Jay Johnson (left) and Brandon Beemer (right)

All My Children has hired two handsome young men to beef up the testosterone in Pine Valley. Billy Miller will play Wes, who is rumoured to be a love interest for Babe. Alexa Havins is supposed to be leaving the soap when her contract is up (her real-life husband Justin Bruening recently exited the soap as Jamie), so he will likely be paired with a recast of Babe. The producers must have confidence in Miller's appeal if they are banking on him to have chemistry with an actress they have yet to hire. Newcomer Miller's previous credit is guest-starring on CSI: NY.

The second cast addition to AMC is Sterling Sulieman, who will play a musician named Dre and will likely be involved in the teen set. He previously played Chris on The Bold and the Beautiful and was a guest star on the sitcom Half & Half.

Guiding Light fans can count on Olivia Spencer to stir the pot a little longer in Springfield. Crystal Chappell has signed an extension on her contract for one more year. She joined the soap in 1999, where she encountered Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer) in San Cristobel, who would become her nemesis for years to come. Olivia was engaged to Prince Richard (Bradley Cole) at the time, but he wanted nothing to do with her once he found out she hid his and Reva's son Jonathan for the child's own safekeeping and led Richard to believe he was dead. Now in present-day Springfield, Olivia is fighting with Reva for the affections of Richard's doppelganger, Jeffrey, also played by Cole. Chappell won an Outstanding Supporting Actress for the role in 2002.

General Hospital's sassy nurse Epiphany will also be around to back-talk the medical personnel in Port Charles for a while. Sonya Eddy, who was previously just recurring, has signed a contract with the soap.

The Days of Our Lives cast has several promotional appearances this month. First up, Brandon Beemer and Jay Johnson, who play rivals Shawn and Philip, will appear at the Bakersfield Health Fair on September 8. The Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, California, is hosting the event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 4 p.m.

On September 8 and 9, Joseph Mascolo will appear at the Connecticut Women's Expo in Hartford. The times are Saturday, September 8, from 12 noon to 5 p.m., and Sunday, September 9, from 12 noon to 4 p.m. For more information, log on to www.ctexpos.com. Don't worry, Mascolo, who plays the evil Stefano DiMera, doesn't bite - that is, if your last name isn't Brady.

- Dana Block