Iowan debuts in soap opera today

A 21-year-old central Iowa native will debut on a soap opera today. Brandon “B.J.” Routh is a 1998 graduate of Norwalk High school who landed a modeling contract during his freshman year at the University of Iowa. He said his mother told him he should pursue a modeling career, but he was skeptical at first.Routh’s first speaking role came on the short-lived A-B-C show “Odd Man Out” and he’s been on M-T-V’s “Undressed” and the W-B’s “Gilmore Girls.”His first big break, though, was when his modeling agency got him a role in the Christina Aguilera music video “What a Girl Wants.” While he did all sorts of acting in high school, B.J. never thought much about making it a career. He says he thought he’d have to go to New York and study acting to make it, but later found out it doesn’t work that way.B.J., the son of Ron and Kate Routh of Norwalk, says he comes from an “artistic family.” His mother and sister are singers and his dad plays the drums.B.J. now portrays “Seth Anderson” on “One Life to Live” and his first appearance is today. B.J. has been on the job just a few days, but did attend last Friday night’s Daytime Emmy Awards. As he walked the red carpet, he heard people whispering “Who’s he?”, but take a picture anyway.