1993-97: A.J. Quartermaine, GENERAL HOSPITAL

"I had a lot of good times on that show," recalls Kanan. "Steve Burton [Jason] and I are very close friends, and I got to gawk at Rena Sofer [ex-Lois]. But there's a unique dynamic with being on a soap in that so many people watch and you get this recognizability almost immediately. People who have watched GH for 25, 30 years would ask me questions about its history, and I would have no idea. I had been on for almost five years, and I started to get some film and television offers. I felt I was getting nudged out of the nest and it was time to leave."

1999: Jude Cavanaugh, SUNSET BEACH

"I knew going in that this role was going to be a short-lived deal," says Kanan. "But it was a project that I took largely because I needed to re-establish my credibility in the business. It served a lot of purposes, and it acted as a transition. It was a lot of fun, but my character never really got going, and he changed dramatically. When I one day had to say, 'Jude Cavanaugh, special agent at your service!' it was one of those days where you just take your paycheck and cash it. One of the great things to come out of it was I met Sarah Buxton [ex-Annie; Morgan, B&B]."

2000-present: Deacon Sharpe, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

"I had really mixed feelings about coming back to daytime, but this is such a different experience, knowing that I am an integral part of what's going on as opposed to a character who's relegated to be set dressing," explains Kanan. "Now, I can't wait to go to work. I do scenes with Adrienne Frantz [Amber] and sometimes we can't stop laughing. Suddenly, I'm back in seventh grade. They give me a tremendous amount of latitude with script changes and improv. Deacon's a great character."