Kim Zimmer
Born Kimberly Jo Zimmer
February 2, 1955
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Residence Montclair, New Jersey
Occupation Actress
Kimberly Jo Zimmer (born February 2, 1955) is an American actress, best known for her television roles as Echo DiSavoy on One Life to Live and as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light. She has won four Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the role in Guiding Light.
Zimmer’s career began with stage work; an early television role was her portrayal of the character of Bonnie Harmon on One Life to Live in 1978. In 1979, she was tapped to replace Kathleen Turner as Nola Dancy Aldrich on The Doctors. She later appeared opposite Turner in the 1981 film Body Heat in a plot that addressed similarities in their appearance. For much of her stint, she was the show’s leading lady, but left the show in July 1982 on a maternity leave, escorted off the show by her real life husband, A.C. Weary, who played Nola’s newest conquest. She would return one last time later in the year for the funeral of her former mother-in-law, Mona Croft. She had a brief return to One Life to Live from February through November 1983 as Echo DiSavoy. On August 17, 2010, it was announced that after a twenty-seven-year absence, Zimmer would reprise the role of Echo, effective October 1. Zimmer featured in a story along with former Guiding Light co-star Jerry verDorn (Clint Buchanan), Robin Strasser (Dorian Cramer) and Erika Slezak (Viki Lord). She reprised the role on October 1, 2010, remaining a year, leaving several months before the show’s cancellation.
In 1983, Zimmer was cast in the role for which she is best known, the character of Reva Shayne on the television soap opera Guiding Light. Zimmer left Guiding Light in July 1990 and moved to the West Coast for five years, during which she played Jodie DeWitt Walker on Santa Barbara from 1992 to 1993.
In 1995, Zimmer appeared in an episode of Seinfeld (The Diplomat’s Club), as Mr. Pitt’s attorney who suspects Elaine & Jerry of trying to kill Mr. Pitt. Zimmer returned to Guiding Light in April 1995 and portrayed Reva until the show’s conclusion in September 2009. Her character’s pairing with Robert Newman’s Josh Lewis became very popular and the couple has developed into a supercouple and the cornerstone of the soap. Josh asked Reva if she was ready to go home with him and she was credited for reading the last line on Guiding Light to Josh, “Always.”
Zimmer has also appeared in several episodic television programs, including Designing Women, MacGyver, Models, Inc., and Babylon 5 (episode “And Now For a Word”, year 1995). She also appeared in several made-for-television movies.
Zimmer was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the daughter of Burdina Elva “Dede” and Walter Jack Zimmer. She graduated from Forest Hills Central High School in Ada Township, MI, which is just east of Grand Rapids, and then studied at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. She is married to actor/director A.C. Weary (Allen Cudney Weary), and they have three children: Rachel, Max, and Jake Weary. Jake is also an actor; he appeared on As the World Turns as Luke Snyder in 2005, and has had various guest roles, including on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and currently stars as Deran Cody in Animal Kingdom. She resides in Montclair, NJ.
Filmography
1978 One Life to Live Bonnie Harmon
1979-1982 The Doctors Nola Dancy Aldrich Series regular
1981 Body Heat Mary Ann
1983, 2010-2011 One Life to Live Echo DiSavoy Series regular, from March to October 1983, October 1, 2010 – October 14, 2011
1983-1990, 1995-2009 Guiding Light Reva Shayne Series regular, from November 28, 1983 – August 1990, April 14, 1995 – September 18, 2009
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1985, 1987, 1990, 2006)
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1988, 2000)
Nominated – Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (1986, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007)
Nominated – Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1986, 1989, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2003)
1989 Trenchcoat in Paradise Claire Hollander TV Movie
1989 Designing Women Mavis Episode: “The Rowdy Girls”
1989-1990 MacGyver Police Lt. Kate Murphy 3 episodes
1991 Hell Hath No Fury Marlene TV Movie
1991 Keeping Secrets Maureen TV Movie
1992 FBI: The Untold Stories Barbara Oswald Episode: “Lady Skyjacker”
1992-1993 Santa Barbara Jodie Walker Series regular
Nominated – Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1993)
1994 The Disappearance of Vonnie Vonnie Kaczmarek Rickman TV Movie
1994-1995 Models Inc. Joan 6 episodes
1995 University Hospital Dr. Karen Hale Episode: “Shadow of a Doubt”
1995 Babylon 5 Cynthia Torqueman Episode: “And Now for a Word”
1995 Seinfeld Lenore Episode: “The Diplomat’s Club”
2003 Shortcut to Happiness Patty
2006 Little Secrets Nico
2008 The Van Pelt Family Janet Van Pelt Short film
2010 Steamboat Rhonda Web-series
2010 Freshman Father Dean Frost TV Movie
2013 23 Blast Mary Freeman
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