Blair Underwood: Hardest Working Man in H'wood

"Of all the things on the show that I've managed to get out there, the creation of this character, a very powerful and wealthy African-American man who also shines a light on American history, is one of the things I'm most proud of," he said.

With the Darlings representing old world privilege, Wright wanted Elder to be "an outsider in every possible way, someone whose political and social values stand in opposition to them," he said. "So I concocted this notion of a mysterious African-American billionaire who made his money in technology but whose provenance extends from a surprising place."

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That place is Russia. Elder's back story is that his parents worked as hired help for the Darling family in 1940s and '50s New York. When the couple attended a Communist Party meeting, the Darlings had them deported to the Soviet Union. Soon after Elder's parents arrived in Russia, they were killed and Elder was sent to a Russian orphanage where he grew up nursing his resentment toward the Darlings.

"Dirty Sexy Money" may be a "splashy, trashy network soap," as Wright put it, but Elder's back story is also grounded in history. During Jim Crow segregation, the Communist Party defended the rights of black Americans and recruited them to the party. Some blacks even migrated to Russia.

Underwood loves the history behind his character. "People have a chance to be educated and entertained at the same time," he said.

"Fans of the show recognize that it is a unique hybrid," said Wright. "The show has enough literacy and genuine emotion that it's a guilty pleasure you don't have to feel guilty about. Blair's performance is a perfect example of that. He's making all kinds of nasty things happen but doing so from within a character we've never seen before."

Fortunately, the role came to him. "He was my first choice," Wright said. "Blair is the perfect guy for it, so likable and charming. I knew when I wanted to find someone to play that character, I wanted to go against type and make him trustworthy and friendly. And the TV audience really trusts Blair."

This season, Wright said, viewers can expect Elder to cement his relationship with daughter Karen Darling (wedding bells?) as a way of getting a foothold into the Darlings' business empire and pursuing his goal of destroying the family.

In his 23rd year in show business -- his first recurring role was as Bobby Blue on the soap "One Life to Live" -- Underwood is not only more selective about the roles he chooses but he's expanded beyond acting in order to create more roles for himself.