From: http://community.tvguide.com/forum.jspa?forumID=700000047

As the World Turns: Cute Geek Makes Good!

As the World Turns recently did its own online version of I Wanna Be a Soap Star called InTurn on CBS.com.

The unlikely winner was Alex Charak, an 18-year-old from Long Island, New York. To me, this amiable kid resembles a curly-haired Harry Potter or a young David Letterman (you decide!) But thanks to Charak's popularity with online voters, he beat out a bunch of guys and gals with more typical soap-opera bods and looks. Good for him!

Charak has already appeared on ATWT with two other InTurn finalists, Geneva Hyman and Ian Novick. The trio all played unfortunate victims -- coincidentally named Alex, Geneva and Ian -- during the show's recent slasher story.

But Charak, who has won a 13-week contract on ATWT, is returning to Oakdale in a new role. "I play Elwood, the identical first cousin of Alex, my other character who got his throat slashed," he tells TVGuide.com. "I will be Casey's new roommate at college.

"Elwood is not quite as pathetic and nerdy as Alex was," Charak adds. "I wanted there to be a difference between the characters. Elwood is just a guy who thinks he's a player, but he is oblivious to what the real world is. I'm mainly there supporting Casey's story. When things get too dramatic, I'll come in and do some clowning. No one wants to date Elwood, so it's easy for him to just be funny."

Charak first appears as Elwood on Tuesday, September 26. And as for nobody wanting to date him, I wouldn't be so sure. Lotsa suds fans have a fondness for lovable geek boys. Look how far Trent Dawson's Henry character has gone -- Dawson originally joined ATWT for a supposedly bit part in '99, and he's still there!

Uh....can we say "boring"?

They're going to hold a nationwide contest and conduct a reality show on the internet just to find one good actor for ATWT so they can just bring them on occasionally for a god laugh?! What a waste..

Edited September 26, 200619 yr by Actor87

Well I'm glad this kid won - Ian was pompous and Geneva just did not stick out as anything special.

He's playing a stereotypical role though - I hope he is able to break out of it and become something.

I KNEW he'd be Casey's roomie though after yesterday's episode when I saw the nerdy stuff around the room....

I wouldn't want any of those InTurn-kids in a bigger role anyway. So I'm satisfied with this.

Hopefully he can develop into a love interest for Luke. I liked him the first time.

Hopefully he can develop into a love interest for Luke. I liked him the first time.