"I'm Just Very Ambitious" by Dorothy Vine Afternoon TV, July 1978 Biff Warren plays Mark Lewis on "As the World Turns". Biff has come a long way since he began singing at his father's nightclub in Mississippi. But Biff feels that he hasn't come far enough, fast enough. Even if he weren't already an accomplished songwriter and singer, Biff Warren would have plenty to sing about! In addition to one successful Columbia Records album ("The Kids from C.A.P.E.R.) and one solo album in which he sings his own songs, Biff has had a tremendous response to his role on "As the world turns." Since the writers of "As the World Turns" have gotten his long-suffering character out of the hospital bed and onto his feet, Biff's growing army of fans hope he's stay well a long time so they can see more of him. At the age of 23, with two careers going, the blond good-looking actor has come a long way from his father's "backwoods" restaurant-nightclub in Jackson, Mississippi, where as a small child, he hummed along with the visiting "good, hard Southern bands" and then started singing publicly at age 11. But Biff doesn't feel he's come far enough. "I feel things have been happening too slowly - that I haven't done enough." His words come quickly in the remnants of a soft, Southern accent, but it's obvious he's thinking carefully about what he's saying. And candidly, he adds, "It's one of my problems, I think - being dissatisfied at where I am. I'm just very, very ambitious and there are a lot of things I've yet to do - like films - which I haven't done and which I'm looking forward to doing." It was this strong ambition, coupled with a strong sense of mission and belief in his talents, that made him leave school (University of Mississippi), home and family at 18. His family was large (six sisters, one brother), close, happy, and protective. He was not running away from them or poverty, because it was a "comfortable, middle-class, suburban family" and his father was paying his college tuition. Rather, he was running to his future. But his parents didn't see it that way. "They were furious about it," he admits. "They told me I couldn't go. They thought it was a crazy thing for me to do and thought I was making a big mistake. But I went, anyway. Somehow I knew that was the right time for a break. Although they knew that all my life I wanted to be a performer, they weren't for it and couldn't understand. They believed in me, but didn't see what I saw in myself - a feeling that I would be successful. And there was no way I could explain to them that this was something I had to do. I just had to do it!" That early determination is still in his eyes and voice. And though the confidence is still strong, there is not conceit. And, surprising in one so young, there is a mature understanding of his parents' position. "It hurt them, I guess - like it would any parents when their first son, just turned 18, says, 'I'm leaving - I'm going off to California.' They hated to see me go and would have liked for me to finish school. They thought it was fine to venture out on my own, but felt I was a little too young. I know they were trying to look at what was best for me and told me that singing in daddy's club at 11 and being on my own in Los Angeles at 18 were two very different things." Once they realized his mind was made up, they told him if he went, they would not support him. "They weren't trying to be mean about it," Biff explains. "But they probably thought if they would dish out money to support me, it could go on forever. They made it very clear if I was going to make it, I'd have to do it on my own." And that's exactly what he proceeded to do. To get to California, he had forty dollars and "had to write a hot check to get there." Once there, he was flat broke. Looking for work, he took anything he could find - insurance underwriter, paralegal work for a law firm and "ten million other things." Nothing was too difficult or too menial. But looking back on his very first job he got, he laughs as he realizes it was probably the kind of thing his parents were worried about it. So naïve that he didn't know a 'go-fer' was the lowest job on any production set, and meant going for coffee for cast and crew, doing odd jobs and sweeping the sets, he jumped at the job offer. "When I got to the set and saw what was taking place, I'll never forget my feelings of shock and surprise. It was a porno film! There they were filming, while I was busily sweeping up the sets! Then, when the film was over, the people just took off and I never even got paid!" Luckily, things picked up quickly after that for the ambitious young performer. The first agent he went to see sent him to try-out for a part in "Shirt Skins," a TV Movie-of-the-week. It's obvious Biff delights to tell the story of the hotly contested part he won - a one line part! He said to Bill Bixby, the star of the movie, "Would you sign here, please?" He enrolled in UCLA for a short time and studied acting with the Melrose Theater. After several other, bigger parts, he landed on the NBC series "The Kids from C.A.P.E.R." which lasted about one year. It was while on this show he was referred to drama coach Helen Westcott, a former stage and screen actress, once associated with method acting and actors. Biff is, characteristically, enthusiastic and appreciative of the important influence she had on his acting career. "She was my salvation. She was really the one who stimulated me and molded me professionally. She gave me a strong foundation to work from and gave me confidence to do everything I've been doing. She never beat around the bush, but immediately and always insisted on working with very difficult material." That was the best kind of training a young, beginning actor could have and it helped him with the Mark Lewis role he got on the popular CBS program, after the successful screen test he did with Marie Masters (Susan Stewart). He'll never forget his first day on "As the World Turns." "It was very different from everything I'd done before and I was very confused. I didn't know where to go or what to do. I was sitting in my dressing room and hadn't really met anyone yet. Then someone told me, 'The producer wants to see you in his office.' I went there and met a few people and they sort of slapped me on the back and said, 'Go to it.' After that, I was as confused as I was before." "Then, too, it's hard to go on a show where the majority of people have been on for such a long time and most of them are a lot older than you. But the people who are more my age, like Marcia McClain (Dee Stewart), Martina Deignan (Annie Stewart), and Wayne Hudgins (Beau Spencer) were open and friendly with me." But now, he's getting used to the routine on the set, as well as to life in New York City, which is a lot different from Jackson, Mississippi, and from Los Angeles, where he spent four and a half years. "I love New York. It drives me crazy sometimes, but I love it! The coldness of the people disturbed me when I first got here and I just wasn't use to so much go-go energy all the time. But now I'm caught up with it." He's so caught up with it, in fact, that he's rented an attractive apartment in a pleasant brownstone on New York's West side and is slowly and tastefully furnishing it in warm earth tones. He misses the greenery and open spaces of the country, so he's happy his apartment overlooks a garden - even if it's small and doesn't belong to him. Part of the enjoyment he finds in New York is in what he's doing. "I'm enjoying working on 'As the World Turns' very much. It's giving me the wonderful experience of working at developing a role and yet give me the free time I need. I'm still studying - I take voice lessons, acting, and exercise and write my music. I'm trying to get as much out of New York as I can while I'm here." It's the kind of grueling schedule only a 23-year-old could sustain, since it also includes jogging in New York's Central Park, no matter what the weather. He's very athletic and misses the surfing, water skiing and riding he did in California. He also misses his horse, Charizmo, who was left in the trusted care of a very good friend in Malibu. Biff swears, with an absolutely straight face, that Charizmo watches the show every day. He doesn't say, though, whether a fan letter has been forthcoming yet. Although there is tremendous concentration on his career, Biff Warren has not lost sight of the fact that he is a whole person. "I think there's much more to life than being successful in a career situation. I could be tops as a singer and actor and get ten awards in one year and not be a successful person. "I want to know that I have taken the responsibilities that have come into my life and handled them in a positive and good way. I want to be a good friend and take the time to help people. I want to feel good about myself - and act so that I don't have any guilt or bad feelings about anything I've done. "I hope I'm in this business for some other reason than self-gratification and my ego. I hope I'm doing it because I have something to give people. There are so many young people my own age in the world who have the feelings that they're the only ones who have problems. So when they see Mark Lewis, they can say, 'Hey, look at this guy - he's got lots of problems and he's getting over them.' And through my music, I'd like to make people happy. I hope I'm not just taking the money and running. I hope my career benefits someone in some way." And yes, there is someone special in his life - a dancer he met in New York, who hopes to be an actress. But here, too, his way-beyond-his-years-wisdom leads him to conclude, "It's hard having relationships at this time in my life. Because I'm so pre-occupied with my career, it's hard for me to have the time to spend with someone. If you have a relationship, you have a responsibility to that person. Right now my time is too scattered, but I'm sure there will be time when I can go into marriage and have all the important things I want, like having children." Family is important to him and he is still close to the family he left behind. They're all proud of him and proud of what his determination and commitment have accomplished. And Biff, too, has a good feeling about what he's doing with his life. "I'm very happy now. My life is terrific! Everything's evolved for me and things just fell into place and I've enjoyed everything I've done. I've been really lucky and that's why I can't help but believe that someone up there is looking out for me."