| Kim Zimmer is center stage again on GL – and ready for her closeup
. Weekly: You were against the show casting Pelphrey? Zimmer: It’s true. Tom was not my first choice to play this character. Weekly: What were you thinking? Zimmer: I don’t know (laughs). After he started, I ran into his agents on the street and said, “Thank God I don’t do your job, because this kid wouldn’t be working.” I saw nothing in him in his audition, except for one note. So that’s been a nice mistake. Weekly: When did you realize you were wrong about him? Zimmer: Actually, it was even before he started the show. I got to know him personally. I could tell there was a lot of depth to him, even though he’s the sweetest guy in the world. He came to the set and watched. Tom would absorb. Then I watched him work with other people, and I knew I had made a terrible mistake. Thank God nobody listens to me! I went to everybody I could and said, “Please don’t cast this kid.” They just nodded and went, 'Really?'. I was like, “uh-hum. I don’t like him.” Weekly: Does he keep you on your toes? Zimmer: In our scenes today, Tom was right there. He came in prepared, which was a little different for me. I haven’t been challenged like that in a long time. I mean, Robert and I challenge each other all the time, but it's comfortable because we know each other so well. Tom always has ideas. He reminds me of me in my youth. You know who else I see in him? Cynthia Watros, who acted with reckless abandon. And Kristi Ferrell (ex-Roxie). There are a select few who don’t check themselves all the time. They throw themselves out there and whatever happens, happens. That’s how I used to approach it. But I got very guarded over the years. I was trying to maintain respect for my character. I was jerked around in so many different directions that it got more and more difficult to be free. I would get defensive and close myself off. Weekly: Are you relieved you finally have a story? Zimmer: It’s not like I haven’t had a lot to do. I’ve had a lot to do, but it hasn’t been good. This stuff now is what Guiding Light is. It’s real, its familial, its good soap opera. I complain a lot, but it's never about being dissatisfied with the amount of work that I have – its dissatisfaction with the quality of the work. I look forward to going to work now. Weekly: Did the new regime assure you that you’d be getting a fabulous story? Zimmer: David Kreizman, head writer, is such a good poker player. Before he was head writer, I would see him at parties and try to engage him in conversations about how miserable I was. He knew what was wrong, but it wasn’t his place to engage me in conversation and find out what I would want to do. We’d pump him and complain to him...ply him with liquor and try to coerce information out of him. He kept his cards close to his chest. I saw him later at a party, after he got the head writer gig, and I congratulated him on a job well done. So far. Weekly: What was your reaction when you found out you had another fountain scene? Zimmer: I heard from an unnamed source that they were looking for a fountain. This person came to me and said, “Are you doing the fountain scene again?” I said. “What are you talking about? You have got to be kidding me. I’ve done the fountain scene twice. I did it as my clone once. I don’t want to go back to the fountain.” Then when I found out that it was Tom who jumped into the fountain, I thought, “That’s interesting...” Weekly: I read somewhere that you would consider going off-contract at some point. Is that true? Zimmer: Things always come out so much later than when I said it. It was when I wasn’t having a good time. But there’s still a part of me that would like to have more freedom. I don’t know how much more I can be challenged here. I need to start focusing on other areas of my career that I’ve let slide. I have every intention of doing a musical on Broadway. I would love to do movies, and the only way you can honestly pursue that is by being available. Weekly: Is it true that you went to bat for Scott Bailey when you heard they were casting the real Jonathan? Zimmer: I went down and talked to them to make sure he was okay. I adore Scott. And Scott was concerned. I didn’t go to bat for him as much as I went down to make sure he was okay. He’s a good ambassador for the show. And I thought it would be a more interesting story if they kept the character around. After I tested with the boys trying out for Jonathan, I said, “If there comes a time when Reva has to make a choice, she chooses Sandy. I’m telling you that right now.” Weekly: Were you upset when Robert left? Zimmer: No, I was thrilled for him. I worked while Robert was gone. But I was upset that they were getting rid of all my kids. I thought: “Wow, they’re getting rid of the family.” For the first time in my life on Guiding Light, I thought: They’re going to wipe us all out. Weekly: Lets talk about the big 5-0. Are you looking forward to your birthday in February? Zimmer: Yes. I’m trying to think of exactly how I want to celebrate. I’ve waited my whole life to be 50, because I’ve always felt I was going to be the next Olympia Dukakis. You know, after the kids are grown, just throw caution to the wind and put myself out there. I’ve been looking forward to this. I’ve always been an old soul. I’m not threatened by the age thing. I keep thinking I’m going to be, and I’m sure I will be. I do know that when I work out it hurts more. When I drink a little too much, I’m hung over for a longer period of time. Things are different. The whole number age thing is something that I know eventually I’m going to have to deal with. But at this point? I’m, fine. |