A year later, she realized that modeling doesn't last forever and that she wanted something else. Then fate once again took a hand. The director of one of her advertisements had sent her portfolio to a casting agent in Dublin, and Alison was advised to consider acting instead. Soon enough she was put in contact with a very good agent in London who decided to take charge of her career. So at the age of 19, intent on becoming an actress, Alison threw herself in the deep end and moved to England, where the business was. The very day she arrived in London she was sent to Pinewood Studios to audition for the new James Bond flick, A View to a Kill (1985). The Broccolis, seduced by her 'erotic froideur', chose Alison among dozens of other girls to play whip-wielding Jenny Flex, henchwoman to heavies Christopher Walken and Grace Jones. "It was my first job. I was running around in the background with short blonde hair and jodhpurs and riding gear", she laughed. Three years later, and after shooting a handful of Irish dramas, she broke in the movie industry like gangbusters when she went to audition for George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, who were in London casting the third Indiana Jones movie. Alison, then a virtual unknown, landed the fought-after role of the female lead, following the footsteps of Karen Allen and Kate Capshaw in the previous movies, and love-interest to Harrison Ford. "Harrison was just very kind, always giving me help when I needed it, never pushing, or being the Big Star. And in spite of the difference in age and experience, not at all patronizing. I never got the feeling he big-brothered me," says Alison.

After the Indiana Jones roller-coaster, which made her a star and allowed her to thumb her nose at the modeling agency who once rejected her glossies, she shot a few more movies and became spokeswoman for Colorvive, L'Oréal's swish range of hair products. In 1994, she turned her back on her burgeoning career ("I kind of disappeared") and went back to Ireland, where she married her childhood friend Gavin O'Reilly, now CEO (no less) of the Independent Newspaper Group of Ireland, whom she had been dating for two years. Alison's marriage was one of Ireland's glitziest ever celebrity weddings. More than 450 people were invited to the ceremony, including scores of top Hollywood stars who flew over for the bash at the Castlemartin Estate. Paul Newman, Richard Gere, Roger Moore, Van Morrison and Cheryl Ladd were just some of the celebs who jetted in for the huge knees-up. Together, Alison and Gavin would have two beautiful daughters, named Alanna and Lauren. In 2002, she was asked to cameo in the English comedy movie The Actors with Sir Michael Caine: "The script and part was right for a return to movies". There she regained a lust for the movie industry and realized how much she missed acting. And now that her children have grown up and are in school, leaving mom more time to breathe, Alison has decided to step in the limelight once again. She shot a colourful remake of Henry Haggard's King Solomon's Mines for the Hallmark Channel in 2004, her first meaty role in ten years and 'official' comeback, and is now committed to several shorts. In 2006, Alison put an end to her more than ten years marriage to Gavin O'Reilly, and decided to rekindle her acting career for good: "I'm going through a transition. For me, now, it's a new beginning and a new journey, and I'm going to try to embrace it and make the most of it." She adds, "Generally, if a script comes in, I read it, and if it appeals to me, it appeals to me. And it doesn't have to be anything, it doesn't have to be the main character or a huge part. It could be a nice cameo, anything that I think is good, and surrounded by good, enthusiastic people. I can now safely say that if the right role came along, I would definitely consider it."