A Look At The Life And Career Of Krista Allen

Hollywood is filled with talented actors but not many hit the trifecta — gorgeous, talented, and funny — like Krista Allen, who's been in the entertainment industry for almost three decades, as of this writing. And while many might look back on her body of work and see, well, her body, and of course, her gorgeous face, there's much more to this talented actor.

Allen has snagged roles in both daytime TV, with parts on "Days of Our Lives" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" book-ending her IMDb page, and primetime television, appearing on the likes of "Baywatch" and "Charmed." She's appeared on the big screen, as well, including her iconic part in "Liar Liar" with Jim Carrey, and even a brief foray into horror with "The Final Destination." The actor told MaximoTV that, though she enjoyed the filming experience, she much prefers romantic comedies. In fact, making people laugh appears to be a long and recurring desire of hers. "I have always loved storytelling and characters," Allen told Call Me Adam in 2012. "When I was little, I was obsessed with 'SNL.' I would spend hours making up skits. ... I found that I could make people laugh and smile in the midst of hard times." Inspired at a young age by Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and Gilda Radner, she added, "I thought (and still think) they are amazing."

It would appear there's not much that holds this star back, and her eclectic career is proof of that. Keep reading for a closer look at the life and career of Krista Allen.

Every struggling actor is looking for their first big break. And oftentimes, those first roles can really set the tone and path of an actor's career. For Krista Allen, let's just say her first starring role was a bit ... racy. In 1994, Allen starred as Emmanuelle in a series of movies called "Emmanuelle in Space." The story follows Emmanuelle, who is chosen by some intergalactic travelers to teach them about love and sex. According to the IMDb description, she was chosen because she's "the most sensual woman in the world — and beyond." A quick Google search results in the series' genre being called erotic science fiction, but dive a little deeper, and you'll find labels like "softcore porn."

While Allen defended the gig when she played a version of herself trying to make it in Hollywood on the 2005 dramedy "Unscripted," she shed more light on her career beginnings with The Manifest-Station in 2012. "I'm always a work in progress. ... If I look at certain roles I've done, especially, early on ... some were questionable, to say the least," she admitted, adding, "There was so much of myself that I refused to own and embrace, and that put me in a really vulnerable place. So, there was some anger and frustration there. Like, 'COME ON! Someone give me a freakin' break now!' ... It was me that had to give myself a freakin' break."

Allen soon successfully navigated away from the project with a regular role on a popular soap opera.

Some might say that going from erotic science fiction to daytime soaps is a far leap for an actor, but for Krista Allen, landing a gig on "Days of Our Lives" might have been the best thing to happen to her career. The part of Billie Reed, who is the daughter of Kate Roberts and was a love interest of Bo Brady, was originated in 1992 by "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Rinna. Allen was recast in the role in 1996 and stayed on the show until 1999, when the character left for several years.

When Allen spoke to "Studio 10" about her return to soaps on "The Bold and the Beautiful" in early 2022 (more on that below), she was asked about her time on "Days." Sharing that it was an amazing experience being on the show, she noted that it was more of a training ground for the actor. "That was one of the first jobs I ever had, so I learned how to act with Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell," Allen said.

The actor also reflected to Soap Opera Digest that, because she was so new to acting at the time, she didn't have much confidence — something, she shared, that being on "Days" really helped her with. "I would say definitely it was intimidating for me but I did that 'Fake it till you make it,' thing," Allen explained, adding of her seasoned co-stars, "I admired and respected them, and they inspired me to be better."

In the mid-'90s, acting hopeful Krista Allen moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. According to her 2022 Q&A with Soap Opera Digest, she'd been there for less than six months when she nabbed a role in 1997's "Liar Liar," starring Jim Carrey. Though it was a small part, credited only as Lady in Elevator, she definitely got the attention of audiences.

In her scene, where she literally plays a lady in an elevator, Carrey's character, Fletcher, joins her, having just woken up under a truth spell his son wished upon him. He notes that she's new to the building, and she smiles and tells him how nice everyone has been. Fletcher's eyes hone in on her cleavage and replies, "Well, that's because you have big jugs. I mean, your boobs are huge." Of course, this continues until "lady" lets him have it with some sort of punch or slap off camera.

Not only did Allen's memorable part make the trailer for the film, which she was ecstatic about as she shared in a 2018 Twitter post, but she also appeared in the blooper reel, laughing over Carrey's cut one-liners. "Everything was happening so fast for me at that time," she told Soap Opera Digest, noting that she landed an engagement, "Liar, Liar," and "Days of Our Lives" all in a short amount of time. "... So it was a huge, huge thing for me, but huge in like an, 'Oh, my God, I'm an adult,' you know?"

While Krista Allen continued to grab a few more minor TV roles along with her ongoing spot as Billie in "Days of Our Lives" in the late '90s, she hit her stride early the following decade. On the big screen, Allen appeared opposite Michael Bublé in the 2001 rom-com "Totally Blonde," had a small part in George Clooney's 2002 spy flick "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," and was cast as a lesbian adult film star in the 2003 comedy "Anger Management" starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler — which even led to her first talk show interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

Meanwhile, Allen not only started appearing on more popular TV series, like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Charmed," "Friends," and "Just Shoot me," but she picked up another recurring role on "Baywatch," where the star spent two seasons as Jenna Avid between 2000 and 2001. "That was awesome. ... It was fantastic," Allen later reflected to Soap Opera Digest. "When I opened the door of my trailer door, the ocean was right there. But I will say ... they weren't really into sunscreen, which was crazy, and years later I ended up getting skin cancer on my face, on the left side of my nose." 

She ended up getting surgery to remove the cancer, which led to a reconstructive procedure. "It was scary because I thought my acting career was over and that's when I started to write a lot," Allen continued, going on to advise, "My biggest lesson from 'Baywatch Hawaii': Wear sunscreen!"

One of Krista Allen's first big movies was "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," starring Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, and George Clooney, who also happened to direct it. While this was another smaller part for Allen, she got something else out of the experience: Mr. Clooney himself. According to the New York Daily News, the pair started dating soon after she landed the role in 2002, and the relationship lasted about two years — at least the first round. Unfortunately for Allen, the initial reports of their on-and-off union didn't put her in the best light, with many publications ignoring much of her onscreen work and instead leaning into her early history with the "Emmanuelle in Space" series. For example, the Daily Mail went with this headline: "Clooney takes a ride with ex porn star."

Still, Clooney and Allen would give their romance a few more tries, reportedly first reconciling for a brief time in 2006. "Krista has always been there for him," an unnamed pal told the Daily News. "She admits she just can't get over him." While the feeling appeared to be mutual, one of the issues seemed to be that, while Allen already had a young son, Clooney reportedly wasn't interested in fatherhood or marrying before turning 50. Yet, another insider shared, "George adores Krista's son."

While these two rekindled their romance once again in 2008, the third time was obviously not the charm. Clooney moved on to date several other women before settling down with Amal Clooney (née Alamuddin), while Allen eventually tied the knot with a musician.

As previously mentioned, a lot happened personally and professionally for budding actor Krista Allen in 1996. She'd moved to Los Angeles, landed game-changing roles on "Days of our Lives" and in "Liar Liar," and eventually tied the knot with production manager and producer Justin Moritt. "It was, like, all of these blessings that were coming in for me and I was like, 'What is happening? I have a career. I'm married. I'm about to have a baby. I'm going to be a mom,'" she later told Soap Opera Digest. "There were all of these things that were going on." Not much is publicly known about how Allen met husband No. 1, though their short-lived marriage — which ended in a 1999 divorce — produced son Jake Morritt, who was born in 1997.

In 2010, Allen married British rapper Mams Taylor. By this time, she was well established in Hollywood with dozens of credits to her name, but unfortunately, this union wouldn't last as long as her first. TMZ reported that the couple separated in 2011 and divorced the following year. Interestingly enough, Allen's son works with his one-time stepdad, per Jake's Instagram bio, as the vice president of Taylor's multimedia management company Proper Loud Music.

As of this writing, Allen appears to be living the single life. She was last linked with "Castle" star Nathan Fillion in 2015, though the two have since reportedly broken up, and in 2019, she let Steve Harvey set her up on a date during a bit on his show.

As her acting career really began taking off in the early 2000s, Krista Allen ventured into entrepreneurship, designing, and selling t-shirts with cute or funny sayings on them. Her company, which started out with the name Sexbrand, eventually changed its moniker to Super EXCellent. 

During a 2005 appearance on "Last Call with Carson Daly," the titular late-night host jokingly gave Allen a hard time while debating the clarity of meaning behind some of the sayings while showing pictures of celebrities wearing his guest's t-shirts: Paris Hilton wore a green top that read, "Don't Believe the Rumors," while frenemy Nicole Richie donned a yellow one that said, "Don't Be Mad at Me When I'm Mad at You." For his part, Daly shared a pic of himself sporting a t-shirt reading, "You Were Never Sober."

"It's a really big deal," Allen, who was rocking a black tee with the phrase "Kitty Got Claws" on it, said of the company. "It started out as a hobby, and now it's a real business." Indeed, that same year, when the clothing shop Kitson was featured in Los Angeles Magazine — and called "the trendiest store on the map," where celebs go to shop and be seen — the article revealed that Allen's shirts were not only being sold in the store, but the designer and actor herself was there for a party. But don't worry if you can't make it to Kitson; Allen's Super EXCellent t-shirts can be purchased from her website under the name Krista Allen + Co.

Sometimes, when people see a beautiful and famous person, they might think that celeb has it all and is therefore immune to things like bullying or low self-esteem. Perhaps that's why Krista Allen has become a spokesperson on the importance of preventing bullying.

In 2015, Allen joined R.I.S.E. & STAND, an organization that aims to prevent, and help victims of, bullying, domestic abuse, and human trafficking. In a 2014 interview with "My Life My Power," she shared her experiences with being bullied as a child whose family moved around a lot and therefore changed schools frequently. Noting that the bullying began affecting her self-esteem, social life, and grades, the actor ended up leaving school in the 8th grade and later got her GED. "I think it definitely had an effect on me, and it had an effect on me as an adult and the way that I view people or the way that I think that people view me," she explained. As for her advice to others facing a similar situation, Allen said, "Be true to yourself and kind of have faith in yourself for who you are."

Allen also joined Cybersmile as an ambassador in 2016, which focuses specifically on all forms of online bullying and abuse. "There's not a person in the world who isn't going through something challenging," Allen stated at the time of the announcement. "... It is my hope that offering my time to this organization can help make someone's world a safer and more loving place."

While Krista Allen was busy working on "Baywatch" in 2001, rumors abounded that she was dating comedian David Spade. In fact, the two even showed up to the premiere of Spade's movie "Joe Dirt" together. According to court documents shared by TMZ in 2015, whatever their relationship status once was, the two allegedly exchanged ideas for television shows at some point, including a reality series Allen reportedly pitched, in which contestants are put on a fake talent show to perform for celebrity judges. 

Spade apparently really took to the idea, but ultimately, he allegedly wouldn't agree to going in 50-50 with her. The comic ended up producing and hosting two seasons of a series called "Fameless," which aired in 2015 and 2016, and when Allen made the connection, she filed a lawsuit against Spade — to the tune of $1 million dollars, per Court House News. In the suit, she claimed that Spade ripped off her idea and changed the name, which, TMZ reports, was originally "Frauditions."

The case was eventually dismissed in 2017, and it doesn't appear that Allen — or Spade, for that matter — have commented publicly on the topic since.

Krista Allen has long been drawn to the world of comedy. Even when her onscreen roles were centered around her looks, there was often a comedic element to her portrayal, so it was perhaps not too surprising when she wanted to try her hand at doing stand-up comedy. 

In 2016, Allen appeared on the "All Things Comedy" podcast with Kate Quigley, who introduced her as a successful actor, adding, "She's stunning and she's hilarious, and now she's doing stand-up, as well, which is so fantastic." While Allen clearly had the respect of her comedic peers, her stint as a comedian was fairly short-lived. In early 2022, the actor told Soap Opera Digest that she initially started writing jokes for others and, when it came to actually performing, she realized it not only took a lot of confidence, but that she was also one of her toughest critics. "What I found with stand-up, which is one of the greatest gifts, is I had a lot of unhealed s**t," she shared.

As far as her actual stand-up goes, Allen shared a clip of herself performing on Instagram in honor of Father's Day in 2021. "My therapist says that I have daddy issues," she told the audience. Following a dramatic pause, she finished the joke with, "Which is ridiculous. I've never even met my dad," to audience laughter in the background.

Before Krista Allen got her big break as Billie Reed on "Days of Our Lives" in 1996, she was actually on another soap opera: "The Bold and the Beautiful." That's right — Allen had a guest-spot in 1995 as bikini model Shelly, and in 2021, had the opportunity to return to the series when she replaced Hunter Tylo as Dr. Taylor Hayes. Allen realized she had big shoes to fill and that fans would be loyal to Tylo's portrayal of the character. "My biggest goal was to just keep the integrity of the character as much as I could while also bringing whatever I could ... to the role," she told "Studio 10." But, Allen added, she still wanted to have fun with it, and believed she could do both. 

Luckily, it appeared that viewers have been accepting of Allen's take on the role, except for one thing: her wig. As the star shared with Soap Opera Digest, since she had short hair when she was called to read for the part, she ordered a wig that looked like Tylo's hair on the show. Well, someone must have liked it, because Allen debuted on the series with the long-haired wig. However, some fans complained on social media. By February 2022, Allen shared in a Facebook video that she would now be going with her own short hair, sans the wig. 

"Thank you to every single one of you that complained in outrage about those wigs!" Allen wrote in the caption. "We did it!"