Michael Easton

This soulful, dark-haired, boyish player segued from teen sensation in a daytime soap to primetime lead in two suspense series. Appealingly sleepy-eyed with a Keanu Reeves-like style of delivery, Michael Easton has the looks of a lost Baldwin brother.

Born in California to visiting Irish parents, Easton was educated at Irish and English prep schools before returning to the US for college. After studying English at UCLA and theater at NYU, he made his first feature film appearances, supporting roles in Wings Hauser's latter-day Cold War thriller "Coldfire" (1990) and "The Art of Dying" and "The Killing Zone" (both 1991). Easton also did theater work in New York, supporting himself with the usual starving actor jobs (waiting tables, tending bar) as well as an unusual one: "agitating" attacks dogs to help train them.

Easton's sultry good looks earned him the role of teen heartthrob Tanner Scofield on the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives" for two seasons in the early 1990s (he also reprised the role in a 1992 primetime episode). His newfound popularity won Easton supporting roles as a mysterious vacationer in the thriller "Shadow of a Stranger" (NBC, 1992) and a smaller role in the miniseries "Judith Krantz's 'Dazzle'" (CBS, 1995) and a guest shot on a 1994 segment of "Diagnosis Murder" (CBS).

In 1995, Easton played the goofy boy-next-door on the short-lived sci-fi series "VR.5" (Fox, 1995) concerning a revolutionary virtual reality device. He followed up with a starring role in the adventure series "Two" (syndicated, 1996-97), as a college professor framed for the murder of his loving wife by his vengeful, long-lost twin brother. A martial arts enthusiast and gymnast, Easton has performed many of his own, less life-threatening, stunts on "Two" and has also co-written several episodes.

Additionally, Easton has written several screenplays, including a biopic of actor Montgomery Clift. He wrote, directed and starred in the short "Daedalus is Dead" (1995), which has received festival screenings.