ANOTHER WORLD'S GRAYSON MCCOUCH (EX-MORGAN)

In 1996, after three years as AW's dishiest doctor, Grayson McCouch decided it was time to hang up his stethoscope. "I knew I was ready to move on," he recalls. And though he felt he was making a sound decision he was also a little scared about leaving the security of soaps. As it turned out, though, there was no reason to be nervous. Shortly after leaving the East Coast and arriving in L.A. McCouch landed a part in the 1997 TV movie "Sins of the Mind." He followed that with a supporting role as an ill-fated astronaut, Gruber, in the 1998 sci-fi flick "Armageddon."

Now McCouch is back on a series, starring as Sean Logan on the first year UPN drama LEGACY, which centers around a post-Civil War Kentucky family. McCouch describes the lavishly produced show as "a feast for the eyes and ears." And, he says with a laugh, "I'm having a blast. The opportunities to ride horses and were suspenders are few and far between."

Eldest son Sean has emerged as the program's leading heartthrob. In just one season, he's broken off with his fiancée and had a ver close encounter with a mysterious woman travelling through town. Now he's involved in a secret, interracial romance with Marita - played by GUIDING LIGHT's moonlighting Sharon Leal (Dahlia) - who has grown up on the Logan farm. "The nicest thing about the relationship is that its foundation is a lifelong friendship," McCouch says. "I think Sean and Marita are soulmates."

McCouch won't say how far the relationship will go, but he does allow that "the final six episodes we're shooting should have more electricity than the ones before. The romances will be intensified, and a new character is coming on the show - someone who will have a major effect on the Logan family."

The only downside to McCouch's new job? The jury is still out as to whether LEGACY will be renewed for a second season. The show's avid fans are hopeful. But in any event, it's unlikely that McCouch will ride off into the showbiz sunset anytime soon.

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