On General Hospital you were AJ, a rich, confused, vulnerable guy but you're not that type on B&B. Having fun?
There's absolutely no doubt about it. I really loved everyone I worked with on General Hospital but I never really had the opportunity to have a front-burner storyline like I do on The Bold and the Beautiful. It makes all the difference. Plus, Deacon is a more fun character to play.

How open were you to the physical changes in playing this character?
I was very open to it. I dyed my hair. I lost some weight. I sheared the sideburns and the goatee. I put the earrings in... you know, the tattoo. It's been a lot of fun.

You were very involved in your own projects (feature films) for a while, then you worked on Sunset Beach for a few months before it was cancelled. Was returning to a soap difficult?
It was and it wasn't. I was literally getting on a plane going to do a feature in New York; it was a second lead in a really nice romantic comedy. My manager said: "Why don't you go meet with Brad Bell?". I did go meet with him and I was very impressed with Brad. He's not only a real gentleman but he's a very impressive guy too. Once I met with him, I didn't have to screen test and they were going to offer me the part and it was too good to pass up.

You got married not too long ago, how has that changed your professional perspective?
It really hasn't. I wouldn't say it has at all.

How is married life treating you?
I really try to never talk about that. It's just sort of a personal agreement she and I have.

OK, the next question was going to be, have you got any plans to start a family but I won't ask...
We're practising. (smiles)

How would you describe your life today?
Professionally, for the most part, my life is very fulfilling yet still with an eye to doing more. I'm just starting to come into a period in my life where I'm really being afforded the opportunity to do some of the things that I always wanted to do. Specifically, my partner and I just finished our first feature film which we just screened at Sony. It's called March. We have a website up. It's marchthe movie.com. Rena Sofer is in it and Michelle Phillips and Cynda Williams and myself.

About how long did it take to film?
We shot it in about a month. But we're still in the process of selling it. My partner's name is Jessica Hammerschlag and she is executive producing a feature for Lion's Gate (Films), that I wrote. So this is the first time in my life that I've been able to spread my wings and do things on a much larger scale.

Does it feel good?
It feels great!

Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I would say it would be my hope that in about five years, I'm producing movies in the five-to-ten million-dollar range. Hopefully, somewhat important movies that are commercially viable but also have a thought provoking qualitative air to them. I definitely want to continue acting, hopefully I'll be directing by then.

So you definitely want to do it all...
Yeah. It's so hard. Even as an actor, being on a soap like I am. The reality is that I'm more successful than about 98 percent of all the actors out there and it's still often a lot of down time between jobs and it's still occasionally a struggle overall. I like to try to do a little of everything because one thing might not be quite as hot as another. The writing might be clicking or the producing, then the acting might be coming back.