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Reva Shayne

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Reva Shayne
Guiding Light character
Portrayed byKim Zimmer
Duration1983–1990, 1995–2009
First appearanceNovember 28, 1983
Last appearanceSeptember 18, 2009
ClassificationFinal, regular
Created byPam Long
Introduced by
In-universe information
Other namesPrincess Catherine Winslow
Occupation
  • Volunteer at the Cancer Institute
  • Executive at Lewis Oil & Construction
  • Bartender
  • Telejournalist at WSPR
  • Host of a talk show on WSPR-TV
  • Shareholder at Lewis Oil
  • Nurse's Aide
  • Photographer
ParentsHawk Shayne
Sarah O'Neal Shayne
BrothersRussell Shayne
SistersRoxie Shayne
Half-sistersCassie Layne Winslow
Husband
  • Billy Lewis (until 1984)
  • H.B. Lewis (1984–1986)
  • Alan Spaulding (1988)
  • Joshua Lewis (1989–1995, 1999–2000, 2002–2007)
  • Richard Winslow (1990)
  • Buzz Cooper (1996)
  • Jeffrey O'Neill (2008–2009)
ChildrenDylan Lewis
Marah Lewis
Shayne Lewis
Jonathan Randall
Colin O'Neill
GrandchildrenDaisy Lemay
Sarah Randall
Henry Cooper Lewis
AuntsJune O'Neal
Other relativesTammy Layne Winslow
Roger Joshua Jessup
William Winslow

Reva Shayne is a fictional character from Guiding Light, played by four-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Kim Zimmer from November 28, 1983, to July 23, 1990, and April 28, 1995, until the show's final episode on September 18, 2009.[1] Zimmer has become such a celebrated performer that she is often considered to be an "icon" in the daytime drama industry.

Casting and characterization

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Kim Zimmer is often regarded as one of the most popular performers ever to appear on CBS' Guiding Light and on all of daytime television.[2][3] Zimmer has been with the show from 1983-1990 and 1995 until its final episode of 2009, spanning 21 years of storyline for the character. Zimmer's career in daytime soaps outside of her most notable role include Bonnie Harmon on ABC's One Life to Live in 1978, Nola Dancy Aldrich on NBC's The Doctors from 1979-1982 when she took over for her eventual Body Heat co-star Kathleen Turner[4] and Jodie DeWitt Walker on Santa Barbara from 1992-1993.[5][6] In 1983, Zimmer returned to OLTL as a new character, Echo DiSavoy, but left several months later. She returned in October 2010 after a 27-year absence and remained with the show until the following year.[7][8][9] The actress recalled being in conversations to join other soaps when One Life to Live executive producer Frank Valentini asked her to return.[10] Zimmer also appeared in ABC's MacGyver and FOX's Models Inc.[11] and on NBC's Seinfeld in the 1995 episode "The Diplomat's Club".[12] Zimmer's character was celebrated and immortalized in the release of "The Reva Shayne Collection" DVD set by Soap Classics in 2012, which included episodes such as "Reva’s debut on November 28, 1983, the infamous "Slut of Springfield" fountain episode from July 31, 1984, Reva's presumed death in 1990, "Like Mother, Like Son" from November 17, 2004 (Reva and Jonathan's dip in the fountain) and "Reva and Josh 4-Ever", a special episode on the day of Josh and Reva's divorce on April 12, 2006."[13] Zimmer has won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series four times in 1985, 1987, 1990 and 2006 and has been nominated eleven times in the same category.[5][14]

Following the end of GL, Zimmer released her autobiography I'm Just Sayin': Three Deaths, Seven Husbands and a Clone! My Life as a Daytime Diva in August 2010.[15][16][17] The book followed her career and her own personal struggles over the years.[18] Zimmer believed that the book will make the public see her for who she truly is and said, "When you’re with a character that long, sometimes it makes you wonder, Who am I? The book will correlate Reva to Kim, hopefully with humor."[19] Zimmer has also appeared in numerous stage productions, including Sunset Boulevard, Blood Brothers, Gypsy, The Rainmaker,[20] Love, Loss and What I Wore,[21] Odysseus D.O.A.[22][23] and Lost Boy Found in Whole Foods, which raised funds for awareness about the genocide in Darfur.[24] Zimmer also participated in ABC Daytime Salutes Broadway Cares in 2010[25] and appeared with former co-star Robert Newman, who played Josh Lewis in the production of Curtains in 2011.[26][27] In 2012, Zimmer, along with several other daytime actors, began filming for the movie 23 Blast in Corbin, Kentucky.[28] Zimmer also played Madame Morrible in the New Orleans Broadway show Wicked, June 2013.

Storylines

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Reva Shayne has been the focus of various situations throughout her life in and outside of Springfield, Illinois. She has been married nine times to seven different men, has been diagnosed as a manic-depressive, presumed dead various times in which she lost her memory and thought she was an Amish woman and lived the life as a princess, undergone a battle with Dolly, a clone who attempted to overtake her life after her husband allowed a reproduction of his wife after she apparently died[29][30] and traveled through time.[2] A memorable event that led to her presumed death was when she drove off the Bahia Honda Bridge in the Florida Keys, yelling, "I'm coming, Bud!" in 1990.[31] Some of the more sensible areas of her life has been her career as a business executive and talk show host. Reva's biggest battle was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer[32] and suffered from the ordeal again during her pregnancy with her son Colin although she had since been diagnosed with menopause.[33] Reva's cancer diagnosis sent her through an initial disbelief and hesitancy before treatment. her husband Josh Lewis, was in the dark along with the rest of Springfield until Reva was on her deathbed.

Outside of her adventures and traumatic events that altered the course of her life, Reva has made a name for herself in the game of love. Though she married seven men including Alan Spaulding and Buzz Cooper, her marriages within the Lewis family are most notable. She married H.B. Lewis and his son Billy Lewis II but her greatest love was another man in that family, Joshua Lewis.[32] Their star-crossed relationship lifted them into Supercouple status.[34] Their relationship resulted in the births of two children Shayne Lewis and Marah Lewis. Reva also has three other children including Dylan Lewis with Billy, Jonathan Randall with her ex-husband Richard Winslow and Colin O'Neill with her husband Jeffrey O'Neill,[35] who has since been presumed dead although his current whereabouts are unknown. Reva is also the grandmother of Daisy Lemay through Dylan, Sarah Randall through Jonathan and Henry Lewis through Shayne. Reva closed out the show with Josh and her son Colin as they reunited and drove off to parts unknown in the Ford pickup truck as she said the final word spoken on the show, "Always."[36][37]

Reception

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Kim Zimmer is often called "the most beloved character on the show." One of her most memorable scenes include her jumping into a fountain and baptizing herself the "Slut of Springfield".[2] Zimmer's Reva Shayne and Robert Newman's Josh Lewis are often considered to be one of daytime television's most popular Supercouples.[34] Josh and Reva's story began while they were childhood sweethearts before they reconnected years later and continued their blossoming love story, which weathered her two presumed deaths, three divorces and endless external battles. However, their relationship resulted in two children and countless professions of love. [38] Outside of her emotionally charged pairing with Josh, Reva is known for her acts of selflessness and love. Zimmer compared her character to that of her One Life to Live character of Echo DiSavoy and said, "Echo is devious. Echo doesn’t do anything for anyone but herself. Reva got into a lot of trouble over the years, but it was in the name of love or the defense of someone. She was fighting for her man or children. Echo is selfish."[39]

Regarding her memorable fountain scene, which is often cited as one of the genre's most unforgettable performances, Zimmer recalled filming that day with daytime columnist Michael Fairman.

"All I know is when I finished that scene I did not hear them call “cut” because it was the most I ever lost myself in a scene. Now, I have had a few of those moments since, but not a lot of them. I mean, I was really good if I had emotional scenes, and I used to piss off one of the make-up artists, because they would say, “cut” and I would crack a joke! Or, I would say I just peed in my pants just to get out of it. But that day after that fountain scene I was lost, and then the crew started applauding. And I can tell you that was the first time I ever had applause on a set before. That was rare. Every body was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop."[40]

—Kim Zimmer, Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps

Zimmer came in at the second spot on We Love Soaps' list of the "50 Greatest Soap Actresses" in 2010. Her longtime co-star Newman recalled his time working with the actress over the years on Guiding Light.

"Kim is one of the craziest, toughest broads on the planet. This also happens to make her one of the finest actors one could ever hope to work with. She is always honest in her work. Nothing is phoned in. Nothing is manufactured. She is the real deal 24/7. She will fight and argue and scratch and claw in rehearsal, but when that red light goes on, she is 100% committed to whatever the story is at that moment. She is a force to be reckoned with. When you’re on camera with Kim, you’d better bring you’re "A" game. She will. Every time."[5]

In 2024, Charlie Mason from Soaps She Knows placed eighth on his ranked list of Soaps' 40 Most Iconic Characters of All Time, writing, "Kim Zimmer's self-proclaimed “slut of Springfield” was one a kind. That is, unless you count that time that she was cloned. (Don't ask!)"[41]

—Robert Newman, We Love Soaps

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Levin, Gary (April 2, 2009). "'Guiding Light' will go out after 72 years". USA Today. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Kantrowitz, Barbara (September 6, 2009). "After 72 Years, Springfield Gets a Stop Sign". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  3. ^ Carter, Bill (April 1, 2009). "CBS Turns Out 'Guiding Light'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  4. ^ Valor, Cathy. "Kim Zimmer - Actress Profile and Biography". About.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #2 Kim Zimmer". We Love Soaps. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  6. ^ "Kim Zimmer as Reva Shayne". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Kim Zimmer Comes to One Life to Live". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on January 6, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  8. ^ Logan, Michael (September 21, 2010). "Soap Veteran Kim Zimmer Joins One Life to Live". TV Guide. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  9. ^ Gore, Scotty (August 28, 2011). "Kim Zimmer Hopes to Remain in Llanview as Long as Needed". Soap Opera Network. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  10. ^ "Kim Zimmer Q&A". ABC.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2010. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  11. ^ Buchanan, Jason (2013). "Kim Zimmer Full Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  12. ^ "Kim Zimmer 411". Soap Opera Digest. Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  13. ^ "Soap Classics Releases Reva Shayne Collection". Soap Opera Digest. February 10, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  14. ^ "DeGeneres repeats Daytime Emmy sweep". USA Today. April 29, 2006. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  15. ^ Merrell, Sue (August 1, 2011). "'Guiding Light' star Kim Zimmer dishes about her soap career in new book". MLive. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  16. ^ Logan, Michael (July 22, 2011). "Finally, A Tell-All That Tells All: Kim Zimmer Dishes About Her New Memoir". TV Guide. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  17. ^ Logan, Michael (May 23, 2011). "The Scoop on Soap Star Kim Zimmer's Upcoming Tell-All Memoir". TV Guide. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  18. ^ Pierleoni, Allen. "Kim Zimmer, aka Reva, tells all in memoir of life in soaps". Charlotte Observer. Retrieved April 16, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ Araton, Harvey (November 12, 2009). "Shopping with Kim Zimmer - When Suds Subside". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  20. ^ Sanford, James (August 20, 2011). "Kim Zimmer talks about portraying Norma Desmond in the Barn Theatre's 'Sunset Boulevard'". MLive. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  21. ^ Lewis, Errol (February 20, 2011). "Actress Kim Zimmer Talks 'One Life' and 'What I Wore' in Exclusive Interview". MLive. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  22. ^ "Kim Zimmer, Guiding Light's Reva Shayne, Stars in CRT's Odysseus D.O.A." Broadway World. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
  23. ^ "Catch Zimmer On Stage!". CBS Soaps In Depth. February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  24. ^ Pace, Giacinta. "Kim Zimmer gives stage presence to Sudan atrocities". NBC News. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  25. ^ "ABC Daytime Salutes BC/EFA 2011". Broadwaycares.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  26. ^ Gates, Anita (May 6, 2011). "Knocking Them Dead Backstage". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  27. ^ "Together Again!". CBS Soaps In Depth. 2011-04-21. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  28. ^ "GL Vets Co-Star In New Film". CBS Soaps In Depth. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  29. ^ "Reva, "Guiding Light"". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2013-01-03. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  30. ^ "Dolly the Clone, "Guiding Light"". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  31. ^ "Goodbye, Guiding Light". Cincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-27. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  32. ^ a b "Reva Shayne played by Kim Zimmer". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2013-10-07. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  33. ^ Hinsey, Carolyn. "As the 'Light' dims, Reva gives birth". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  34. ^ a b "17 Great Soap Supercouples". Entertainment Weekly. January 29, 2008. Archived from the original on April 16, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  35. ^ "SoapDish: Reva pops the question on 'Guiding Light,' no Josh-in'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  36. ^ Huff, Richard. "'Guiding Light' goes out in style; storied soap opera ends, appropriately, on a light note". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  37. ^ "Kim Zimmer Q&A". SOAPnet. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  38. ^ Potts, Kim. "Greatest Soap Opera Supercouples". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  39. ^ Boedeker, Hal. "Kim Zimmer: Daytime diva plays her own shrink in memoir". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2011-11-09. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  40. ^ "The Kim Zimmer Interview – I'm Just Sayin'! Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life as a Daytime Diva!". Michael Fairman On-Air On-Soaps. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  41. ^ Mason, Charlie (August 12, 2024). "You're the Tops: Soaps' 40 Most Iconic Characters of All Time, Ranked". Soaps She Knows. SHE Media. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.

Further reading

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