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16 Stars Who Started Out on Soaps

As One Life to Live airs its final episode on Jan. 13, take a look back at the celebs whose careers were launched on daytime TV (17 Photos)

Lisa Rosman on Sep 23, 2011 at 10:41AM

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ABC

Josh Duhamel

Josh Duhamel is known as the hunky action star of the Transformers franchise, a go-to guy for romantic comedies such as When in Rome and the upcoming New Year's Eve, and the husband of Black Eyed Peas lead singer Fergie. But before all that, he got his start -- and honed that smoldering stare -- on the ABC soap All My Children, playing fan favorite Leo du Pres from 1999-2002 (and earning a 2003 Daytime Emmy for the role!). Those who yearn to see Leo rekindle his relationship with former flame Greenlee Smythe (Rebecca Budig) are in for a treat: When Duhamel learned that AMC had been canceled and would be airing its final episode in September, he agreed to reprise his career-starting role for a short story arc beginning Aug. 5. "I guess in a way it was just my way of saying thank you to go back and do an episode," the actor told Entertainment Weekly.