Ingo Rademacher

A handsome, German-Australian actor, Ingo Rademacher went from playing a surfer on "Paradise Beach" (Nine Network, 1993-94) to becoming one of the world's most popular soap studs, the aggressive Aussie Jasper "Jax" Jacks on "General Hospital" (ABC, 1963- ). Winning two Soap Opera Digest Awards and daytime stardom for his supercouple romance with Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil), Rademacher jumped ship in 2000 for a plum role on Aaron Spelling's short-lived "Titans" (NBC, 2000), but soon returned to "GH" where he remained until 2011. Phasing himself out slowly, Rademacher left the show as a series regular but returned frequently for guest spots while also branching out with TV roles on such shows as "Hawaii Five-0" (CBS, 2010- ) and in feature films, including a supporting turn in the thriller "Alex Cross" (2012). A highly decorated and devoted amateur athlete, Rademacher moved to Hawaii in 2012 to focus on his training and competitions, but made millions of hearts flutter when he signed on for "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ) as the partner to his fellow Australian, Kym Johnson.

Athletic and effortlessly charming, Ingo Rademacher remained a sexy favorite with many daytime fans, decades after his soap debut.

Born April 22, 1971 in Iserlohn-Letmathe, West Germany, Ingo Rademacher became a skiing and equestrian champion as a child in his native country, but mostly grew up in Australia, where his family worked on a cattle and goat ranch before settling into farming. Blessed with an athleticism and adventurous nature, Rademacher spent most of his teen years working on the family farm or training to compete in various Ironman events. Surprisingly, he found himself bitten by the acting bug once he graduated high school and moved to Sydney. Rademacher's striking good looks and innate talent helped him land his debut screen role as a surfer on the Down Under soap "Paradise Beach" (Nine Network, 1993-94). Although the series quickly wiped out, Rademacher rode its wave all the way to Los Angeles, where he booked his star-making role on the popular sudser "General Hospital" (ABC, 1963- ) as Jasper "Jax" Jacks, a cocky corporate shark with a hidden agenda who finds himself unwittingly falling for the beautiful but troubled Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil). So popular was his character that he succeeded in doing what many soap watchers deemed impossible: proving a viable threat to the fabled romance between Brenda and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard).

One of the soap world's beloved supercouples, the ups and downs of Jax and Brenda's love story intrigued viewers, who were impressed with Jax's charming development from debonair cad to heartbroken romantic, and the actor won two Soap Opera Digest Awards for Hottest Male Star for his work. Buoyed by his success on the show, Rademacher booked fun guest spots on "Clueless" (ABC, 1996-97; UPN, 1997-99) and "Veronica's Closet" (NBC, 1997-2000), but found himself ready for a new challenge and eventually checked out of "GH." He scored a series regular role on Aaron Spelling's new nighttime soap "Titans" (NBC, 2000), playing David O'Connor, a nightclub manager who wreaks sexy havoc among the well-to-do Williams family led by Victoria Principal. When that series proved short-lived, Rademacher was welcomed back to "General Hospital" but also found time to book guest roles on "According to Jim" (ABC, 2001-09) and "Hawaii Five-0" (CBS, 2010- ).

In 2011, the actor left "General Hospital" as a series regular for good, although he continued to make guest appearances. The following year, he made his film debut with a supporting role in the Tyler Perry detective flick "Alex Cross" (2012), but he increasingly turned his attention to his athletic pursuits. Although he had long been an enormously successful amateur athlete, including winning multiple racing, beach volleyball and triathlete events, Rademacher kicked it up a notch by moving to Hawaii in 2012, where he devoted much of his time to stand-up paddle board racing. He accepted a much more unique athletic challenge, however, when he signed up as a hoofer, paired with fellow Aussie Kym Johnson, to compete on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ).

By Jonathan Riggs