When Guiding Light aired its last episode in September of 2009, the last word went to Reva Shayne, the beloved brassy broad played by four-time Emmy-winning acclaim by actress Kim Zimmer. Now, for her next role, Kim is returning to some of her daytime roots: In 1983, Kim was on One Life to Live as Echo DiSavoy, a photographer with an eye towards busting up the happy marriage of Clint and Viki. Now, Echo makes her return after a 27-year absence. What brings her back to town? And how has Kim Zimmer felt getting back into the Llanview fray? We got a chance to ask her such questions and more.

We asked Kim if, when Guiding Light ended, she was hoping to get back in the game on another show, or if the OLTL opportunity was totally unexpected. "I wanted to get back in the game immediately," Kim said, but no offers came, much to her chagrin.

"I was expecting to be snatched up by at least another show at CBS, but that didn't happen. So when Frank [Valentini, executive producer of OLTL] called out of the clear blue, it was a blessing. It's great to just be working in a traditional soap opera venue again, you know, with a real studio and real lights and real cameras. Real wardrobe! Real makeup!"

Right! That's gotta be a change of pace from the [final years] of Guiding Light.

"Yes, yeah, so that's been a real treat for me. And of course I'm working with a lot of ex-Guiding Lighters, and a lot of people I know from various walks of life. Hillary Bailey Smith [Nora on OLTL], I worked with her on The Doctors years and years and years ago! Ilene Kristen who plays Roxy, I worked with her in the theater years and years and years ago! You know, there's a lot of tradition there at One Life for me."

So on One Life, as you've just said, you're working with some old colleagues. Including some Guiding Light alumni in Gina Tognoni [Kelly] and Jerry VerDorn [Clint]. Obviously, with Clint and Echo's past, your onscreen relationship with Jerry is going to be quite different.

"Yes, Ross [Jerry VerDorn's character on Guiding Light] and Reva, we had little scenes in the courtroom here and there, but certainly never to the extent that Clint and Echo were involved. So whenever Jerry and I have scenes together, I find myself just kinda giggling through them, because Jerry's playing ... you know, Clint's turned into this bit of a bad guy, and I'm seeing Jerry, who is the sweetest man on the face of the earth, and it kinda makes me giggle. So it's been a lot of fun."

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