Steve Wilder

This handsome strapping blond player first garnered attention as the fifth actor to play soap hero Jack Devereaux on NBC's "Days of Lives." Born and raised in Springfield Center, New York, Steve Wilder wanted to be an actor from an early age. After his parents' divorce, he chose to adopt his mother's maiden name as his surname. By his twenties, he had abandoned a professional tennis career and began to find work as an actor in theatrical productions and direct-to-video fare (i.e., "Josh Kirby, Time Warrior: Eggs From 70 Million B.C." 1995) With his model-perfect looks, Wilder seemed suited to the world of soap acting but audiences failed to embrace him in his daytime role and he was written out after eight months. He was not unemployed for long, though, as producer Aaron Spelling tapped him for the role of fashion designer Alex Bastian who had ties to regular Jane Mancini (played by Josie Bissett) on the primetime serial "Melrose Place."