Kim Zimmer's (Reva, GUIDING LIGHT) son, Jake Weary, 14, came thisclose to nabbing the role of Sam Grey on ALL MY CHILDREN. After three callbacks, ABC informed Weary that they decided to scrap their plans to cast the role. Bummer. (The good news: Weary subsequently was cast as the new Luke on AS THE WORLD TURNS!)

"It was noncontract," shares Zimmer. "I don't know much about the part. There wasn't a script. They decided they're not aging the character until next spring. But they will be interested in Jake come the spring."

Some parents balk when their kids say they want to act, but not Zimmer. "I'm not nervous, now," she confides. "I mean, there are moments when I worry that he's going to get discouraged, because things happened for him quickly." (Weary guest-starred on an episode of LAW& ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT last May.) "Now things have tapered off. He's stuck in an awkward-age thing. He's too young to be the young leading guy who drives a car, who has a girlfriend. Even though he's very tall and pumps, he still has a baby face. And then he looks too old for the 13-year-olds."

Sam Grey wasn't the only role that fell through for Weary, who, if he had his druthers, would live in L.A. "We got this script for a pilot for Fox," explains Zimmer. "It was a good part. The kid was 15. He was driving a car but he was driving it illegally. Everything was right; it was all in line. We were set to go in and audition in New York, but then they called the day before and said, 'Oh, we found numerous guys in Los Angeles, so we're not even coming to New York.' That was ammunition for Jake to go, 'See?' He so wants to be out in California."

So does Zimmer's husband, A.C. Weary. "He wants nothing more than to be back out in California. Maybe I'll stay here with Max (17) until he graduates and then we'll see what happens. I don't want to live in California again, but we'd maybe sell the house and downsize or I'd move back into the city."