When Paul Anthony Stewart left his role as Casey on Loving four years ago, soap fans didn't know if they'd ever see him again. The actor had made a huge splash as the drug-addict-turned-romantic-hero he had played since 1992. But when his contract came up for renewal in 1995, he left Corinth with a full savings account and a pocketful of dreams

What did he do between then and this past November, when he returned to soaps as Guiding Light's mysterious mob-guy-with-a-heart-of-gold? Stewart, a Philadelphia native who studied theater at Princeton, says he spent much of time traveling across the country -- leaving the East Coast, where the now-canceled Lov was taped, and putting time in Los Angeles and New Mexico. He worked in theater and also found the time to appear in a 1997 TV movie Inheritance, and two theatrical films: 1996's Zork: Nemesis and 1997's Somewhere in the City.

As for what convinced him to dive back into the suds, "I never ruled out daytime when I left Loving," insists the actor, who was particularly intrigued by the idea of playing a gangster. "I came back because Danny is an interesting opportunity and a fun role."

Whether or not Danny will eventually win Michelle's heart remains to be seen, but in the meantime, this is one bad boy fans just can't seem to get enough of. When Stewart took the role, it was on a recurring basis, but the character soon proved so popular that the soap made him an offer he couldn't refuse. He happily signed a contract and settled back into the city he left four years ago.

GL fans can't seem to get enough of the engrossing story revolving
around Danny and Michelle (Joie Lenz).

"I am grateful for the chance to be back in New York. I love New York -- it's my home," Stewart says with a smile. "It's good to be back."