Meisha And Rob's Chance To Fame

Students Compete For Roles On 'Y&R' With Keith Hamilton Cobb's Help

(CBS)  Two more aspiring actors were on The Early Show Thursday for their live "Soap Star Screen Tests" hoping for a role on daytime's No.1 drama, "The Young And The Restless."

To help them with scenes was “Y&R” hunk, Keith Hamilton Cobb, who joined the cast in 2003.

Cobb plays Damon Porter, a brilliant and charismatic chemist who has had a significant impact on the war between Jabot Cosmetics and Newman Enterprises - as well as on the women who work there. Currently, his love interest is his boss’ wife.

In real life, Cobb has had a variety of different acting experiences and says it was a lot of fun to go to the University of Maryland and University of Minnesota during the open college casting calls.

Cobb tells co-anchor Julie Chen, “It was great fun getting to see the whole process from the other side of the table. I’ve been on the audition side so many times in my life and getting on the other side and seeing how a casting director thinks was fun. Seeing the courageousness of these young people who come out and take a shot was fun.”

Early Thursday morning, he rehearsed the lines with the students participating and notes even he had some butterflies. “Actors are always a little bit nervous. Performing is a little bit nerve wracking, but I tell them I’m there for them. This is their show and I give them support, good energy, whatever they need to play off of.”

Performing with Cobb in the first screen test was 24-year-old Meisha Johnson from the University Of Minnesota, followed by 21-year-old Rob Crook, a junior at San Francisco State University.

After their performance Chen noted, “Meisha, you have Keith shaking in his boots and your eyes pop off the screen.”

A British native, Crook says he thought the audition went well. “Absolutely great. I’m having the time of my life. I love this,” he said enthusiastically.

Cobb agreed, saying both young people did well.

Both students have always enjoyed acting. Besides going to college, Johnson is married with a 1-year-old, but she insists that if she gets this role, she will be able to handle both family life and career.

Crook says he can handle it as well. “I have all my family back at home rooting for me,” he says. Crook sang and played drums in a very successful band in London where he made several TV appearances.

In case you missed any of the screen tests this week, you can find them all on the interactive at right, where you'll also be able to vote for your favorite male and female performance immediately following Friday’s show.

On Monday, The Early Show will reveal who viewers picked to get two coveted roles on "The Young and the Restless."

The screen tests conclude Friday with the help of actor Christian LeBlanc, who plays Michael Baldwin.