Underrated Soap Hunk of the Day: Christian LeBlanc

Actor Christian LeBlanc began playing Michael Baldwin on 'The Young and The Restless' back in 1991. Even though today Michael is the lawyer everyone calls when in trouble, back in the 1990's it was Michael needing legal advice. Sexual harassment, attempted rape, shooting. Although I am not a regular viewer, when not at work I do turn in to catch Christian from time to time.



Christian has always been known for his acting, and never fails to deliver. Even when the material does not match his skill, Christian always creates interesting moments on screen. He has earned Emmy nominations six times for his work on the show. He went on to win the Lead Actor award in 2005, 2007, and 2009. (Christian is truly an amazing actor but really... anyone having to be in a scene when Eric Braden mumbles his way through it deserve an award). It still boggles my mind with all the incredible acting talent (contract for Beth Maitland anyone?) that so much material is still thrown to the young and talentless. Nice to see Leblanc and co-star Tracey E. Bregman still get written for.



What Christian has never gotten his due for was the role of soap hunk. As you can see from these shots this 52 year old actor is one of the hottest men in daytime. The shows producers really need to have him drop the suits more. Leblanc, who also appeared on 'As The World Turns' recently joined his 'The Young and the Restless' co-star Tracey E. Bregman in the video for I Keep On Loving You by Reba McEntire. Check out Christian's website HERE:

Christian Leblanc, and actor I love.













Below: Christian with a pre-Desperate Eva Longoria.

On The Edge with Dominick Monteleone

Just over a year ago I did a small post on actor and model Dominick Monteleone. It was clear while researching Dominick for that post there was something special about him. Yes of course Dominick is hot, great face, amazing body and a killer grin. Looks were just the beginning however. Dominick also proved to be; talented, hilarious, intelligent and most of all driven.

Below: Dominick with Aaron Jaeger and Joshua Christian on the set of David DeCoteau's The Brotherhood VI: Initiation (2009)


When I posted on Dominick last March I said;

'Dominick Monteleone is an actor and model and a full time film student looking to do it all, direct, produce, write and edit'

Well, just one short year later Dominick is no longer looking. Just last week Dominick completed writing, producing, directing, acting in, and edited his first feature length film, all by the age of 21! Modeling certainly was a great way to begin to get Dominick attention, but his goals always lay in the movie business. Through hard work and working with professional whose goals and values were parallel to his, Dominick has been striving to gain respect in the entertainment business.

Below: Dominick with the great Martin Scorsese.


Dominick certainly has gained the respect of many, myself included. My respect was cemented by the intelligence of his goal. Most would say their goal is to obtain fame or success. Dominick's goal however, is to gain respect. With his work ethic and talent, it is a given to me that fame and success with follow closely behind. Success does not necessarily lead to respect, but respect generally does lead to success.

The road to respect is not an easy one. It has been fascinating to follow Dominick's journey thorough the completion of his goal. Dominick tells me 'The film definitely was a shit load of work and I'm extremely relieved that we're done shooting finally'. The amount of work is almost unimaginable with shoots lasting hours beyond what anyone should be working. Daily obstacles to overcome and a budget which did not lead to much frill. Dominick did all of his own stunts which led to more than a few injuries.

I can't tell you much about the movie yet.. but it is a horror movie and Dominick put a little bit of a log line below that can be used as a teaser.

"Police evidence of a multiple homicide is made public for safety purposes."

Dominick has certainly been 'on the edge' the past year while completing his film. On the edge of; financial issues, exhaustion, frustration and sanity. With the film now done Dominick is still on the edge but this time, of success and respect.

Below: Dominick by Brian Kaminski.





Below: One of my favorite shoots. Dominick by Gabe Torres.




Below: Great shot by Jesse Vendetta.



Last two shots of Dominick by a photographer whose work I have showcased many times before. Thomas Watkin from Southwest Photography did some of Dominick's earliest modeling shots. Be sure to check out Dominick's video on the main page of Thomas' modelmayhem page HERE:

Actors I Love: CCH Pounder

I am not sure when I first saw actress CCH Pounder on screen. It could have been walking the halls on ER as Dr. Angela Hicks. It could have been appearances on The Practice, The X Files, L.A Law or one of the many other guest shots she has nailed on various shows over the past 3 decades. I do know though that it was renting 1987's Out of Rosenheim (Bagdad Cafe) that cemented for me this was one amazing actress.



Flipping the channels the other night I caught a few minutes of CCH on Celebrity Jeopardy. She did not win, in fact she came in third. CCH often comes in third or forth in the projects she appears in. Yet, like on Jeopardy she usually leaves a more lasting and impactful impression than those in first or second. Quite the feat...

Whether it be guest shots on ER, The Shield or in last years blockbuster Avatar, CCH stands out. In fact in many instances she rises above the material. There is something special about her, I think most people see it the second they first lay eyes on her. I am not sure how to describe it, part earth mother, somewhat mystical but however you choose to put it, she is 'a part of' yet somehow ' a step above' the projects she is a part of. Pure and simple, CCH Pounder is extraordinary.

As one of the founders of 'Artists for a New South Africa', Pounder has energized awareness of post-apartheid and HIV/AIDS issues.

"I call it my little engine that could. It is a remarkable, tiny organization with a huge outreach. We use actors and artists with the biggest voices so they can use every opportunity to talk about AIDS."
CCH Pounder

CCH Pounder: An Actor I Love.

The Magic that is Joel Brooks

There are not too many actors with a resume quite like that of Joel Brooks. Beginning in the 70's on Ryan's Hope and Three's Company. Working steadily through the 80's on Mash, Dallas, Soap, Taxi, Alice, The Facts of Life and of course My Sister Sam. Sailed through the 90's in Good Grief with Michael Keaton, L.A Law, Lois & Clark, Ally McBeal, Beverly Hills 90210 and into the 2000's in Six Feet Under, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Closer, The Big Bang Theory and most recently on The Mentalist. Quite a list, well that is just the beginning those shows were some of the most familiar, but they only scratch the surface of this talented mans career. Check out Joel's IMDB page for the full list.




Below: Joel with Pam Dawber and the cast of 'My Sister Sam'




I think I first discovered the magic of Joel Brooks in about 1984 or 1985. I was 9 or 10 and remember seeing Joel as Charlotte Rae's son on an episode of 'The Facts Of Life'. I remember thinking there was something special about this guy from the second he appeared on screen. From then on, each week I looked for him in tv and movies. This was pre the Internet, and I am not sure if you all remember, but back then you used to have to closely read the tv guide and look for actors that you liked. TV guide used to list guest stars for tv shows. Joel was frequently on that list.



Below: Joel in 'Dallas' 1981.


Two Things over the past month had me thinking again about Joel. Firstly I watched and posted about 'Circuit' not to long ago. Joel had a small role in the flick. In addition I have written a bit about my admiration for the acting talent of Beth Maitland. I recently listened to a radio interview on Brandon's Buzz (great radio show btw if your a tv fan) with both Beth and Joel. Joel and Beth have begun a company called Auditions LA. Auditions LA's focus is assisting and teaching young actors on how to be successful in auditions. You can check out that interview HERE:

Below: Joel and 'Auditions' partner Beth Maitland.


Below: Joel and Loretta Swit from Mash


Joel's biography on Auditions LA says:

'Joel Brooks got his training in the New York theatre. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and with Uta Hagen and went on to work at Playwrites Horizons, New York Shakespeare Festival, and The Eugene O’Neill Theatre Festival among many other venues.'

It goes on to again list Joel's many tv appearances. What it does not say, or what I have yet to read is the acclaim this man so richly deserves. Joel to my knowledge has not won an Emmy, but hopefully that will be an oversight corrected soon. Joel is not just a character actor, Joel Brooks is one of this countries finest character actors, playing a diverse array of roles for close to 5 decades. If Wikipedia had just one face to put by Character actor, it should be that of Joel Brooks. You can learn a bit more about this great man at his official website HERE:

Joel Brooks: An Actor I Love.

Below: Joel with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal.