When PASSIONS called him, Xander Bailey could not pass up the opportunity to portray a character opposite the character his late father, David Bailey, once played.

The senior Bailey had a memorable but all-too-brief turn as patriarch Alistair Crane before he died in a drowning accident last Thanksgiving. His son, Xander, begins a brief arc Sept. 13 as Edmund Sinclair, the son of a corporate mogul. "His father and Alistair are buddies," explains Xander of his character. "But Alistair's intentions are to take over his company. So Fancy goes on a date with Edmund to hopefully get close enough to get information for Alistair's takeover."

While his character may run in some ruthless circles, Xander says Edmund himself is actually "a very nice guy, one of these guys who means well. He's probably honest to a fault, and a little naive when it comes to women. He's a stand-up guy — who has to square off a bit with a 6-foot-2 Noah Bennett! But he'll do what he has to do to defend his lady — and his own ego."