He brings new meaning to the term bad boy in his role of Deacon Sharp on The Bold and The Beautiful and Sean Kanan is revelling in it.

The 34-year-old has injected a breath of fresh, albeit bad, air into the hit soap, with a killer storyline involving Amber and Rick (Adrienne Frantz and Justin Torkildsen).

Perhaps the reason he plays Deacon so convincingly is because there's a little bit of dastardly Deacon in Sean himself.

"Occasionally I shave with a straight razor," he says. "There's something exciting about a sharp piece of steel at your throat." Phew!

But acting isn't the only thing Sean has turned his professional hand to.

Sean has also written and co-produced a number of short films, and his latest offering, entitled March, is earning rave reviews.

Currently the actor is working on another short film Chasing Holden in Montreal, Canada.

Says Sean: "(Making the movie) was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. As a writer, it was almost surreal to see words that were once only ink on a page, come to life."

But life hasn't always been smooth sailing for Sean.

After leaving General Hospital in 1997, the actor suffered a dry spell work-wise until last year when B&B head writer and show producer Bradley Bell cast him as bad boy Deacon.

He says: "I know it sounds corny but when I look up at the Hollywood sign, there's no better feeling. When you're a working actor, it seems to smile back at you."

THE FACTS

• Sean was born in Cleveland, Ohio on November 2, 1966.
• His first major role was a part in Karate Kid 3.
• He was nominated in 1994 for Best Newcomer on Daytime television for his role as AJ Quartermaine on General Hospital.
• He practices martial arts and loves writing poetry.
• His nickname is Hollywood.
• He is passionate about the theatre and has starred in a number of plays.