judged by Brickmasters Amy Corbett and (Season 1 finalist) Boone Langston.
TVLine hopped on a Zoom with Sweeney to discuss how LEGO Masters Jr. builds major drama, her most recent Days of Our Lives encore, and what's ahead for the busy-busy actress at Hallmark Channel.
TVLINE | How far back does your personal history with LEGO-brand building bricks date?
It goes way, way back, actually. It's OG, in that my brother had a huge LEGO collection, and then I got really into it with him. When we were little, I definitely was building stuff, but back then it was very, like, "free for all." And then with my son, we were more buying the kits where you would follow instructions and actually, like, make a Star Wars ship or whatever. But either way, no matter what I thought I was capable of, I was so outmanned at this competition. I had no idea what I was getting into. [Laughs]
TVLINE | When you and I were young, they gave you a box of LEGO bricks and you just made something. For me, everything turned out to be a car, because I'd slap wheels on it at the end.
For me everything was a building. I was like, "OK, I get the concept of a building, and it will stand." That was, like, literally my skill set.
TVLINE | And your own son was more into it than your daughter...?
Yeah, yeah, my son was really into it. And by the way, I'm a little Type-A, so I was really excited that we'd follow the instructions and it turned out exactly like the picture. And then I would come back hours later and Ben had knocked it all down and made his own invention that was totally cool. I was like, "Oh no, we worked so hard!" But of course, his designs were better.
TVLINE | Tell me about your LEGO Masters Jr. partners, Ajay and Zak.
Ajay and Zak are so cute. They're brothers. They're adorable, and they are really good, really good creators. And they each had their own skill set. Again, I am so out of my league because they understood different pieces and different elements. Like, one of them was good at explosions, and one of them was good at making the pieces move, and I'm like, "I didn't know that they could do any of that. What are you talking about?" [Laughs] They were good at coming up with great ideas and then they'd be like, "OK, you'll do this part, and I'll do that part...," and I was sort of just the runner bringing them pieces.
TVLINE | I was going to ask, is the celebrity guest stuck doing a lot of the grunt work? "Alison, we need 200 green 2x8s made into a wall, pronto!"
Yes, that was exactly my job. And there's definitely a learning curve because I started out, "What do you mean a 2x8?" And then I was like, "Oh, OK. I understand what 2x8 is, but with the slant on it or not? The corner piece or the whatever?" There are a lot more options for LEGO bricks than when I was a kid.
TVLINE | I interviewed Brickmaster Amy once and learned some of the lingo. Like, did you learn what SNOT means?
Oh yeah, yes. It has been a little while since we filmed, so I have now also forgotten the terminology that I did learn, but it was really cool to meet Amy and [fellow judge] Boone [Langston].
TVLINE | Did you go into this experience with a sensible manicure, knowing what you were in for?
Actually, I did have my nails because you can pick [the bricks] apart. It does serve a purpose and I actually was useful because I could get in there with my fingernail and break 'em up.
TVLINE | There are five LEGO Masters Jr. teams. As things get underway, is there a sufficient amount of soapy drama going on?
Well, with the kids it's a different kind of drama, right? First of all, they've all worked really hard to get there. They've done competitions, they knew what they were getting into. But it's so much bigger than what they had expected, I think, and they all wanted it so bad that the stakes are so high for these kids. So the emotion just comes from how much they want it. Also, they probably — I didn't, like, sit down and ask them these questions — came into it knowing they're pretty good, and then they look around and saw that the other teams were really good, too. I think that was a bit of an awakening for them to recognize that they need to deliver their best stuff every time because everyone else was really solid.
So, there was definitely drama, and then the time crunch always gets you, right? And there were some conflicting concepts of what they want. And because Ajay and Zak are brothers, there's a sibling familiarity they have where it sounded like they were having a real fight, and then it's over, and I'm like, "Wait, are we not fighting anymore...? It's over? Oh, OK! I'll catch up with you." [Laughs]
TVLINE | Has there ever been a Hallmark Christmas movie set around a LEGO building competition?
[Laughs] You know, I have never heard of one, but that is a great idea.
TVLINE | I'm thinking: high-powered executive returns to her hometown for, you know, a LEGO competition — everyone has to recreate the beloved town library that's in jeopardy of being torn down — and she reunites with an old flame....
I can see it, It's happening right now. It's meant to be....
TVLINE | The title is right there, and I'll take a producer credit for this: They Clicked at Christmas.
That's really good! You're very good at this. That is clever. I love it.
TVLINE | What is next for you over at Hallmark? What are we up to, the 13th or 14th Hannah Swensen movie?
Has it been 13? Oh my gosh, yes. I stopped counting. But, yeah, we've done a bunch, and we're working on some stuff for 2026 which I'm really excited about. I have a lot of fun playing that character, and she's got more crimes to solve. It's amazing how many people get murdered in that town!
TVLINE | I haven't seen it, but I heard you did some really great work on Days of Our Lives when Sami came back to mourn John (the late Drake Hogestyn).
Yeah, yeah, it was actually on [Aug. 4], and I have a few more episodes in this return, and another return coming up in a couple of months. It's always fun to go back to that show. I love playing Sami. I love my family there — the cast and crew — so it is like going home.
TVLINE | Isn't Sami's son Johnny on trial for shooting EJ? It seems like she would or should stick around for the outcome of that.
I said I would just cause problems if I got involved in that. I would make it worse. And everyone agreed. [Laughs] I would just stir up more trouble!
TVLINE | What's left on your bucket list, Alison?
Oh my gosh..... I have a new project I'm working on — I don't know if we've announced it yet — but there are some fun development ideas I've taken to Hallmark recently that are different stories, other characters I wanted to play this year. I got to go to Spain and do two movies there where Ashley Williams and I got to work together as co-leads. That was so fun and fresh to do something like that and kind of break the pattern and do something different. And to shoot in in Barcelona was spectacular. I'm still working on challenging myself in that way and finding other ways to tell stories.