A certain Aussie hottie has GUIDING LIGHT's Frank in papa protector mode for daughter Marina, and his portrayer, Frank Dicopoulos, certainly can relate. In real life, he has more in common with his character than just the first name.

"I'm overprotective of my real family," laughs Dicopoulos. "I can't imagine Frank Dicopoulos being in the same position as Frank Cooper. It would be horrible!"

Dicopoulos is the father of daughter Olivia and son Jaden. He admits that a lot of the emotion he draws from to play Frank comes from his relationship with his daughter, who also stars on GL as Vanessa and Matt's daughter, Maureen.

"I have a wonderful relationship with both of my children," explains Dicopoulos, "but it's different between the sexes. I love my son, but with my daughter it's a different thing. There's always a special bond between fathers and daughters."

On GL, Frank's bond with Marina is in jeopardy due to his refusal to accept her love for international criminal Cyrus. Dicopoulos understands the method to Frank's madness, but doesn't necessarily see himself in some of the scenes.

"I was kind of concerned about the Thanksgiving scene," says Dicopoulos. "Frank is going to come off as a real jerk. The way it's filmed makes [him] look like a big bully. Frank just doesn't hold back. He says exactly what's on his mind, and there was no way to soften it!"

Even though the real Frank isn't the Big Bad Dad type, he's happy to play the role if it will help some viewers relate to the story.

"It's a tough situation," sighs Dicopoulos. "I'm sure a lot of people out there are going to be able to relate to it. As a parent, you just want to do the best you can for your children and protect them."

The arc involving Frank's struggles with Marina's relationship with Cyrus seems to be popular with Dicopoulos' fans, though opinions on Frank's actions vary.

"Some fans say, 'back off,' and, 'lay off of her,' admits Dicopoulos. "Then I get people who defend me and say, 'Good for you! If had a dad like Frank, I wouldn't be in my situation.' Then some fans jump on the other fans' opinions. It's crazy!"