News Round-up

The "Hunks of Daytime" speak out on their hunkiness
Christian LeBlanc, Greg Vaughn, Brandon Beemer and Jacob Young will meet fans and sign autographs at the "Hunks of Daytime TV" event in Silver Springs, Florida, this Saturday.

Young: "You know, it comes with the job, I guess It, um … I’ve heard that word used many times since my years of being in daytime television, and I guess we do create a fantasy, sort of a way for people to escape, for women to escape. So, I guess hunk is all right."

Vaughan: "Christian, I can see him being the hunk. And you said 50? Whatever his trick is, we’re going to have to bottle that up and sell it for Valentine’s Day."

LeBlanc: "My brother is a big celebrity trainer in New Orleans. Please, high-def [TV] will send us all to the gym sooner or later. Honestly, I’m from New Orleans, and I am perfectly capable of unhinging my lower jaw and eating my body weight. Any time. And I do. Quite often. But if your paycheck’s at the end of this, I’d go to the gym now."

Beemer: "I can handle it. It’s very flattering. Sometimes you’ve got to just go with it."

Former GL star Hayden involved in car crash
Nathalie Jayne Baldwin, 24, who attends the Beverly Hills Playhouse, a prestigious LA acting school, was involved in a three-car collision on Beverly Boulevard/Crescent Heights in the early hours of Saturday February 7. Eye witnesses at the scene said former GUIDING LIGHT Emmy winner Melissa Hayden (ex-Bridget) was in another car involved in the incident. Hayden also won Soap Opera Digest and Young Artist Awards during her GL run.

Paul Anthony Stewart to star in Cleveland Play House's "Crime and Punishment"
Emmy nominee Paul Anthony Stewart (ex-Danny, GUIDING LIGHT) will join Patrick Husted and Lethia Nall for the Cleveland Play House production of "Crime and Punishment," which is set to begin performances Feb. 27.

SAG to meet with AMPTP next week
In marked contrast with the ousted Doug Allen, the new toppers at the Screen Actors Guild have opted for a decidedly low-key approach to the upcoming feature-primetime contract talks with the congloms.

CBS soap stars on GHOST WHISPERER
TV Guide is reporting that THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS's Thad Luckinbill (J.T) and Amelia Heinle (Victoria) and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL's Lesli Kay (Felicia) will play — what else? — soap actors on HOPE'S EDGE, a fictional soap that's taping scenes in Melinda's (Jennifer Love Hewitt) antiques store on GHOST WHISPERER. Of course a ghost of a late HOPE'S actor is an integral part of the story. The episode is slated to air May 1.

Christian LeBlanc on "smart" Braeden
“He’s incredibly smart,” LeBlanc said of co-star Eric Braeden. “Every now and then, you don’t think it’s coming, and it just — whoosh — creeps out. I’ve had him sing the opera part to ‘Kill da Wabbit’ with me. The Wagner part. You’d never think in a million years the man would do that. And I make him sing Beethoven’s ‘Fifth’ before scenes. He will stand up, sway and do it. It doesn’t happen often. That’s why I appreciate it.”

Y&R in Top 10 of time spent online rankings
When ranked by time spent per viewer in December, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS was #9 with 115.6 minutes spent per viewer (323,000 unique viewers).