GRAYSON McCOUCH
ROLE: He plays Sean Logan on the UPN primetime series, Legacy, a family drama set in 1880's Kentucky. It airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.
DAYTIME CREDIT: ex-Morgan Winthrop, Another World (1993-1996)
BIRTHDAY: October 29
HOMETOWN: Chappaqua, NY
ALMA MATER: Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y.; Bronson Pickett (ex-Scott, AW; ex-Diego, As The World Turns) was a college classmate.
FAMILY MATTERS: Dad Donald is a retired banker; mom Rina is a musician and homemaker; and sister Hannah is a writer.
NAME OF HIS LEGACY HORSE: Ahab
NAME THE ACTOR WOULD RATHER CALL THE HORSE: Trigger. "I wasn't successful in changing his name to Trigger, but I managed to change his name to Danny Boy. Since then, the crew has laid off calling me Dale."

GRAYSON McCOUCH has traded in his Bay City stethoscope for a horse. These days, the AW grad is starring on Legacy, a critically-acclaimed UPN primetime series. The show is set in 1880's Kentucky and centers around a close-knit and rather progressive family. McCouch plays tobacco farmer Sean Logan, the eldest son who recently called off his engagement to the very wealthy and proper Vivian Winters. Instead he is attracted to an African-American woman working for the Logans named Marita, played by Guiding Light's Sharon Leal (Dahlia). McCouch's character not only feels a great sense of obligation toward the family's horse ranching business, but also to his widower father Ned, played by Brett Cullen (Ally McBeal's late law professor lover; ex-Dan Fixx, Falcon Crest). The beautifully-filmed program (think of a Hallmark Hall of Fame special) celebrates a simple, honest approach to life, yet tackles complex subjects that face families today, including drugs, equal rights, politics and racism.

Despite the leg up that Legacy is giving him, McCouch looks back fondly to his Bay City days. After leaving AW in 1996, the actor quickly landed a guest starring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 as hooded sweatshirt-clad, basement dwelling co-ed Larry Lincoln in an episode entitled, "The Phantom of C.U." His film debut came next in one of 1998's most eagerly-awaited summer movies, Armageddon. McCouch played Gruber, an astronaut/nuclear explosives expert who helped Bruce Willis's character Harry divert an asteroid the size of Texas from hitting Earth.

Soon after wrapping that flick, McCouch moved to Virginia where Legacy is filmed and saddled up for the primetime show. "Legacy is uplifting," smiles McCouch. "There is very little that is negative about our show. It's a nice thing to tune into." Apparently, viewers agree. The show was recently renewed for the rest of the season.

AMAZING GRAYSON

DIGEST ONLINE: You said in an interview that with Legacy, you are now more fulfilled than you've ever been in your career. Can you elaborate on that?
McCOUCH: This show fits where I am at this period of my life so well. I was a big horseman as a kid and a big lover of that time period of American history. Legacy brought together so many facets that appeal to me. It's such a pleasure that it doesn't feel like work. Yet it is, and we work awfully hard. These special jobs are few and far between.

DIGEST ONLINE: Even though the show is set in the 1880's, the issues the characters face have a lot of resonance to issues facing families today.
McCOUCH: Hopefully, we're dealing with issues that are timeless and moments that are universal. The nuances and subtleties to our show really intrigue and capture without hitting the audience over the head. Our show maintains an integrity moment to moment that I think will capture an audience that will keep coming back every week.

DIGEST ONLINE: I hope Sean and Marita grow closer. Since Marita is African-American and the show takes place in the 19th century, Sean's attraction to her might be a touchy issue for a lot of people, a pairing that might be hard to accept by some even in today's world. Will their relationship be further explored?
McCOUCH: Yes. And UPN is [going] in this new direction of more heightened drama for the latter episodes. There are some episodes to be aired that will please the audience if they want to see more of Sean and Marita. The interracial storyline is a great one, particularly in the context of its time. It's love against all odds, which is always dramatic to watch. The nice thing about their relationship is that it is rooted in perfect friendship. For lack of a better word, they're soulmates, first and foremost, and that's hard to get rid of.

McCouch with Legacy love interest Sharon Leal

DIGEST ONLINE: Sharon Leal is still appearing on Guiding Light. Will she continue to divide her time between the soap and Legacy?
McCOUCH: I think that she's all ours now. They tapered off on her storyline [on the soap] with the knowledge that she'll be spending more time down here in Richmond [Virginia] when her contract is complete. So she's down here almost permanently now. We have a chance to keep her. There hasn't been a scheduling problem so far.

DIGEST ONLINE: Sean seems a bit trapped in his life. He's following in his father's footsteps, somewhat bound to home, but at least he got out of a bad engagement. What's your take on your character?
McCOUCH: Trapped is a good observation. I think Sean is on the threshold of manhood. He's supposed to be about 26, 27. Following a father's footsteps is less than satisfying when you're trying to be a self-made man, and I think every male comes to that point in their lives. That's where Sean is. He sticks to a personal truth and ambitions that keep him unwilling to settle.

DIGEST ONLINE: Why is there no mother character?
McCOUCH: I think whenever there is a parent missing, it leads to dysfunction. Dysfunction leads to good viewing. But the mother's spirit is present throughout the show. It makes all the characters shift in their social roles; for example, if my mother was present, I perhaps wouldn't be as close a compatriot to my father as I am. In many ways, I fill her shoes in my friendship with my father, being his first mate. It gives everybody in the family a bit more responsibility, which is nice to see. But it also leaves room for the father to fall into romance as well, which I think we'll see more of.

DIGEST ONLINE: Legacy's head writer Chris Abbott has written for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Magnum P.I., and a slew of other primetime shows. I couldn't help but notice a lot of the leads in her shows have all been former daytime actors ... and now you, too. Just a coincidence or is she a big soap fan?
McCOUCH: I think it is a coincidence and also indicative of how many good actors stem from daytime. But I think it is a coincidence. She's an excellent writer.

DIGEST ONLINE: Not only is Legacy beautifully written, but beautifully filmed. It looks like a painting.
McCOUCH: That's due to the technical skill of our director of photography Manfred Guthe. He's responsible for the look of the show, which is kind of Hallmark Hall of Fame. It's beautiful. Having it air on UPN is a good thing, too. It's like the morning you get all green lights.

DIGEST ONLINE: An actor on a series on The WB told me that he feels The WB is more patient with his show to prove itself than the bigger networks might be. Has the UPN been patient with your program to find its audience and develop?
McCOUCH: I think that may be true. Much to their credit, it's amazing what giving a show a fighting chance can lead to. It takes time to see how a show will be best received. Often it takes thirteen episodes to realize it may be better suited on a different evening or in a different timeslot or see what kind of audience it targets or what changes need to be made to attract more viewers.

DIGEST ONLINE: You now work a long way from the Another World studio in Brooklyn. How do you like filming in Virginia?
McCOUCH: I love it. It supports a cohesiveness among the players. And also, it enhances focus, at least for me, in that I'm out of the big city with less distractions. Living down here slows me down and propels me to have little to do other than to focus on the job.

The Legacy cast

DIGEST ONLINE: I bet it makes your cast and crew more close-knit, kind of like the effect that taping out in Brooklyn has on the Another World people.
McCOUCH: Exactly. That's what I mean. It really creates family. We spend a lot of our off time together, hanging out and sharing tips on where all the good eating places are.

DIGEST ONLINE: But can you get any good bagels or pizza down there?
McCOUCH: [Laughs] We're lacking bagels and taxis but we may pull through. It's beautiful country down here. I'd gladly stay here for many years.

DIGEST ONLINE: Not long after leaving Another World, you landed your first feature film, the big budget Armageddon, starring Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck. What did you take away from your Armageddon experience?
McCOUCH: I learned how to dodge meteors. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: And to put on an astronaut suit?
McCOUCH: Yes! I learned how to put on an astronaut suit and get Bruce Willis cappuccinos. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: What did you think of Bruce?
McCOUCH: I liked him very much. He was generous and passionate about what he did. And he took care of his cast and crew very well.

DIGEST ONLINE: Ben Affleck's star was on the rise during the making of Armageddon. So how did he seem to be dealing with stardom?
McCOUCH: He was nice and down to earth. We did a lot of laughing. We went to the movies. Bruce used to bring a different car to the set every day. I have a fond memory of Bruce giving Ben and me the keys to one of his cars and Ben driving down the L.A. freeway about to kill us both. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: What kind of car were you in and how fast were you going?
McCOUCH: The car was an old Shelby. It's kind of like a Mustang. We went fast enough to tie our necks back to the seats with rap music playing, no less. I could see the headline: "Ben Affleck and Other Actor Killed in a Car Crash." [Laughs] Ben is funny and smart and a genuine guy.

DIGEST ONLINE: No, not "Other Actor." More like, "Primetime/Soap Star." ... Can you elaborate about working with the special effects?
McCOUCH: It was cool. I mean, it felt like a big Disney ride. It was like going on Space Mountain but you're getting paid to go on it... It was nice to work with such a big budget, too. It's rare to be on a $2.5 million set where the ground moves and meteors actually fly. It's a heck of a lot better than Sony Playstation! Oh, and the craft services table was the best, better than my mom's own cooking. Sorry, mom. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: Did you know your other Armageddon co-stars William Fichtner [ex-Rod/Josh Landry, As The World Turns] and Will Patton [ex-Ox Knowles, Ryan's Hope] got their starts on soaps?
McCOUCH: I did know that. It's interesting that they were two of my favorite people among the cast. They're very down to earth and very, very good actors.

DIGEST ONLINE: Thinking back, what lessons did you learn from being on daytime?
McCOUCH: The value of being prepared and being ready to deliver a good, solid performance day in and day out. I worked with a lot of good actors and that helped me. I'll use the analogy that if you play tennis with a really good player, that will in turn make you a stronger player.

DIGEST ONLINE: Do you keep in touch with anyone from your soap opera days?
McCOUCH: I should work harder at keeping in touch with people. Stephen Schnetzer [Cass] still puts up with my lack of communication, so I thank him for that. [Laughs] He's a good friend and always will be.

DIGEST ONLINE: Was it a tough time for you deciding to leave Another World?
McCOUCH: It was difficult. I guess I felt it was just time to branch out and travel down some new roads. Some of the people on the soap became such good close friends, Stephen and Linda Dano [Felicia] among them, so it was hard to say good-bye.

DIGEST ONLINE: Thinking ahead, what do you plan to do on your hiatus from Legacy?
McCOUCH: I would like to do a play or a movie or come back and work with Schnetzer. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: Maybe you could get Schnetzer a guest spot on Legacy and put him on a horse? And maybe get Linda Dano on a horse, too?
McCOUCH: [Laughs] Yeah! That would be nice. I still want Morgan to come back for a month.

DIGEST ONLINE: That would be great! Cass is in turmoil so he could use Morgan.
McCOUCH: One never knows. [Laughs]

DIGEST ONLINE: You could ride into the Bay City hospital on Ahab.
McCOUCH: [Laughs] That's a nice idea. I'll ride in on my horse into the emergency room! That's what I'm going to do.

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