Agim has been starring as "Aaron Snyder" on CBS's soap opera "As The World Turns" since April 2002. Aaron is a young man who is recently reunited with his new family, and adapts to his new life in Oakdale. In 2004, Agim was rewarded with an Emmy Nomination for outstanding younger actor. Kaba hails from Tampa, FL with his family, Kaba had two pions: soccer and acting. After graduating from high school, Kaba moved to Queens, NY to play collegiate soccer at St. John’s University, where he majored in Fine Arts. Although his dreams of becoming a professional soccer player didn’t pan out, Kaba’s exotic Albanian features caught the eye of a modeling scout. His short stint as a model helped jump-start his acting career. As the World Turns marks his television debut. Agim ( means ''sunrise'' in Albanian) Kaba was born on February 16, 1980 in New York, NY .

 

Agim Kaba To Exit ATWT This Spring

The young hunk quotient on As the World Turns is about to take another hit. The show has confirmed that Agim Kaba (Aaron Snyder) will be exiting the show later this year. According to a show rep, Kaba has "decided to move on" and explore other opportuniries.

Kaba's decision to exit As the World Turns announced exit comes just a few days after SoapCentral.com first announced that castmate AJ Lamas (Rafael Ortega) had been let go.
It would seem that Kaba's exit from As the World Turns would leave a void in the show's storylines. For the past several months, Kaba's alter-ego, Aaron, has been featured quite prominently in the show's storylines. However, in a recent interview, As the World Turns' head writer, Hogan Sheffer, revealed that there were plans in place in case the character had to be written out for some reason.

"I'm hoping the characters in question don't leave," Sheffer told Soap Opera Digest in December. "But if it happens, we're prepared."

At this point in time, a recast looks unlike. A show spokesperson declined to offer comment on Kaba's exit except to confirm that the actor is, in fact, exiting.

In equally disappointing news for Kaba, he and girlfriend on one year Elizabeth Hendrickson (Maggie Stone, All My Children) recently announced their split. The two remain friends, according to a statement.

Kaba joined the cast of As the World Turns in April 2002. In 2004, the actor was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Younger Actor category.

Kaba is expected to air through April.

 

Real Life Couple Agim Kaba and Elisabeth Hendrickson

Elizabeth Hendrickson and Agim Kaba may seem like daytime's newest real-life couple - but they've actually been together for almost a year now.

"She's amazing," gushes Kaba, who met her at Martha Byrne's annual St. Jude Children's Research Hospital benefit last year. "We kept it quiet for six or seven months, and then we couldn't help it anymore - we went to the Emmys. And we got to the point where it's like, 'Well, they're going to find out anyway.' It's not like we were tired of hiding it, but it came to the point where we want to show our love in public. So, at the Emmys, it came out, and everybody put two and two together."

And while Kaba is known for being a staunch CBS team player, it's not a problem to be in love with an actress from "enemy" ABC. "Competing networks, but not competing actors. She's my personal life, and that's a whole different world. I am very competitive about certain things, but when it comes down to me and her, it's me and her. I leave the rest of the world out of it. When we come home, we talk about what movie to go watch, and we laugh and have fun; we never bring up work. We both understand each other's work, so there is no need to explain. And if she ever had a problem with work, I'd always be there to listen to her." (As for Hendrickson, she giggles, "I was so excited the first time I watched him on [ATWT] and realized how good he is. Wouldn't it have been awful if I thought he sucked?") "We love being around each other," continues Kaba. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen - her personality, too. I love to laugh, and she's the one person in this world who can make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in."

Hendrickson is just as gushy when asked about her beau. "He takes care of everybody; he's one of the most unselfish people you'll ever meet in your life," she raves. "I've learned a lot from him; this is actually the first time I haven't been selfish in a relationship! That's when you know you really love someone, when you put your problems aside for the other person."

But the couple might never have coupled had it not been for a high-profile matchmaker: Hendrickson's co-star and good pal Rebecca Budig. "When I saw Agim at St. Jude's, I was sitting with Alicia," Hendrickson explains, "and I was like, 'Oh, my God, the kid behind me is so hot!' Rebecca was there with Mark [Collier, ATWT's Mike, who whe was seeing at the time], and Mark is good friends with Agim. She came over to me and was like, 'There's this kid from AS THE WORLD TURNS who wants to know if you're single.' I was like, 'Which one? Which one?' And she said, 'His name is Agim, I think.' I turned to Alicia: 'Oh, my God! He was looking at me, too!' Rebecca said, 'Okay, good, I'll go tell him.' I said, 'No! What are you doing? Don't say anything! Nooo!' But that's what gave me the confidence to go up to him and introduce myself, which is how the whole thing started. I never would have done it otherwise; I'm way too shy." Kaba scored points with her by calling her the very next day, and the rest is history.

Aside from the happy couple, no one is happier about how it all turned out than Budig. "She's a big supporter of ours," Hendrickson beams. "She's so in love and so happy, she loves to hear about other people being in love and happy, you know?"

CBS' Golden Boy Agim Kaba

Sometime toward the end of last year, AS THE WORLD TURNS, as soaps often do, set out to find its next golden boy. Naturally, it conducted an exhaustive search spanning months of auditions, call backs, and screen tests for the now-coveted role of Aaron until it finally settled on a young man named Agim Kaba. That he didn't look bad shirtless helped. That he was, in real life, very much like the rebellious prodigal son of that legendary rebellious prodigal son, Holden, helped more. Whatever the case, he had been anointed, and ATWT, giddy about its amazing find, got busy promoting the heck out of him. Suddenly, he was appearing in a "y Soap Hunks" story in US Weekly, presenting at the Emmys, and airing just about every day. He is ATWT's best bet for "It"- at least this summer, and if the show has anything to say about it, the whole industry will be buzzing about him. Curiously, Kaba himself is saying very little.

"I don't really talk much because I've learned that when you do, it can come back and bite you in the ," he says mysteriously, refusing to elaborate. "In life, you've got to be careful what you say." Careful is an understatement with this kid, but here's what we do know: He was born in New York City, and at age 7 or 8, the family moved to Clearwater, FL. He has three sisters (two older, one younger). His father now lives in Dallas, TX and owns Italian restaurants. His mother, who is still in the Tampa bay area, works at a doctor's office. A week after graduating from high school, Kaba returned to New York, apparently to attend St. John's University and play soccer. After one semester, he switched majors from business to fine arts. This is where things get a little murky. Over the next three years, he attended two more universities, hurt his ankle, and quit soccer ("but that's part of the 10 reasons why I quit playing"), worked a series of jobs, returned to Florida briefly, went back to New York, and eventually got the job at ATWT after one of his first auditions. According to his official bio, it was his modeling career that launched him into acting, but he doesn't want to discuss that.

He's a bit of a tease, though. Rather than simply not answer a question, he tends to talk in frustrating circles. Whether that's because he has not yet gotten the hand of this interview game or whether he's busy strategizing is unclear, but it's more than likely a little of both. Check out this exchange:

Digest: Did you want to play pro soccer?
Kaba: I had dreams, but... (trails off)
Digest: You must have been pretty good.
Kaba: I wouldn't go that far. I wasn't a bad player.
Digest: So, what happened?
Kaba: That's a whole disaster. I don't even want to get into that. It was just a big mess, lying to myself. I went to New York, then I moved back to Florida for like, three months, and that's when I realized that I had a purpose to being in New York. I felt like I had to do something there. It's a long story.
Digest: Well, that's why I'm here.
Kaba: Yeah, you could say that [laughs]. There were other reasons, but...
Digest: But you don't want to say them.
Kaba: Well, I honestly always felt like something was going to happen...I desired it a lot, I wanted to do it. And when you have a desire, you don't stop. It's not like I gave up on it, like I did with soccer. I wanted to do it. That's it. So, I came back the second time a lot more charged, like nothing was gonna stand in my way. And it didn't.
Digest: What happened then?
Kaba: Things just happened. From one job to the other to the other...
Digest: What kind of jobs?
Kaba: First I was a receptionist at a sports club, then other stuff happened. I like to leave a lot of stuff out because, you know, about my jobs...
Digest: Okay, but you were...
Kaba: I'm gonna make it straight up for you: It was tough, the last year of my life. I didn't think I was gonna make it. But it's a long detailed story, and... I'll hopefully save it for [THE E!] TRUE HOLLYWOOD [STORY] one day. I don't know. I'd rather not say. I don't even like thinking about it sometimes because I'm still in New York, and sometimes, I get these feeling, and I just...

He breaks off there with a wincing groan and defers the next few questions with what seems like an earnest request to leave it alone. It's clear that he's getting a little weary of this game, that this whole business of being "it" is a bit taxing. "It's scary. Some of the stuff I don't really think about because it's like, too much. I'm enjoying it, but I just don't know what's next anymore," he says. "Of course, I want the highest I can get. Nobody wants to stop at the ceiling. But I'm so not used to this business that whatever happens, I'm trying to be cool about it. But I didn't have a job four months ago. That's what I mean. It's overwhelming to a point where I can't show enthusiasm. I don't know how to explain that. I'm in shock."

As to whether all that hype will lead to something bigger, "I don't even think I could think that far ahead. I'm just gonna say this: I'm not gonna rush it. Yes, eventually, I'd like to do that, but I'm happy where I am," says the actor, who does seem to get genuine pleasure out of his camaraderie with his fellow castmates, as well as the stability of a full-time job. "All I know is that I wake up every morning and get to do what I always wanted to do. Security is something I haven't had for years, so that's why I'm very happy. I have a decent job. I can go to sleep without waking up in the middle of the night worrying about something."

He had even considered going back to school, which would mean revisiting that time when things weren't going so well. "I'll get my degree. Make my mom smile and have some kind of back-up," he says. Not that mom needs such reurances. "She's always proud. She was proud of me when I didn't have anything. She's like that. She's one of those ladies you want to [put on THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW], you know what I mean?" And lest we forget, there's also a girlfriend, who, not surprisingly, Kaba won't name. "She was my inspiration. She was always behind me during the hard times. She never gave up on me," he says with a coy smile, thinking of more secrets he's not ready to reveal. "It makes people come back for more," he grins, before adding a more straightforward disclaimer: "The rest is personal, and I kind of want to move on... Eventually, it will come out." For now, thought, he'll keep a few things to himself.

More fun stuff about Agim Kaba

On His Name: "I've had people try to call me Jimmy or try to get away with other things. I kind of get offended because I know my name's tough, and I know it's not like a normal English name. That's just it. If you can't say my name, don't call me."
Favorite TV Show Ever: IN LIVING COLOR. "It was the perfect case. They all made it."
Last Movie He Saw: Unfaithful
One He Thinks Is Better: Y Tu Mamà También
Favorite Movie?: "I have so many favorite movies that I can't even answer the question. That's really hard. Like you can have a favorite book, but you can never have a favorite movie."
Okay, Favorite Book?: "No [laughs]. I don't. I'm not gonna lie to you."

Agim Kaba and his friends

Agim Kaba (Aaron, AS THE WORLD TURNS) and Justin Klosky (soon-to-be ex-Joey, GUIDING LIGHT) are great pals. Kaba happened to be visiting Klosky at the studio for the GL star's birthday. The guys had five minutes to spare, but that's all DIGEST needed to get a glimpse into their friendship.
SOAP OPERA DIGEST: How did you guys meet?
Agim Kaba: Boating accident. No, at a casino.
Justin Klosky: We didn't really meet at a casino.
Kaba: Who cares? Nobody knows.
Klosky: Right. A casino. He was down, what....
Kaba: I bet him $1 million to sleep with my girlfriend.

DIGEST (to Klosky): Did you take it?
Klosky: No way. I would never do that.
Kaba: That's when we knew we were homeboys.
Klosky: Actually, it wasn't $1 million. It was a little less.

DIGEST: So, did you hang out a lot after you met at the "casino"?
Klosky: We bonded big-time.
Kaba: Yeah.
Klosky: We're like the same person.
Kaba: The same people.

DIGEST: Describe that person. Who is he?
Klosky: This is kind of cheesy.
Kaba: Cool. Ummm, honest.
Klosky: Good friend.
Kaba: F---ing handsome.
Klosky: Down to earth.
Kaba: Down to earth.

DIGEST: Humble.
Kaba: F---ing handsome.
Klosky: I would never say that, but I guess so.
(Stephen Martines, GL's Tony, enters the green room and realizes that the tape recorder is on.)
Martines: Do not listen to anything that these two cats have to say.
Kaba: F---ing handsome.
Klosky: We like real people.
Kaba: Yes, yes.
Klosky: That's why we don't get along well with Stephen. (Martines playfully hits him.)
Kaba: Okay, honestly [pause].
Klosky: Don't say f---ing handsome.
Martines: Good-bye!
(He exits.)
Klosky: We're not afraid to express what we really feel. Most guys hide their feelings or whatnot, but....
Kaba: You're going to get us beat up, dude.
Klosky: I don't care! Like emotions with girls and whatnot, as it is, right on the table.
Kaba: Right on the table.
Klosky: With everybody.
Kaba: Honest!

DIGEST (to Klosky): What do you think of Agim's girlfriend [Elizabeth Hendrickson, ALL MY CHILDREN's Maggie]?
Klosky: Love her. She's the coolest, most down-to-earth, caring, an incredible actress, and they are lucky to have each other. It's not even that he's lucky to have her. They are perfect for each other.

DIGEST (to Kaba): Is Justin dating anyone?
Kaba: He's dating.... Dude, answer that question for me.
Klosky: Yeah.
Kaba: Yeah, he's dating.
Klosky: My head has been really messed up.
Kaba: Just say it. Yeah, he's dating.
Klosky: Yeah, I'm dating. I really love this girl right now, but I'm at a weird place.
Kaba: Yeah, he's dating.
Klosky: I'm dating.
Kaba: Okay, next question. We're moving on.
Klosky: That's a buy.

DIGEST: Agim, how often do you come to GUIDING LIGHT?
Publicist: Too often.
Kaba: Yeah. People think I work here.
DIGEST: You're playing Justin's long-lost brother?
Kaba: Pretty much.

DIGEST: Maybe your shows will do a crossover.
Kaba: Then they'd have a handsome problem.
(Klosky laughs.)
Kaba: They can't recast me [with him]. Unless it was just a carnival scene, then they could bring him in.
Klosky: This is going to come out so conceited, but he's just joking.
Kaba: I'm just joking. Make sure you know I'm joking. You know, f--- it. People who know me know I'm joking.
Klosky: They can't print the F word.
Kaba: You know Justin does....
Klosky: Next question!

Agim Kaba is Outstanding Younger Actor Nominee

CBS.com Congratulations!
AGIM KABA: Thank you.
CBS.com How did you find out about your nomination?
AGIM KABA: [ATWT/GL Publicist] Alan Locher called me up in the morning. First he started telling me about all the other [nominations] and then he said [I was nominated as well]. [Laughs] So, I was very excited.
CBS.com Who is the first person that you told?
AGIM KABA: My mother and my Aunt Sonya.
CBS.com How do you think you'll celebrate your nomination?
AGIM KABA: I don't know. [Laughs] I'm still not really believing it! I'll probably have a gl of wine with my friends. I'm not really a party animal, so.
CBS.com Have you spoken to the other nominees for ATWT?
AGIM KABA: Everybody from my show pretty much called me. We're so close. We're like a big, old family. Even my stage managers called me. You know, [people from] hair and makeup. So, I was very happy. I felt very loved this morning!
CBS.com You've been to the Emmys, but never as a nominee. Do you have a good luck charm or anything that you carry with you?
AGIM KABA: No, I don't. Maybe I should carry around a dirty sock!
CBS.com Have you thought about which scenes you're going to submit for consideration?
AGIM KABA: I have a couple of ideas, yeah. I just need to look them over a couple more times.
CBS.com What are you the most proud of in the last year?
AGIM KABA: With my work, just the confidence level has risen. I work with a bunch of amazing people, so to me, work is really not that hard. I work with the most amazing cast is daytime. They're fun people, and they're brilliant. The whole atmosphere here is amazing.

Agim Kaba speaks about his life and family

My father was born in Albania, my mother was born there but she came over when she was a year old. We're all New Yorkers, though. I was born in Manhattan, lived in Queens in the beginning and then my family ended up moving to Florida. I came back to Queens to go to college, to St. John's. I was really into playing soccer, so I went to St. John's to play collegiate soccer. I majored in Fine Arts and acting and stuff like that. I like to think I went from acting to modeling and back to acting, where I feel like I belong.

P is for...:
I got into modeling, actually, in a urinal. At the time, I was a receptionist at the New York Sports Club on the West Side. I was washing my hands in the bathroom, and there was a photographer there. He said, "You should model." And I was like, "Okay." So I signed with Click Modeling Agencies, and they were great. I like modeling. Modeling is fun. It's easy, and you meet some good people. But acting has always been on my mind. I always wanted to act, but it was really hard. I just couldn't find a way to find a teacher. I couldn't find a manager, and I couldn't find an agency. I still don't have an acting agency. As the World Turns was the first interview I ever went on in my life. This was my first go-see for acting. I came back from Europe -- I was in Milan, doing the runway shows -- and I got a script and gave it a shot.

Down to the Wire:
I came in three or four times to audition. Then I had a screen-test. Everything was looking good, but there was still no answer. Although, I thought I was doing well, since every time I went into audition, I noticed there was another person sitting at the table watching me. The last time I went in there, there were six of us actors auditioning. I read with Peyton (List, Lucy). That was really nice. It was cool to interact with another actor. It made you feel like -- this is it. I was kind of nervous. I didn't want to lose it now. So, I decided to bust my balls and just get it. And then (Casting Director) Jimmy (Bohr) called me one more time and he was like, "(Executive Producer) Chris (Goutman) wants you to come in one more time." And now I'm all, "Did I get it? Did I get it?" But, he won't tell me. So they called me in, and Chris brought me into his office, and he said, "Congratulations, you got it." I just basically broke down. Words do no justice. It was just too much for me. Holy cow, this is it!

All About Aaron:
Jimmy explained Aaron and the story to me pretty good. It was kind of interesting. It wasn't like Aaron was a boring character. He sounded really cool. He comes from the show's past, so it's like we're getting ready to jump back into a story. It's exciting. And Aaron and I are alike. I'm rebellious in a lot of ways. I'm usually alone a lot. I travel by myself a lot. I've been living by myself since I was 17, so I can see taking a motorcycle and just taking off like Aaron does. That's something I could do. I feel like I can be him, easy.

Ready, Set, Go!:
I've started taping. My first day was really good, really exciting. I've met so many people. It's a huge crew there, and they're all so nice. I feel so comfortable around them. It's hard to jump into something this big. But they're all being really helpful, and I'm adapting pretty quick. Now it's just time to act.

Off-Camera:
Mostly, I've been spending every day lately reading my scripts. It's time-consuming, but it's fun. I also work out to relive stress. I have family in New York and, of course, my girlfriend. So I spend a lot of time just hanging out.

Local Boy Makes Good:
Tampa Bay is a very big, metropolitan city. It's not a small place. But sometimes you feel like you're in that one neighborhood where you don't think anyone's going to get out and make it. So my parents are like "wow" over this. They don't even know what to say, they're so excited. My whole family is just ecstatic. When you do modeling, they see pictures of you, but when they see you acting, it's like you're actually moving ahead somewhere, achieving something. It's too much. It's almost too much for my family.