The first day of work is often hard. And sure enough, on hunk-apparent Travis Schuldt's first day on the set of the steamy new soap Passions, he was forced to strip nearly naked and roll around in the sand with Susan Lucci's dishy daughter, Liza Huber. Yeah, life is tough all over.

It took 10 hours to get the bump and grind just right, but the Topeka, Kansas, twentysomething was definitely up for the task. And NBC is banking on his boyish charm to fire up its new entry into the daytime arena.

Travis stars as Ethan Crane, the richest, most babelicious bachelor in the ironically named town of Harmony. It's a new world for the TCU grad, who did time as a waiter in Dallas before landing the sexy role. Now, he's working nonstop and living la vida L.A.

Which got us to wondering:

So, Not in Kansas Anymore, Eh? He Must Be Feeling a Little Culture Shock? "L.A. is a lot easier when you have a job. I'm fortunate, because I came here with one and, really, when you can go to the beach in February, there's not much to complain about."

Does He Have a Swingin' Bachelor Pad to Complete the Studly Image? "Well, I just got my own apartment, but it's not quite furnished."

Is That Code for "I Sleep on the Floor"? "Actually, on an air mattress. I'm working on getting a bed."

Obviously, He's Single, but What's This Hunk's Idea of a Romantic Evening? "Dinner and a night on the town. Maybe dancing and then a late-night drink at a seedy bar."

Speaking of Drinks, What About Sex on the Beach? Was That an Embarrassing First Scene? "It was a long day. Liza and I had both never really done anything like that, so we just pulled together, protected each other, trusted each other and worked together. You know, we talked before and both said, 'I've never done this.' "

Were the Nerves Worse Because Liza Is Soap Queen Susan Lucci's Oldest Offspring? "No, I met her before I knew, so none of that was really there. When I found out, I was just, like, 'Wow, that's pretty cool.' We just clicked and both agreed we had to make the scene steamy and a lot of fun. We knew we needed to have chemistry."

The Kansas Clan's Reaction to Travis' Revealing Debut? "My mom says she's not old enough to watch."

Well, We Watched, and We Have to Know: Was He Born with Those Washboard Abs? "God, I wish. No, I have to work at it. What's great is that all the guys on the show are really big, so we can all work out at the gym on the set. They really motivate me, because they're all so ripped."

Okay, the Guys Get Sweaty Together, but What About the Gals? "Hair is really important. I'm lucky, because I'm a guy, but the women have it done for, like, hours. They need to be beautiful. That's the whole thing."

Does He Have a Passion for Any Particular Role in Hollywood? "Yes. I'd love to star in Lawrence of Arabia. I love that movie."

Who Would Be His Leading Lady? "Liza Huber."

Well, We Know He's Diplomatic. And If She Wasn't Available? "Natalie Portman. She's just incredible."

Finally, What Does He Want to Say to the Deeply Devastated Another World Fans Mourning Their Long-Lost Fave, Axed to Make Room for Passions? "They're right. It sucks. It would be great if we could have a block of Days, Another World--and Passions."