Sean Kanan is in Jennifer Finnigan's dressing room, running lines for a scene they'll tape later that day as THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's most recent newlyweds Deacon and Bridget. Par for the course, deceptive Deacon is putting on an impressive act, pretending to be the attentive husband - though he's secretly sleeping with his young bride's sexy mom.

It's obvious that Kanan, who previously appeared as A.J. on GENERAL HOSPITAL and Jude on SUNSET BEACH, is very comfortable at B&B, which he joined in October 2000. On any given day, he's likely to be spotted lunching with his fellow castmates or joking with the crew. The female members of the production staff are particularly enamored of the charismatic actor, partly because he enjoys mercilessly teasing them. "I've always been comfortable with women," voices the actor. "When I was a kid, and I got into trouble, I would do impersonations to make my mom laugh. To this day, I love to kid around. I have a serious side, too. It depends on when you catch me."

When Kanan read for his role with Adrienne Frantz (Amber) two years ago, executive producer and headwriter Bradley Bell immediately realized he had found Deacon. "We went from the reading to the contract," recounts Kanan. "I thought it was a nice vote of confidence."

Though Kanan developed a strong fan base at GH, he never had the chance to participate in a frontburner storyline. "When I was on GH, I was very much a utility player," he describes. "At GH, I was told that A.J. was an a------... and that's all he would ever be. But no actor can play that. If the writing dictates it, fine. But every actor wants to fight for his character's wants, needs and aspirations."

Ironically, in terms of background, Kanan has more in common with pampered A.J. than Deacon, who from all indications, survived a horrendous childhood. "That aspect couldn't be further from the truth for me," Kanan points out. I went to an East Coast boarding school. I have a degree in political science. But there's also an aspect of me that's a little rough and tumble, too. I had a relatively privileged upbringing, but I managed to find a fair amount of trouble growing up. So, I can relate to some of the stuff that Deacon is about. You bring a lot of who you are to the part."

When Kanan was replaced by Billy Warlock on GH in 1997, the tabloids sensationalized the actor's personal struggles (Kanan, a straight shooter, later candidly shared with the soap press that difficulties with drinking led him to seek recovery). It continues today, with Kanan being romantically linked with various actresses. "For a guy who's not a major film star, I seem to garner more press than my fair share, both good and bad, " he acknowledges. "I don't know wy that is. I've certainly done some things, and made some mistakes, that put myself out there in a highly visible way. I've also done some things that have been very positive careerwise. I've been doing this for 15 years. I care if someone writes something derogatory, because my family or employer may see it. But ultimately, people who know me don't take it seriously. They know the good parts, and the not-so-good parts, about me. I guess I should worry when they stop writing about me.

Meanwhile, Kanan is looking forward to seeing more of Deacon's dark side. "We have a new character coming on who's going to bring Deacon back to his roots of being a rough and tumble guy," previews Kanan. "Deacon is a guy from the streets; he has a killer instinct. It may have been smoothed out by Bridget and some of the trappings of the Forrester lifestyle. But when push comes to shove, this guy is not cut from the same cloth as the Forresters. He's a mercenary who will do whatever he has to do to win. It's a similarity he shares with Brooke. In the midst of that, he's learned refinement and about being a better human being. But leopards don't change their spots that easily."