There's new blood on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL... and boy, oh boy, is he bad! He is Deacon Sharpe - as in sharp as a tack, sharp-tongued and sharp as a bed of nails. Since arriving on the scene last November and unceremoniously interrupting C.J. and Amber's wedding, Deacon has turned the Forresters' world upside down and inside out. Is he out for blood, money or something far more precious - like Amber or Bridget's heart?

Navigating The Dark

Illuminating this dark and confused creature is actor Sean Kanan, known for his portrayal of A.J. Quartermaine on GENERAL HOSPITAL. Is it a coincidence that Kanan finds himself playing characters that dwell in the caverns of the human psyche? For Kanan, the ability to navigate such treacherous terrain is a hard-earned gift. "You've got to come to grips with what your own dark side is," Kanan reveals. "If you can learn to draw strength from that, it's a good thing. As I've gotten older and as I've come to terms with some of my own flaws and imperfections, which everyone has, I've fortunately become less judgmental of others."

Working Through His Frustrations

Although he got his big break with the 1989 film "The Karate Kid: Part 3," landing GH in 1993 was the promise of stability - an oxymoron in showbiz, especially for a young actor. After his 1997 departure from GH, Kanan admits, "I struggled for about a year-and-a-half. It was a real difficult period. There are times when your career flourishes and other times when it's lean."

Kanan turned his frustration with acting towards his burgeoning writing and producing careers. Earlier this spring, the film that he starred in and produced, "March," made its debut in theaters. Another film project with the working title "Chasing Holden" is currently in the works with theater distribution already in place. Despite his recent success, Kanan is not satisfied: "I still consider my career struggling because I'm not getting offered one film after another."

Here And Now

In the meantime, Kanan is quite happy being at B&B and is enjoying the challenge of playing a character who some might judge as loathsome and despicable. "However, with these emerging feelings that Deacon has for Amber, it has created a paradigm shift and he's starting to behave in a different way."

Hopefully, Deacon will not change his stripes too dramatically, because the character has added a colorful conflict to the Amber/Rick love story. In fact, we're fascinated as we watch him toying with Bridget's young, innocent heart in an attempt to make Amber jealous. So, go for it, Deacon, just as Kanan is the one shining the light and leading him on.