Perhaps it was fate that brought Michael O'Leary to the halls of GUIDING LIGHT. It was certainly a lifetime ago that the actor, while working as an usher at THE PRICE IS RIGHT, was hired for a day to read with actresses auditioning for the roles of Beth and Mindy. The Year was 1983, and young O'Leary, who had paid his way through college doing commercials, was eager to take his showbiz career to the next level. Two days later, he was asked to take over from Phil MacGregor the role of golden boy, Rick Bauer -- and forever became a part of Springfield history.

"The Four Musketeers -- Mindy, Beth, Rick, Phillip -- in Central Park is still one of my favorite storylines," reflects the jovial actor who, aside from his 1991-to-1995 absence, has warmed the hearts of viewers and (as the cast clown) his colleagues alike for 18 years. "GUIDING LIGHT has been really great [to me]."

The Write Stuff

While O'Leary, who studied TV production at California State University, has for nearly 20 years made his living in front of the camera, he has taken up a behind-the-scenes hobby over the last decade: scripting plays. "I don't know if people know how much I love to write," he confesses. "What happened was, seven years ago, Larry Moss, my acting teacher out in LA, started encouraging us to write. There was no work being done in class one day, so he told us to get up and do monologues that we were writing or to just tell a story."

Since then, the actor has penned several plays, including Rain, which was produced in LA. And although his latest is not yet ready for the stage, he has found the perfect venue to fine-tune his script through The S.O.P.E. Theater Company, formerly known as the GL Actors' Workshop. "Maureen Garrett (Holly) got us involved in doing staged readings," he reports. "So I'm going to give either scenes or monologues for comment."

The Family Man

Yet by far, O'Leary's greatest creation is the family he's built with wife Joni. At the end of the day, there's nothing he looks forward to more than coming home to his girls, Katie, 6, and Caroline, 3. "They absolutely worship the ground he walks on!" declares his wife as the couple's daughters climb atop Dad's lap during the clan's Soaps In Depth photo shoot.

"When I pull into the driveway, I can see Katie and Caroline through the second floor windows, screaming, 'Daddy!' as they run down the stairs," adds O'Leary. "And I come in, and as they engulf me and kiss me, I see my wife -- who has worked her you-know-what off all day -- like, 'Fine! They hate me!' I just come waltzing in after my breeze day at work, and they adore me."

So with a successful career, a creatively fulfilling hobby and a blessed home life, is there anything that O'Leary still wants to conquer? "Well," he laughs, "my dad's been trying to get me to be a weatherman for years." #

SIDEBAR: To All The Girls He's Loved Before
Michael O'Leary shares his thoughts on the women in Rick's life

Although Rick Bauer may be a perpetual loser in love, Michael O'Leary has had the incredible luck of sharing the screen with a multitude of beautiful and talented ladies during his tenure as Springfield's qood doc. Here, the actor shares some of the lasting impressions left by the women in Rick's life:

Krista Tesreau (ex-Mindy):
"Krista had a refreshing effervescence about her. I just loved working with her. She became a real good friend."

Judi Evans Luciano (ex-Beth):
"Judi was probably the most naturally gifted young actress I've ever seen."

Susan Pratt (Claire):
"When I first started on the Show, Susie used to cook for me. She was sort of like my big sister. She took care of me."

Cynthia Watros (ex-Annie):
"Her character and her career just took off when they made that turn with Annie. Cynthia is one of those people who never forgot where she came from."

Nicolette Goulet (ex-Meredith):
"Nikki was hysterical. A good person, a good mom... a sweetheart."

Kristi Ferrell (ex-Roxie):
"Kristi has an unbelievably big heart and the biggest appetite for life that I've ever seen. I don't know if Kristi had any acting coaches before she started, but when the camera was on her, you just couldn't take your eyes off of her."

Amy Ecklund (ex-Abby):
"Amy's amazing. I made this journey with Amy, from [her being a] deaf actress to hearing actress. We had five years of this incredible journey, as acting partners and friends."

Elizabeth Hobgood (May):
"Elizabeth is eager to learn. She takes it very seriously and works very hard. She is honestly one of the nicest people I've ever met."