AMC's Edmund is reeling in shock this week after he walks into Brooke's office and overhears Tad asking Brooke to marry him.

Brooke is startled to see Edmund, but he covers nicely by asking her a work-related question, then leaves. Hurt and angry, Edmund heads for the country-western bar, cruising for trouble.

Dixie gets an urgent call from Billy the bartender, who says her friend Edmund is a walking time bomb, ready to explode. If she doesn't come over ther and calm him down, Billy warns, a brawl will erupt.

Dixie arrives at the bar just in time to stop Edmund from getting into a fight. Edmund hotly declares he can take care of himself. But Dixie replies she didn't come all the way down there for a drink, she came to pound some sense into him.

As Edmund cools down, Dixie tells him that when she reached rock-bottom, Brian helped her by telling her the plain truth. Now she aims to do the same for Edmund. She says if Edmund is there to pick a fight, then he's just proving Brooke was right to break up with him.

But when Edmund tells Dixie about Tad's marriage proposal, Dixie is floored. Tad doesn't love Brooke, she insists- they simply had an affair, that's all. For Tad to marry Brooke without loving her would be cruel and manipulative, Dixie declares.

Edmund, trying to analyze Tad's actions, believes Tad has managed to convince himself he really does love Brooke. Edmund thinks Tad will seem so sincere that Brooke will believe him.

Dixie and Edmund leave the bar and go to her house, where he thanks her for preventing him from making a complete jerk of himself. Dixie says she sympathizes with him, but there's nothing they can do about Brooke and Tad.

Edmund theorizes Tad still loves Dixie, and that's why he's doing all this. But Dixie replies if Tad can convince himself he loves Brooke, then she can convince herself she's not in love with Tad.

John Callahan believes that bringing his character Edmund together with Dixie is a great idea. And he thinks their friendship could grow into something deeper.

"It's a welcome change from most storylines, where you jump into bed with a girl when you're on the rebound from someone else. I think this is a healthier way to have a relationship," he says. "Edmund doesnt' treat Dixie like a mother or a child, he treats her like a woman."

Cady McClain (Dixie) says her character knows exactly what pain Edmund is going through, and that's way she went to the bar to help him. "She's been through the bar scene, the loss of self, and that feeling of separation from love," she tells SOM. "She and Edmund are coming together to help each other heal."

Will Tad and Brooke's romance now bring Dixie and Edmund closer together? Stranger things have happened, Cady notes.

"That's how Tad and Dixie started. Isn't that the kind of ideal thing we all hope for? That we'll meet somebody we relate to as a friend, and that a relationship will come out of that? "There is great equality in the way Edmund and Dixie treat each other, and it's partly because their pain is so similar that they have compassion and respect for each other."

Megan McTavish, AMC head writer, says: "We find Dixie and Edmund very interesting together on camera. It's one of those relationships we like because anything can happen with it. They have a good understanding of each other. They don't need to explain anything because they've both been there.

As adorable as Brian is- and Dixie certainly does care for him- Edmund is a man who can give her perspective on what Tad's doing. Brian can't, because he's too young to understand Tad. Edmund sees Tad very clearly. And when Edmund is explaining Tad to Dixie, he's explaining it to the audience as well. For the audience to enjoy the story, they have to understand the story."

Whether Dixie and Edmund will become more than just friends remains to be seen, Megan adds. "You never know where it'll go. It's sort of what we did with Dixie and Brian. That came up out of the blue. Everyone thought it was an oddball idea, but we said we'd try it. So we never say never around here."

Man Power '94, John Callahan, SOD 3/15/1994

On his sexy man selection: "I feel rather insulted that there is only one sexy man from AMC. I think a lot of men are sexy on the show."

He's at his sexiest...: "Probably when I'm lathering up in the shower."

What makes a woman sexy: "The way she looks at you, the way she listens and the way her body moves."

His most provocative article of clothing: "I don't know about clothing, but my wedding ring is probably the sexiest thing I own because it provokes more responses than anything else."

The marrying kind: "Marriage is a nice mountain that once you climb, the view is good."

Most romantic thing he's ever done: "Propose to my wife."

First celebrity crush: "Olivia de Havilland in The Adventures of Robin Hood. I wanted to swing through the forest and say, 'Welcome to Sherwood, my lady.'"

Magazine cover he'd like to grace: "Sports Illustrated, pitching a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium."

Would he ever pose nude: "I do all the time, but nobody's looking."

Buffing up that body: "I train three or four times a week, and I have an exercise bicycle in my dressing room that I get on when I'm studying my lines. I also take vitamins every day. But the most important part of my health regimen is my diet. I try to eat low-fat, high-protein foods."

Shades of Grey
"As a writer, Edmund tends to have a romantic way of looking at life, and I think he dresses for romance all the time," says AMC Costume Designer Carol Luiken. But don't expect to see him in formal duds. "I think he's only been in a tuxedo twice- he doesn't like them," declares Luiken. "Edmund has a relaxed, nonchalant attitude about clothes. He tends to wear very casual slacks and shirts made from fabrics that any woman would want to touch. If he's comfortable in his clothes, then he's comfortable being romantic."

Dynamic Duos It's a match made in heaven for AMC's Maria and Edmund, SOD 7/19/94

"As far as finding out the truth behind Alex's background, I have to say that right now, I really don't know what's going to happen. And as to whether or not she's Anna or related to Anna (Devane, Hughes' former General Hospital alter ego), I really don't know. It's all in discussion right now. We have to just wait and see. So far, I've really been enjoying the mystery of it, even though it's been grueling. I'd love it if she turned out to be a really bad character, but I think that overall, she's a good person.

NY State of Mind
Finola Hughes and her daytime alter ego Alex may not have much in common, but they can both commiserate on the difficulties associated with setting into a new area. While Alex slowly integrates herself in Pine Valley mix, Hughes and her husband Russell Young are having a ball exploring New York City. The couple, who formerly lived in California, has recently settled into an artsy Manhattan suburb... and they couldn't be happier. 'My husband is an artist, so he loves it here,' says Hughes. 'We are finding so many wonderful things the city has to offer, it's hard to go home at night.'"

AMC Shocker! Callahan to La Rue: "Will You Marry Me?" SOW 11/26/1996

"All My Children's John Callahan (Edmund) can't tell us that he hasn't learned a thing or two from his decade of work in daytime. His proposal this October to co-star Eva La Rue (Maria) had all the hallmarks of a three-hanky soap scene. Except, in this case, it was a bit more private.

'I don't like to share intimate details of my private life,' admits Callahan. 'But let's just say it was in St. Tropez, overlooking the Mediterranean, with champagne.'

And, as their on-screen counterparts would no doubt do in a similar situation, Callahan and La Rue also got every emotional. After La Rue said yes ('Thank god,' says an obviously relieved Callahan), 'I grabbed a napkin, because it was like waterworks.'

After popping the question, the actor presented his lady love with a stunning diamond ring with baguettes and round diamonds around the band- 'I couldn't decide on what shape I wanted,' says La Rue, 'so he gave me them all- which he had made by a jeweler friend of his.'

Both La Rue and Callahan have been married previously. Their wedding date has not been set- but that's the way they want it.

'I am enjoying watching the ring sparkle on her finger,' says Callahan. 'So for now, we'll just take it easy.' It was just a year ago that Callahan and La Rue made their relationship public. They recently moved into an apartment together and have been setting up house in between her hectic primetime work and their frontburner storyline at the soap."

Baby Boom- AMC's Baby in the Middle, SOU 4/16/1996

"The arrival of the stork is most often a joyous occassion. But what is common in everyday life, is never the norm when it comes to soaps! For instance, when was the last time you heard of a birth mother living with the couple who adopted her baby, after the baby was born? On AMC, Kelsey has managed to do just that. She has pulled one stunt after another, trying to get closer and closer to Edmund. 'Kelsey is a loose cannon... and everyone has to realize that,' says AMC's outgoing executive producer Felicia Minei Behr. 'Now that she realizes she has ammunition in the form of a child, anything is possible.' 

'This baby will deeply affect many, many lives- Edmund, Maria, Kelsey, Bobby, Palmer, Opal, Joe and Anita,' promises AMC headwriter Lorraine Broderick. 'Genetically speaking and via the adoption, (Sam) is connected to all of the major Pine Valley families. He will leave no lives untouched.'

As of yet, no one in Pine Valley other than Bobby and Kelsey know the identity of Sam's father. 'I can't wait for Bobby to be a factor,' says Brian Gaskill of his character. 'I think that eventually he will get a little territorial and say, "Hey, this is my kid."' To complicate things even further, there is always the possibility that Maria will conceive her own child. And if Kelsey succeeds in driving Edmund and Maria apart, who knows what could happen in the forseeable future! Ah, the joys of parenthood!"

Ain't Too Proud to Beg AMC's Edmund Will Do Whatever It Takes to Win Maria's Love, SOU 4/16/96

He begged, he pleaded, he even groveled, but AMC's Brooke still had one answer to Edmund's marriage proposal: "No!" Enter Dr. Maria Santos- beautiful, unattached, and oh-so-in-love with Edmund. This time, Edmund didn't have to ask twice; Maria quickly agreed to marry him. Edmund now claims that Maria is the only woman for him, but we wonder: Is she the first-place winnder of Edmund's heart- or just his consolation prize?

"Edmund's really in love," declares John Callahan about his character's feelings for Maria (Eva LaRue). "He has found passion again with her, and is willing to give her 100 percent of himself." According to Executive Producer Felicia Minei Behr, he has convinced himself that this is the real thing.

But what about Grey's feelings for his ex-fiance, Brooke? Edmund may profess that Maria is the one he wants, but is wasn't too long ago that he was pledging his undying love to Brooke. "I think there's a part of him that will always love Brooke," explains Behr. "But when she told him it was over on New Year's Eve, he realized that he couldn't suspend his life anymore. That night made it crystal clear to Edmund that he had to get on with his life with Maria. Brooke is his past, Maria is his future."

Unfortunately, the past has has a way of coming back to haunt people. Brooke wasn't over Edmund when she hastily married Tad, and Tad still carried a torch for Dixie. Their marriage ended when Tad had an affair with Dixie, but Behr promises that Edmund won't make the same mistake. "We won't see Edmund pining for Brooke or cheating on Maria," Behr says. "Edmund has shown that he has high moral standards, and w will try to stay true to them."

Callahan defends his character's eleventh-hour appeal to Brooke for a reconciliation. He also insists Edmund is ready to settle down with Maria. "At one point in his life, he would have done anything for Brooke, so he had to find out if there was still a chance," he explains. "Once she told him no, that was it- it was really over for him. Now Edmund just wants a life with Maria."

Edmund may be sure of his feelings, but it will take time before Maria can feel completely secure. When Edmund refused to leave Brooke's side during her recent surgery, Maria was so hurt she was ready to call it quits, again, but Edmund changed her mind, again. "She has her fears, but she has squelched them," observes Eva LaRue. "Maria wouldn't marry him if she didn't think he loved her and she totally had him." But does Maria truly have Edmund? This is a man who twice tried to reunite with Brooke during his engagement to Maria. Still, LaRue doesn't think her character is crazy for standing by him. "This is her first love, so Maria is a bit of a wimp," she laughs. "And Edmund's residual feelings for Brooke have certainly been a source of inner conflict for her. But deep down, Maria knows that while Edmund may still love Brooke, he's no longer in love with her." Brooke knows it's over, too. She shows up at Maria's house the night before the wedding- to give her blessing.

Both parties will approach the altar with clear consciences and the best of intentions. But that's no guarantee of marital success. "I think they will be very happy together. Their strife will come from external sources," reveals Behr.

You'll have to tune in to find out exactly what Behr is referring to, but she offers some tantalizing hints. For one thing, the newlyweds' living arrangements won't be stress-free- the happy couple, along with Maria's rambunctious sister, Julia, will move into Wildwind. Already living at the Gothic estate is Edmund's older brother, Dimitri, and Dimitri's ward, Anton. Don't expect them all to be one happy family. "There will be a lot going on in that castle by the sea," predicts Behr.

Brooke might even stop by. "This is total speculation on my part, but what if Dimitri and Brooke somehow start dating?" asks Callahan. "He's separated from Erica, and she's divorcing Tad. It could happen- and think of what that would do for household relations."

Whether or not his senario comes to pass, Callahan knows Maria and Edmund won't have it easy. "Love is never neat, it is never predictable," he muses. "But Edmund is determined to make it work with Maria, so all they can do is their best." For better or worse.

English Lessons
Some might say that AMC's Brooke English (Julia Barr) is the odd woman out now that Maria and Edmund are getting hitched, and Tad is with Dixie. But Ms. English isn't asking for sympathy. Barr comments, in character, on Brooke's love life.

On Maria and Edmund's wedding: "I wish Edmund well in whatever he chooses. I hope he and Maria will be very happy."

On dating: "I've considered staying away from men for the rest of my life and becoming a nun."

On dating Dimitri: "I have too much pride to put myself in a situation that would make Edmund and myself very uncomfortable. Besides, Dimitri's not really my type."

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