ALL MY CHILDREN's Colin Egglesfield replaced Scott Kinworthy as the menacing Josh Madden last September. Since then, Egglesfield — a former medical student — has had no problem making the character his own.

Soap Opera Weekly: Did you know you were a recast when you auditioned?
Colin Egglesfield: I didn't.

Weekly: How did you find out?
Egglesfield: I was driving cross-country with my brother before I flew to New York. I talked to the producer (Julie Carruthers), and she told me I was replacing this other actor. Then she started filling me in on who Josh was, and once I got to the studio. It was a surprise, but it was a good surprise, because I like the character and I like who I've been working with.

Weekly: Did you watch any of Scott's work?
Egglesfield: I caught one episode of his before I started. I hadn't really watched ALL MY CHILDREN since I was, like, six years old. My mom used to watch it. It's ironic that this is the one soap opera she's been watching. She's, like, "When I come to New York, you have to introduce me [to Susan Lucci]!"

Weekly: What did your dad, a doctor, think about you choosing acting over medicine?
Egglesfield: At first I thought my dad might be upset that I went this route or that he didn't encourage me to go toward medicine. But he thinks it's great, because when he goes to work now, all the nurses are like, "You have to bring your son to the hospital next time he comes into town."

Weekly: Theater or sports in school?
Egglesfield: I played football. I was really, really skinny growing up. I always felt I never developed as fast at the other guys in my class. When I got to high school I was, like, 115 pounds my freshman year — a bag of bones with spiky hair. All of the hot cheerleaders were dating the junior and senior football players. I was, like, "Man, that's what I want to do!" I started lifting weights and drinking protein milkshakes and started playing football my sophomore year. At first my mom didn’t want me to play because she thought I would get killed, but I finally convinced her.