Chris Heuisler (Cole)
Raised in the Philadelphia area, Chris Heuisler visited L.A after graduating from Penn State University — and ended up spending the next five years working there. He moved back East less than a year ago and started getting even more auditions than before.

Digest: You were in the movie Gracie; Jesse Soffer [Will] is in that too.
Heuisler: I saw him at the table read and we met, but I wasn't working with him. But when I saw him at the set on my first day at AS THE WORLD TURNS, he was like, "How do I recognize you?"

Digest: Karl Girolamo, who is also on the show [as Kevin], is in it, too.
Heuisler: That's what I heard. And actually, John-Paul Lavoisier [Rex, ONE LIFE TO LIVE] is a good friend of mine, because we did a film last summer. We're the two leads, and it's coming out in 2008. It's called Placebo.

Digest: When you found out about ATWT, did you call him for tips?
Heuisler: I did. I called him and my other good friend, Kimberly McCullough [Robin, GENERAL HOSPITAL]. I did a film with her four years ago where I played the lead and she played the girl I fall in love with. So I was getting some tips from people I respect in the business.

Digest: How did the job come about?
Heuisler: Back in September, I auditioned for the part of Adam Munson and that didn't work out, but Chris [Goutman, executive producer] and Mary Clay [Boland, casting director] said to my agent, "We really like him and would like to get him on the show at some point." I can't tell you how many times I've heard that, so I kind of didn't believe it. In L.A., I guess I got a little jaded. But they stuck by their word and this part came up.

Digest: What do you think of Cole?
Heuisler: I struggled the first few episodes because Cole, quite simply, is not a good guy. So I struggled with some of the stuff he was saying and how he was talking to Sofie. I finally called my agent and they talked me into just embracing the fact that he's this bad guy: "He's not nice, so have fun with it." That's kind of what I'm doing now. It's more fun to be not just the typical bad guy, though, to try to give him some depth and insecurities.

Digest: I think his scenes with Iris have softened him up a little.
Heuisler: That's what a lot of people have said. And Terri's [Garber] great to work with. We had a lot of fun together. But the writers are giving him more levels, which makes it more fun to play.

Digest: If he starts hitting Sofie, then you're in trouble.
Heuisler: I know! Let's hope it doesn't go that route. When I came to New York, I did an off-Broadway show, where I played an abusive boyfriend. When I was in L.A., I was the boy next door and I come to the East Coast and they say, "There's something going on. We don't trust you!" But I love it, it's so much more fun to play against what I've been used to playing.

Digest: What's it like working with Jen Landon [Gwen] who plays your sister?
Heuisler: She is phenomenal. She's very deserving of that Daytime Emmy Award, I guess two years in a row now? She's so natural on the screen and she makes it easy on other actors because she's so prepared and she kind of forces you to step up your game, as well. She also has a really good energy about her everyday. She's very nice and normal. It's been such a good experience so far. The cast doesn't make it seem like you don't belong; it's just the opposite, it's like, "Welcome to our world." And there you go. It's nice to get paid to do what you love, but it's a job and you need to be professional about it and that's that.

(Look for more on Heuisler in an upcoming issue.)