Retired WGRZ Anchor John Beard has been bitten by the acting bug and is now looking to return to LA, not to do news, but to do movies. 

Beard just got back from a screening of fifth season of the offbeat comedy "Arrested Development" held by Netflix in Los Angeles.

The Buffalo News says that Beard, who stayed in Western New York after ending his run on Channel 2's "Daybreak" four months ago, may not stay here much longer because his work as himself in "A.D." went over so well.

After getting feedback from writers, producers and directors at the screening, Beard is considering returning to LA to possibly act in other series or films.

"I'm leaning more and more about coming back out to LA because I've made a lot of connections recently I think would lead to more work," said Beard. "Not TV news work, but other stuff -- everything from speaking engagements to TV, film. Mostly guest star stuff, cameo stuff, and then go to the beach and wait for a residual check. If I do it, I have to do it pretty soon."

"There is a lot of John Beard equity in this town," he added, noting he is even stopped in grocery stores in LA. "The writers, producers and directors all said, 'look you should do other stuff.' I said, 'I'm not connected. I don't have a manager, an agent or anything' and they all were giving me numbers of people to contact and casting directors.

"I can't do that going back and forth. I have to be out in LA and sit down with people and develop that. I'm not going to be a big actor. I'll just do it for fun. This season of 'Arrested Development' is going to raise visibility in a way that I have to cash in on it."

Asked which was harder to leave -- "A.D." or his TV career at WGRZ, Beard had a quick answer that played to why he left "Daybreak."

"I think I would have to say 'Arrested Development' because I was getting more sleep," said Beard as he laughed. "I love this show. If there were 20 more episodes of 'Arrested Development,' I'd want to be in every one of them because it is different from what I did my whole career.

"Although you work very, very long days, it is so exciting and so different and the people you work with are recognizable people that you've seen in film and on TV. Not that that doesn't happen locally. It is just different.

"If I had done acting my whole life and then started doing TV news, I'd be fascinated by TV news. It is new."