Grayson McCouch did not have much downtime after his three-year stint as ANOTHER WORLD's Morgan came to an end in 1996. First came a guest-starring role on BEVERLY HILLS, 90210, and the TV movie SINS OF THE MIND, then a plum part in last summer's blockbuster, Armageddon. "It was a great experience," recalls McCouch. "I was always getting in Bruce [Willis's] way, screwing up his close-up and stuff."

Why would an actor with such an impressive film credit return to the small screen in the UPN drama LEGACY? "I was being realistic," he admits. "I didn't have hopes that Armageddon was going to launch me right away into a huge film career. I was ready to do a prime-time show." And he's had no regrets about his decision to play Kentucky farm boy Sean Logan. "I think this particular show is of a caliber that is very cinematic," he maintains. "I don't feel it's a downward move. I'm enjoying myself immensely."

His co-stars seem to be, as well. "I love working with Grayson," raves on-screen romantic interest Sharon Leal (Marita). "He's very serious about what he does, which I appreciate. And we have great chemistry, so it makes it really nice. I couldn't pick a better love interest, I have to say."

McCouch credits the show's Richmond, VA location with keeping the cast grounded. "It brings one's focus to the table, rather than the city life," he says. "It also brings a cohesiveness to the group; we're able to work without being distracted."

While the series films far from the madding crowd, McCouch is happy to hear from fans who've followed him from AW to LEGACY. "I've gotten a lot of response via computer and all have been very sweet and very favorable to the show," says the actor, who has his own Web site at www.graysonmccouch.com. "It proved to be a great way to interact. I have a Q&A section that I respond to."

McCouch looks fondly back on his AW days as Dr. Winthrop. "I had ambitions to be the next [Sir Laurence] Olivier, and then I got the soap," he shrugs. "But I realized that I had a lot to learn in front of the camera. I loved the people, and I'm most grateful for the schooling it gave me. I'm proud of the work I did, and I'm proud of the people I've worked with. That show, in particular, maintained a strong group of actors."

Still, given the choice of playing a doctor or a rancher, McCouch says he'd rather get down in the dirt. "I've always been a fan of suspenders," he admits. "I have to say being a rancher is more appealing to me than playing a doctor. Doctors are very heady, and ranchers are more about brawn, and I guess I gravitate toward the latter."

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