Shayne Lewis may be headed back to Springfield in the not-too-distant future. A spokesperson for Guiding Light confirms that the show is exploring the possibility of a return of the only son of Josh Lewis and Reva Shayne. Fans should not yet get too excited. The character's return is far from a done deal.
Whoever lands the role of Shayne, if and when the role is recast, will become the seventh actor to play the part. Four actors held down the role in the 1990s and there have thus far been two actors this decade to appear as Shayne. The most recent actor to portray Shayne was Marty West.
Also to be determined is how old Shayne will be when he makes his on-screen return. Born on-screen in 1990, Shayne was "aged" by the show's writers to 18 in 2003. It's been over four years since Shayne left Springfield bound for a Peace Corps job in Bosnia.
Already some Guiding Light fans are speculating about future story for the still-uncast Shayne. Several message board postings have wondered if Guiding Light will use Shayne's return as a catalyst to explore a gay storyline. GL would not comment on possible storyline, noting that it has not yet been decided if Shayne will return to the canvas.