Trying to figure out what makes a person a star is very subjective. With so many vicious bloggers attacking anyone who seeks to be an actor or any individual in the public eye. Now and then you meet a really amazing fan who dedicates their time and attention to promoting the star in a positive way. One of my favorite actors is Grayson McCouch. The handsome actor has done everything from soaps to feature films, other Television shows, Broadway and even teaching the acting craft. To fans of CBS’s daytime hit “As The World Turns,” it comes as no surprise to us that McCouch is beloved by fans. He’s not only handsome and talented but makes the role of Dusty Donovan on the soap one that is almost as charismatic as the star who portrays him.

Courtesy: Astrid Avaling

Recently I found out how big “ATWT” is in The Netherlands. A fan in Holland caught my eye. Astrid Aveling doesn’t apologize for her devotion and support for Grayson McCouch. I recently asked Astrid about the show and the popularity of it in Holland. She told me, “ATWT airs three times a day! It's kind of difficult, we have three episodes airing in one day. In the late evening we have a new episode. The next day, in the afternoon, this episode airs as a rerun. And the day after this, in the early morning that show airs yet again in rerun. I always watch the episode that airs at night. But if you work, or cannot watch every day, you have the possibility to watch three episodes on one day!”

Photo of McCouch with late dog George

Going even further, Aveling adds, “Well, I think he (Grayson McCouch) is more popular over here. I think Dutch fans are very different from USA fans. We watch ATWT in a very different way. In the U.S.A. there is so much hate. If they do not like the character, they decide not to like the actor. We see the character as a role the actor is playing. And if the character hates another character, we can still have love for the other actor in the storyline. It’s entertainment, so I don’t understand why people can’t love Grayson even if they do not like Dusty.”

Speaking of the fan club Astrid Aveling has founded for the superstar online. “I became a Grayson-fan the first moment he was on the show. I was like 'wow, who is this gorgeous man?' From that moment I started searching stuff about him on the internet —photos and interviews. I wanted to know all about him and I wanted to know what he has done before he came on ATWT. Then I wanted to share it all with fellow Dutch fans and now the club is international,” said Aveling. You can join by going to: http://fan.clubs.nl/grayson

McCouch is very grateful to his Dutch and American fan base and shows his gratitude whenever his hectic schedule permits him to do so. Working on the hit show is a priority since he returned last fall to the series. Since Dusty and Grayson’s return, the actor has gone nonstop, to everyone’s joy. Including many of his costars who said they really missed working with him.

McCouch is proof that talent and looks in the entertainment industry will keep you busy working. But it’s his natural grace and cordial attitude that makes him such a huge international icon. His site is one of the most visited on the Net. In March of 2008 Grayson McCouch offered Astrid Aveling his permission to call her site official. There are many wonderful fans who build a site for someone they like on television or in the movies and it rarely gets noticed. But ever a classy guy, McCouch decided to offer his support behind this fan, who beams about the wonderful care package she received from America recently: a box of gifts from McCouch himself, who sent autographed photos, an I Love NY sweater, a NY coffee mug and many other items. “I was so grateful and surprised and it feels good to know that my work on his site and his official fan club means so much to him.”

Grayson loves his fans and they love him. He’s not only one of the biggest stars in America, but an international superstar who appreciates what good fans are doing for him. It is wonderful to be able to report on such an amazing talented guy who appreciates the people who help make him a star. Despite the fact that being so talented would put him in that category alone.

McCouch can be seen each weekday on CBS’s “As The World Turns.”

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