Prince of Prime Time

ANDREW SHUE '89 is Dartmouth's latest professional heartthrob. He plays Billy, a struggling writer/cab driver, on "Melrose Place," Fox Broadcasting's weekly drama about eight twentysomethings who live in the same L.A. apartment complex. Not bad for someone whose only prior multiple-line speaking role was as Buddha in a sixthgrade school play.

Shue is the first to admit that he had an "in" for the role through sister Elisabeth Shue (of "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Cocktail" fame). After a stint as a teacher in Zimbabwe where he also played professional soccer for the Bulawayo Highlanders—Shue moved to New York and took acting lessons with his sister's instructors. He went to Hollywood last February and within a month was discovered by mega-producer Aaron Spelling.

One secret Shue attributes to his success: risktaking and goal-setting strategies learned from Dartmouth soccer coach Bobby Clark who, in 1988, led Shue and his teammates to the College's first Ivy League championship in 25 years. Shue pays homage to Big Green soccer every time the "Melrose" opening credits roll. In them he sports a bona fide Dartmouth soccer tee shirt (it actually belongs to Andrew. Wiese '9l, his former teammate and current roommate). "The costume designer wasn't psyched about the shirt," says Shue. "But the director thought it was great so I got to wear it."

After soccer(inset), Shuenow plays tothe cable crowd.