Soap Opera Favorite Kim Zimmer Celebrates Her Birthday

After all the years she spent reigning as one of daytime TV’s most popular performers, Kim Zimmer can rightfully claim that she’s been there and done that — so she’s earned the little celebration that’s due her.

Happy Birthday, Kim Zimmer!

And that’s because she was born on February 2, 1955, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which means that this much-beloved soap icon is turning 69 years old today! Zimmer began her career in the theater before joining the cast of ABC’s One Life to Live as Bonnie Harmon, a pastiche of Patty Hearst.

In 1979, Zimmer was tapped by a casting director at The Doctors to replace outgoing actress Kathleen Turner in the part of Nola Dancy Aldrich. During her tenure with the soap, Zimmer and her work were shepherded by no less than five executive producers and six different sets of head writers.

In response to the constant tumult, and with a child on the way, Zimmer chose to leave. Within six months of her departure, the series was canceled. Also of note, while still employed by NBC, Zimmer made her film debut in Body Heat (1981), a potboiler that starred Kathleen Turner and whose plot was predicated on the women’s similarity in appearance.

In 1983, Zimmer returned to OLTL, but in the guise of Contessa Echo DiSavoy, a schemer of the highest order out to avenge the death of her mother. Afterward, she appeared on Guiding Light in the role for which she would become most well known: Reva Shayne, the oft-married, frequently in peril, spitfire from Oklahoma.

Zimmer continued portraying the character for the better part of seven years — gaining critical acclaim, a legion of fans, and three Daytime Emmy Awards. In 1990, Zimmer resigned from her post, and for the next five years, she found steady employment in programs produced on the West Coast, including episodes of FBI: The Untold Story (1992), Santa Barbara (1992-1993), Models Inc. (1994-1995), University Hospital (1995), Babylon 5 (1995), and Seinfeld (1995).

Zimmer returned to GL in 1995, and she steered Reva through various storylines -including a romantic triangle between Reva, Josh Lewis (Robert Newman), and nutty nurse Annie Dutton (Cynthia Watros), a travel through time, and the rearing of her own clone! — until the cancellation of the series in 2009.

Zimmer’s other credits include a reprisal of the Echo DiSavoy character on OLTL, the feature films Perl oder Pica (2006), 23 Blast (2014), a recurring role on Venice: The Series, and several theatrical productions, including the traveling company of Wicked.

Zimmer has been married to actor/director A.C. (Allen Cudney) Weary since August 29, 1981. Together, they have three children: Rachel Beth, Maxwell Tyler, and Jacob “Jake” Allen. Like his parents, Jake is an actor whose roles include Luke Snyder on As the World Turns (2005) and Animal Kingdom (2016-Present).

Soap Hub would like to wish Kim Zimmer a very happy birthday, and you can, too, by clicking on the X (formerly Twitter) link below.