ERIC CLOSE (EX-SAWYER WALKER ON SB) TO CO-STAR IN 'NASHVILLE'

Santa Barbara alum Eric Close has been cast in ABC’s drama pilot Nashville. Written by Callie Khouri, directed by R.J. Cutler and produced by Lionsgate and ABC Studios, Nashville is described as a family soap about love, country music, family, politics and sex, set against the backdrop of the Nashville music scene. It centers on 40-year-old Nashville superstar Rayna James who is stunned to find that her star is fading and her label requires her to team up with teen sensation Juliette Barnes (Hayden Panettiere) on tour –- or else face the loss of her own tour and the label’s promotion of her latest record, whose sales have been underwhelming.

Eric Close with Sydney Penny

Gersh-repped Close will play Rayna’s husband who is now living on his wife’s salary.

Exactly twenty years have passed since the young Close debuted on Santa Barbara in the role of Sawyer Walker, an amateur boxer, son of Jodie (Kim Zimmer) and brother of BJ (Sydney Penny). This is the first perfect opportunity for Eric Close, after the cancellation of the series Whitout a Trace last year .In the first video you can watch Eric Close on Santa Barbara during BJ’ trial for the murder of Frank Goodman (Nicholas Walker). In the second video Eric Close remembers his experience on Santa Barbara approximately 20 years later.

Pic #2 is from Capridge.com