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Local fans of the CBS series "The Unit" will have a new reason to watch this season. Along with the characters and plot twists that drew 15 million viewers per episode last season, the dramatic series, which airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on local WKRC, will feature Fairfield High School alum Daniel Wisler in at least four episodes.

"It's definitely exciting," said Wisler, who has been working in Los Angeles since graduating from The University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music in 2004. "I got close with a lot of [other auditions] but it wasn't time yet to have this opportunity."

Wisler has been filming episodes since Aug. 1, and is part of executive producer David Mamet's move to reflect the current makeup of the U.S. Army.

"They're trying to get more younger characters into the cast," said Wisler, who plays a 21-year-old soldier nearing the end of his first tour. Will he choose to leave the Army and take an attractive private-sector job, or will he stay, in the hopes that he might be accepted into the elite force known as "The Unit?" Complicating the mix is the character's relationship with his girlfriend, played by Summer Glau.

"When I got the role it was for three episodes," he said, "which was great —I was excited enough for that."

As the writers have developed the plot, however, Wisler said they inserted him into a fourth episode and indicated that his character may make more appearances.

"Right now I'm still kind of on the cusp," he said.

Landing a role in a major TV series two years after graduation is no easy feat, but Richard Hess, the chair of CCM's drama department, is not surprised by Wisler's early success.

"He's got that thing you can't teach. It's a magnetism, a watchability, a loveability," said Hess. "This is not a surprise in the least — this was expected and right."

Unlike many aspiring actors, Hess did not spend his youth in the theatre. His introduction to acting came late in his time at Fairfield High School.

"When he arrived at CCM he was very green, but he had huge heart," said Hess, who remembers once asking the then-rigid Wisler if he grew up in a military family. He did not.

"We're all laughing now

that he's wearing a uniform," Hess said.

Although Wisler learned a great deal from CCM's rigorous acting program — he was one of 11 graduates in 2004 — he said there were things about the business he's had to learn on his own.

"As far as doing the job goes, CCM prepared me immensely," he said. "But nothing quite prepared me for the grind." Juggling the full-time task of auditioning while working on the side to pay bills took some getting used to.

"It's tough when you have to have all your days free," he adds.

Even with his success on "The Unit," he still regularly goes to auditions, looking for that next role that will move his career forward.

"Again, I'm continuing to get close in some things," he said. "I do feel very fortunate, but I've also worked very hard."

The results of that hard work will be on display starting Friday when Wisler's character makes his debut. This is scheduled to be followed by a one-episode absence, then appearances in three more episodes. More information on "The Unit" can be found at http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_unit.