Summer 98 Volume III Issue 3

Actor Pat Muldoon's got the Southern Cal thing down pretty good. Growing up in San Pedro, Pat's earliest memories were of his father, then a lifeguard at Muscle Beach, setting up the playpen alongside his lifeguard chair. Pat attended USC, and currently resides in Hollywood Hills, spending his free time riding waves, He speaks in a relaxed SoCal patois, sprinkling into conversation an array of sun-bleached lingo.

But that's not to say this 28-year-old regards his career with the same hang loose attitude. While Pat's got extensive TV and film work on his resume, his still tirelessly honing his craft, currently studying technique with other working actors. The tenacity has paid off; the "Melrose Place" vet had the lead in the sci-fi action film Starship Troopers and stars in upcoming pics Black Cat Run and Wicked.

It's a labor of love for the young actor. "Any time you can make a living doing something artistic, you're very fortunate," Pat says. "There's no finish line. As an actor, you can keep getting better, working with different actors and directors, pushing yourself into more challenging roles."

Pat's handsome face and stints on "Melrose" and the soaps might conjure up the phrase 'pretty boy,' but this former USC football player and Rose Bowl veteran is no shrinking violet. A walk-on tight end, Pat didn't see much playing time in his two years on one of the country's big College team, so he decided to go in another direction.

"I was a bit out of my league at that level" admits Pat. "I was taking acting classes, and that had become my focus."

He nailed his first audition, a role on "Who's the Boss," as Alyssa Milanos love interest. "Yup, she was my first." he recalls fondly, listing the litany of lovely ladies he's played leading guy to, including Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Denise Richards, and a good portion of the "Melrose" cast.

Pat's not currently dating anyone in real life, opting instead to hang with his friends or strum riffs on his new Telecaster. He says there's no better time for a Punch Punch or a Cohiba than while "Hangin' out with the boys."

One such boy that Pat always makes time for is his father, who has given up bay- watching for a lawyer's life. father and son frequently unwind over a cigar and a beer. "It's a cool time for us to hang out," says Pat, who adds that Mom and her vanilla-flavored stogies also try to muscle in on the male-bonding action. - M. Malone