From ABC Soaps In Depth 10/17/00

Since hanging up Dr. Scanlon’s stethoscope, Michael Dietz has been quickening pulses in primetime

After two years of playing hot-headed Dr. Joe Scanlon on PORT CHARLES, Michael Dietz says that he definitely is a ready-for-primetime player - and he’s racking up the credits to prove it. Recently, he guested on Aaron Spelling’s WB series, CHARMED, about three bewitching sisters.

"I play a mortal who turns from an owl into myself, which happens all the time in real life," he laughs. "I end up on the girls’ doorstep, and they help me get the sorcerer who has turned me into an owl during the night and my girlfriend into a coyote during the day."

For most of the men in America - Dietz included - the real fantasy wouldn’t be the Ladyhawke storyline but starring with the series’ three leads: Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, and Alyssa Milano, who play the sexy sorceresses. "I had a great time," he admits. "Everybody was really wonderful, and they made me feel welcome."

PLEASED TO MEET ME
Now the alumnus of GUIDING LIGHT (as poor little rich kid Alan-Michael Spaulding) is hoping for the same reception on other primetime shows. "I’m doing the audition circuit right now," he reveals, adding that at a reading for ALLY MCBEAL, he ran into his GL predecessor, Emmy winner Rick Hearst. "I’ve never met him in all these years. I went up to him, and we kind of laughed about things."

IN A "NO YORK" STATE OF MIND
Though the unexpected encounter had Dietz waxing nostalgic about his stint on the Big Apple-based soap, the Pennsylvania native would be loathe to return permanently to Gotham. "I moved to New York for that show," he relates. "It was nice to kind of get away, and I loved New York.

"But," he adds quickly, "I prefer visiting. I could easily spend a couple of weeks there, but when you’re there all the time, when you’re living there, it’s a whole different kind of animal. I never really got into the whole New York thing."

I LOVE L.A.
Rather, Dietz prefers the perpetually sunny days of Southern California - and the diverse lifestyles that can be had within driving distance. "You can live up in the hills, where it seems like you’re in the middle of nowhere, then you drive down and can be in Hollywood or a major city. You can drive four hours and you’re in Las Vegas, or drive a couple hours and you’re in the mountains, or drive half and hour and you’re at the beach. There’re so many different areas that you have access to, whereas in New York you run around in a cab, going from door to door. I don’t know if it’s as fast-paced as New York, but you can never get bored here."

Of course, the actor admits that he wouldn’t turn down a gig in Manhattan. "If it was a really good part, yes. But I would not go back to New York for another soap, no."

THE NEXT ORSON WELLES
Actually, these days Dietz isn’t much interested in joining even an L.A.-based soap. "I would never want to close doors for no reason, so who knows?" he muses. "But I would definitely at this point not go back to another soap. I’ve done it for three years, and that’s enough for me. It’s time for me to explore other avenues."

For this multitalented performer, that includes writing screenplays. "Eventually," he reveals, "I’d like to write my own independent film, direct it, finance it, act in it - the whole thing. That would be my dream."

The PC alum still keeps in touch with several former castmates. "I’m really good friends with Kin Shriner (Scotty)," he says, "and one of my best friends is Jay Pickett (Frank)."

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