Soap Opera Digest: How does it feel to be back in daytime after a 15-year absence?
Richard Steinmetz: It's different. I'm getting used to it again. Some days you feel good about what you're doing; some days, I'm like, 'What am I doing?' But I'm getting the hang of it. It will be good for me when I can actually see what I've done on the TV, so I can make my own personal adjustments. That's important for me. Some actors can't watch themselves on TV, but I actually can, and then I know what I need to do in terms of level and adjustment in the body and things like that.

Digest: Is the soap schedule hard to get used to again? ,
Steinmetz: Yeah, [the people at PASSIONS] work a better schedule than LOVING did. If you have a lot of scenes, they might bring you in [for] the morning, then you're gone. At LOVING, we'd go [to the set] in the morning and be there all day — and that was only a half-hour show! They shoot a lot quicker at PASSIONS, I can tell you that, which I have to get used to. It's a lot of memorization.

Digest: What differences have you noticed between taping a soap in New York as opposed to Los Angeles?
Steinmetz: I'd say the difference is typical of the towns. In L.A., things are spread out and you have a separation in everything. I don't really get to know the people on PASSIONS except for the people who I'm directly involved with. But in New York, we all knew each other because we were running into each other in the halls. We were all camped out in the same area, so we all just got to know each other better, quicker. Here, it's a little more spread out. You stick to the area that you work with.

Digest: Do you keep in touch with anyone from LOVING?
Steinmetz: Sure! Randy Mantooth [ex-Clay], Rena Sofer [ex-Rocky; ex-Lois, GENERAL HOSPITAL], we're best of friends; I went to her wedding. The group on LOVING, we're all best of friends. And [GH's current and LOVING's ex-Casting Director] Mark Teschner, we all hang out once in awhile. It's pretty cool; they're great people. Noelle Beck [ex-Trisha] just got a pilot; I was just hanging out with her.

Digest: Have you and Leigh Taylor-Young (Katherine, PASSIONS) become friends?
Steinmetz: We get along great. Her son [works for] Fox Sports Net - Patrick O'Neal. And the high-school football team that I coach will be on Fox Sports Net. She doesn't know anything about sports. He should be my son. She's great, though.

Digest: Since you came to PASSIONS as "Mystery Man," we have to ask: Are you mysterious?
Steinmetz: Some of my friends would say yes. I talk to people a lot, but don't tell people personal stuff. I think there's a lot of mystery there.