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I'm Just Sayin'!: Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life on Guiding Light and Beyond
As the notorious Reva Shayne on the daytime television drama Guiding Light, Kim Zimmer portrayed a vixen, a manic-depressive, an Amish woman, a time traveler, a Civil War belle, a talk show host, a cancer survivor, a loving mother, and a devoted wife. In her more than two decades on the show, she earned eleven Daytime Emmy nominations and four wins, not to mention a legion of loving fans. Now, in this heartfelt memoir, Zimmer delves into her experiences as a daytime diva.
Packed with on- and off-set photographs and behind-the-scenes information, blatantly honest and wildly indiscreet, I’m Just Sayin’ tells all in an insightful journey through the parallel lives of Reva Shayne and Kim Zimmer—and the true stories behind the longest-running drama in television and radio history.
Packed with on- and off-set photographs and behind-the-scenes information, blatantly honest and wildly indiscreet, I’m Just Sayin’ tells all in an insightful journey through the parallel lives of Reva Shayne and Kim Zimmer—and the true stories behind the longest-running drama in television and radio history.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2011
25 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Kim Zimmer
3 books8 followersKim Zimmer is an American actress. She is known for her role as Echo DiSavoy on One Life to Live and best known for her role as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
July 4, 2011
This is an autobiography but really more of a memoir of her life on Guiding Light, where she played the iconic Reva Shayne Lewis. (Yes she had other husbands, but in my mind? ALWAYS Reva Shayne Lewis.)
In case this hasn't come up before, my mom was (and is) a huge fan of CBS' soap operas but of all of them, Guiding Light was her favorite. (Moment of silence, please.) In my hometown, it aired at 3pm, so it was always on when I came home from school. I would usually miss the first few segments* but once I was home, I would watch, too. And it was impossible not to love Reva Shayne.**
So when I saw that Kim Zimmer was releasing an autobiography, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't disappointed, either. While this was definitely more about her professional life than her personal one, I think that makes sense. I mean, odds are everyone who will read this book will do so to learn more about Guiding Light and the people on and off the scenes.
One thing I definitely appreciated was that she was very forthright about mistakes she made and things she wishes she maybe hadn't done. But there's one anecdote in particular that I loved. She confronted a producer at GL about the job she was doing (or wasn't doing, as the case may be) and completely told her off. Show of hands, who would want to do that to their boss? (Or even a coworker?) Read this book and live vicariously. ;)
This was well-written and had a very conversational tone (which I personally need my nonfiction books to have) and was just an incredibly fun read. Recommended to everyone who loves Guiding Light. :) (Especially my mom.)
* = as these were the days before DVRs and even if they weren't, I don't think my mom could've waited the extra 20 minutes. ;)
** = my high school English teacher had a dog named Reva Shayne. True story!
In case this hasn't come up before, my mom was (and is) a huge fan of CBS' soap operas but of all of them, Guiding Light was her favorite. (Moment of silence, please.) In my hometown, it aired at 3pm, so it was always on when I came home from school. I would usually miss the first few segments* but once I was home, I would watch, too. And it was impossible not to love Reva Shayne.**
So when I saw that Kim Zimmer was releasing an autobiography, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't disappointed, either. While this was definitely more about her professional life than her personal one, I think that makes sense. I mean, odds are everyone who will read this book will do so to learn more about Guiding Light and the people on and off the scenes.
One thing I definitely appreciated was that she was very forthright about mistakes she made and things she wishes she maybe hadn't done. But there's one anecdote in particular that I loved. She confronted a producer at GL about the job she was doing (or wasn't doing, as the case may be) and completely told her off. Show of hands, who would want to do that to their boss? (Or even a coworker?) Read this book and live vicariously. ;)
This was well-written and had a very conversational tone (which I personally need my nonfiction books to have) and was just an incredibly fun read. Recommended to everyone who loves Guiding Light. :) (Especially my mom.)
* = as these were the days before DVRs and even if they weren't, I don't think my mom could've waited the extra 20 minutes. ;)
** = my high school English teacher had a dog named Reva Shayne. True story!
September 18, 2011
I watched "The Guiding Light" since I was a little girl. It was especially difficult seeing it canceled in 2009 because I used to watch it with my grandma. Kim Zimmer's character Reva Shayne Lewis was probably my favorite character on the show. She added that special spark to each scene. So I was really excited to read her book when it came out. I was not disappointed. I started it this morning and just finished it. It's thoughtful, fun and personal. It's not gossipy or a tell-all but rather an account through her eyes of how it was. She tells it like it is without being crass, cruel or bitchy. I think that's what makes this particular book appealing. Kim does a great job of explaining what lead up to the soap's cancellation and how it affected her. She makes her own share of mistakes but is quick to own up to them. She is intensely likable and you almost feel like you are actually being addressed personally by her in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. For anyone who watched "The Guiding Light", this is a must-read - especially.
August 16, 2011
The soap world is a unique one, and Kim Zimmer offers readers a peek into her life, both on and off set.
For those who were fans of Guiding Light, the now defunct show that was the longest running soap (seventy plus years!), Kim teases us with moments behind the scenes, with those characters we loved to watch, and sharing what we already knew: that soap actors are real people, with flaws, foibles, and fun quirks.
I especially enjoyed reading more about her personal history, beginning with her stint on The Doctors (another defunct soap); her moments in the eighties on One Life to Live (where she has now reprised a role she created back then); but most of all, the life and times of Reva Shayne, the role that made her famous on Guiding Light.
I recall loving Guiding Light most in its heyday (the eighties), when sets were gorgeous, as were the characters. Those days began to slowly disappear as budgets tightened. Zimmer's description of how the "fadeout" began around 2007, with those awful hand held cameras and outdoor shots, with close-ups nobody should have to suffer, and how that all transformed the soap, and not in a good way...that story lends an insider's perspective on the true "death" of this show.
Not just a scrutiny about Guiding Light, though, "I'm Just Sayin'!: Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life as a Daytime Diva" is an honest, in-depth look into one woman's life, including some very dark moments she suffered after "the end" of the show. This tale offers a portrayal of a journey and how to resurrect one's life even when it seems to be over.
I loved this story, as well as the genre it represents. Long live soaps! No matter if they end up on the web, or another network. At the end of this book, Zimmer leaves us with this parting shot:
"How many out-of-work soap opera stars does it take to start their own network...? Hmmmm?
I'm Just Sayin'!"
Five stars!!
For those who were fans of Guiding Light, the now defunct show that was the longest running soap (seventy plus years!), Kim teases us with moments behind the scenes, with those characters we loved to watch, and sharing what we already knew: that soap actors are real people, with flaws, foibles, and fun quirks.
I especially enjoyed reading more about her personal history, beginning with her stint on The Doctors (another defunct soap); her moments in the eighties on One Life to Live (where she has now reprised a role she created back then); but most of all, the life and times of Reva Shayne, the role that made her famous on Guiding Light.
I recall loving Guiding Light most in its heyday (the eighties), when sets were gorgeous, as were the characters. Those days began to slowly disappear as budgets tightened. Zimmer's description of how the "fadeout" began around 2007, with those awful hand held cameras and outdoor shots, with close-ups nobody should have to suffer, and how that all transformed the soap, and not in a good way...that story lends an insider's perspective on the true "death" of this show.
Not just a scrutiny about Guiding Light, though, "I'm Just Sayin'!: Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life as a Daytime Diva" is an honest, in-depth look into one woman's life, including some very dark moments she suffered after "the end" of the show. This tale offers a portrayal of a journey and how to resurrect one's life even when it seems to be over.
I loved this story, as well as the genre it represents. Long live soaps! No matter if they end up on the web, or another network. At the end of this book, Zimmer leaves us with this parting shot:
"How many out-of-work soap opera stars does it take to start their own network...? Hmmmm?
I'm Just Sayin'!"
Five stars!!
September 11, 2012
**Full (embarrassing) disclosure: I watched Guiding Light from the time I was 12 to about 14. Somehow, despite only having watched sporadically after that, I still know way too much about the show. I never followed Kim Zimmer's character that much, and only ended up reading this thing because it came up in a work discussion and I got curious.**
Disclaimer over. Let's start.
The basic deal is that Kim Zimmer played the wildly popular Reva Shayne on Guiding Light for almost as many years as I've been breathing. In the few episodes I did manage to catch Zimmer, her character was a loudmouth sceeching skwak who tossed herself in fountains (no shit), cried a lot, and was always falling prey to some sort of histrionic fit.
That's what makes you a daytime superstar in America. Not too shocking, I guess.
The authorial voice that Zimmer uses in this book is just as over the top and obnoxious as that of Reva Shayne. It's a lot like reading a long high school yearbook entry (written by one of those I-think-I'm-more-popular-than-I-am classmates whose bubbly writing takes up an entire page) or one of Zimmer's Emmy speeches: extended thank-yous, a lot of not funny TMI tidbits, and irritating one-liners.
The thing is, though I was more than ready to rip Zimmer a new one, I can't do it. The actress -- who I always thought looked like an overweight, alcoholic, over-tanned smoker -- eventually ditches the annoying Reva voice and becomes candid about her weight gain, quitting smoking, and her alcohol abuse. She even dishes some delightful behind the scenes gossip about Guiding Light, the TV show that went from being an American institution to un-watchable trash that was only on at the nail salon.
So, I can't hate Kim Zimmer or her book.
Does that mean you should read it? Absolutely not. Much like the daytime television that made Zimmer famous, this book is a complete waste of time.
Meh. Whatever.
Disclaimer over. Let's start.
The basic deal is that Kim Zimmer played the wildly popular Reva Shayne on Guiding Light for almost as many years as I've been breathing. In the few episodes I did manage to catch Zimmer, her character was a loudmouth sceeching skwak who tossed herself in fountains (no shit), cried a lot, and was always falling prey to some sort of histrionic fit.
That's what makes you a daytime superstar in America. Not too shocking, I guess.
The authorial voice that Zimmer uses in this book is just as over the top and obnoxious as that of Reva Shayne. It's a lot like reading a long high school yearbook entry (written by one of those I-think-I'm-more-popular-than-I-am classmates whose bubbly writing takes up an entire page) or one of Zimmer's Emmy speeches: extended thank-yous, a lot of not funny TMI tidbits, and irritating one-liners.
The thing is, though I was more than ready to rip Zimmer a new one, I can't do it. The actress -- who I always thought looked like an overweight, alcoholic, over-tanned smoker -- eventually ditches the annoying Reva voice and becomes candid about her weight gain, quitting smoking, and her alcohol abuse. She even dishes some delightful behind the scenes gossip about Guiding Light, the TV show that went from being an American institution to un-watchable trash that was only on at the nail salon.
So, I can't hate Kim Zimmer or her book.
Does that mean you should read it? Absolutely not. Much like the daytime television that made Zimmer famous, this book is a complete waste of time.
Meh. Whatever.
February 27, 2012
This book is excellent and makes you feel as though you sat down and had a good talk with Kim Zimmer and learned all about her life. It felt like sharing a conversation with a personal friend. It was so well written, I hope she will write more books.
September 9, 2011
not as juicy as I wanted
March 28, 2024
In the 1980s, I watched Guiding Light with my grandma every afternoon after school. She had been watching -- or rather listening to -- the show since it was on the radio (before TV!). It was our little ritual, and it made me feel closer to her. We shared the experiences of the citizens of Springfield, including the Bauers, the Reardons, the Chamberlains, the Lewises, the Spauldings, and, of course, the Shaynes.
When Kim Zimmer hit the scene in 1983 as the first Shayne to come to Springfield, Reva Shayne quickly became my favorite character. She was so expertly played by Zimmer, and she brought a lot of drama with her. It wasn't long before Reva's siblings Roxie and Rusty followed her to Springfield. We watched as Reva made her way through all of the Lewis men (including the father of the clan!), and then on to the wealthy Kyle Sampson. Still, the romance between Reva and Josh Lewis was always my favorite, as it was with so many fans.
I stopped watching Guiding Light in the 90s as I went off to college and entered the workforce. But my memories of Guiding Light and watching every episode day after day with my grandma are still some of my favorites. When I heard that Guiding Light was being canceled in 2009, I had to record (DVR!) and watch the last episode. It made me cry, thinking about how it was the end of an era.
In this memoir from Zimmer, we learn a little bit about her life, but mostly about her time as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light, including the roles on other soap operas before and after. And, of course, the cancellation of the long-running daytime show. The writing style is super casual. It's like she's sitting in front of you, telling you stories as she recollects them. There was a definite voice to every chapter. Zimmer talks about her ups and downs, both on the show and in her personal life. I loved getting glimpses into behind-the-scenes takes on things that happened on the show. Honestly, I wish there were more, instead of just bits and pieces. After all, she was on the set five days a week for many, many years.
She doesn't often reveal names when she's badmouthing someone, particular fellow actors, which is a shame because I'd really love to know more stuff like that. But she does lay into the show's last producer Ellen Wheeler. Wow. It was no-holds barred.
All in all, it was a quick read because it's so conversational. I definitely recommend it for anyone who was a fan of Guiding Light and/or Reva Shayne.
When Kim Zimmer hit the scene in 1983 as the first Shayne to come to Springfield, Reva Shayne quickly became my favorite character. She was so expertly played by Zimmer, and she brought a lot of drama with her. It wasn't long before Reva's siblings Roxie and Rusty followed her to Springfield. We watched as Reva made her way through all of the Lewis men (including the father of the clan!), and then on to the wealthy Kyle Sampson. Still, the romance between Reva and Josh Lewis was always my favorite, as it was with so many fans.
I stopped watching Guiding Light in the 90s as I went off to college and entered the workforce. But my memories of Guiding Light and watching every episode day after day with my grandma are still some of my favorites. When I heard that Guiding Light was being canceled in 2009, I had to record (DVR!) and watch the last episode. It made me cry, thinking about how it was the end of an era.
In this memoir from Zimmer, we learn a little bit about her life, but mostly about her time as Reva Shayne on Guiding Light, including the roles on other soap operas before and after. And, of course, the cancellation of the long-running daytime show. The writing style is super casual. It's like she's sitting in front of you, telling you stories as she recollects them. There was a definite voice to every chapter. Zimmer talks about her ups and downs, both on the show and in her personal life. I loved getting glimpses into behind-the-scenes takes on things that happened on the show. Honestly, I wish there were more, instead of just bits and pieces. After all, she was on the set five days a week for many, many years.
She doesn't often reveal names when she's badmouthing someone, particular fellow actors, which is a shame because I'd really love to know more stuff like that. But she does lay into the show's last producer Ellen Wheeler. Wow. It was no-holds barred.
All in all, it was a quick read because it's so conversational. I definitely recommend it for anyone who was a fan of Guiding Light and/or Reva Shayne.
November 30, 2011
I grew up watching Guiding Light with my mom and grandmother. I have always loved the Reva character, and I loved some of the history of Guiding Light. But I was very disappointed because of some of the inaccuracies in the book. For example, the man who originated the character of Alan Spaulding was widely known to have died of AIDS. Ms. Zimmer states in the book that she wasn't sure what he died of and that it was probably some tropical disease from his travels. I understand if she didn't want to outright say what he died of, but she had to have known at least the rumors about what he died of. I vividly remember it being widely reported in the news/soap opera magazine. She could have very easily said that he died after a long illness and left it at that. Instead, the story just seems made-up. If you're going to do a memoir, then you have an obligation to be honest in your telling of the story. This is just one of many areas where I felt that the reader was cheated. I still love the show and enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories, but honestly, this book just tarnished my impression of Ms. Zimmer.
June 2, 2018
If you loved GL (which I did) the mentions of the plot lines, and characters will be fun to remember. There's nothing terribly insightful, or moving her though.
July 9, 2024
STILL on my soap kick.
Of the ghostwritten memoirs I've read to date, Zimmer's reads as the most authentic and willing to be vulnerable (Ellen Holly's memoir One Life: An Autobiography of an African-American Actress, which doesn't seem to have used a ghost writer, is in a class of its own when it comes to literary prose). I never watched Guiding Light, although I knew the names of Reva Shayne and Kim Zimmer thanks to a short lived but intense Soap Opera Digest buying habit in my younger days.
Again, it's so much fun to see the names cross over as actors, producers and writers moved from soap to soap (the heydey of daytime drama appears to have been a fairly small and incestuous pond when it came to powers behind the scene, with stars also migrating from soap to soap). Paul Rauch shows up again, this time on the positive side of the ledger, rare for him; Beverlee McKenzie, who features in Harding Lemay's memoir Eight Years in Another World, comes in for more praise here.
Zimmer is quite good on behind the scenes details, something the other "diva" memoirs are coy on (even though she shares a ghost writer with La Lucci), and she is outright candid speaking about the last two years of Guiding Light, which sound like an absolute amateur hour clusterfuck as the neophypte producer Ellen Wheeler (a former soap actress and a well-regarded director) kept cutting corners to please the suits at CBS and Procter & Gamble, only for cancellation to arrive anyway. Zimmer is also open about her relationship with alcohol and her DUI; a social drinker who let her drinking get out of hand as working conditions and the show's quality detoriated, it's a good reminder that alcohol can be seductive but destructive crutch.
Of the ghostwritten memoirs I've read to date, Zimmer's reads as the most authentic and willing to be vulnerable (Ellen Holly's memoir One Life: An Autobiography of an African-American Actress, which doesn't seem to have used a ghost writer, is in a class of its own when it comes to literary prose). I never watched Guiding Light, although I knew the names of Reva Shayne and Kim Zimmer thanks to a short lived but intense Soap Opera Digest buying habit in my younger days.
Again, it's so much fun to see the names cross over as actors, producers and writers moved from soap to soap (the heydey of daytime drama appears to have been a fairly small and incestuous pond when it came to powers behind the scene, with stars also migrating from soap to soap). Paul Rauch shows up again, this time on the positive side of the ledger, rare for him; Beverlee McKenzie, who features in Harding Lemay's memoir Eight Years in Another World, comes in for more praise here.
Zimmer is quite good on behind the scenes details, something the other "diva" memoirs are coy on (even though she shares a ghost writer with La Lucci), and she is outright candid speaking about the last two years of Guiding Light, which sound like an absolute amateur hour clusterfuck as the neophypte producer Ellen Wheeler (a former soap actress and a well-regarded director) kept cutting corners to please the suits at CBS and Procter & Gamble, only for cancellation to arrive anyway. Zimmer is also open about her relationship with alcohol and her DUI; a social drinker who let her drinking get out of hand as working conditions and the show's quality detoriated, it's a good reminder that alcohol can be seductive but destructive crutch.
March 27, 2022
Absolutely loved this.
I absolutely adored this memoir. Guiding Light will forever be a favorite for me. I started watching as a 12 year old in the Philippines (parents were in the Air Force). Kim Zimmer was a favorite. I'm still sad the show is gone. I only wish I could tell the cast how much they meant to me through the years. Thank you for the hard truths and the perfect memories!
I absolutely adored this memoir. Guiding Light will forever be a favorite for me. I started watching as a 12 year old in the Philippines (parents were in the Air Force). Kim Zimmer was a favorite. I'm still sad the show is gone. I only wish I could tell the cast how much they meant to me through the years. Thank you for the hard truths and the perfect memories!
October 14, 2024
Fermo il valore letterario, certo non parliamo di premi Pulitzer o Nobel, questa autobiografia è ironica, sagace, divertente, irriverente e soprattutto onesta, in cui gli errori che inevitabilmente si commettono non vengono nascosti ma diventano occasioni di riflessione e una vita intera viene ripercorsa nel bene e nel male. Il voto più giusto sarebbe 3 stelle e mezzo, mezzo punto in più per i miei ricordi personali legati a Sentieri, che non sono pochi.
February 25, 2020
I intended to just skim this book for info on the time she worked on The Doctors very early in her career (because I have been watching the reruns of this on RetroTV and I love it), but I ended up reading the whole thing and enjoying it. It was definitely a quick read, but I have read many memoirs in the past and was overdue to read another one!
January 8, 2024
I can't believe I just found this book and it's been out for over 12 years...I LOVED Reva Shayne and the whole Guiding Light cast, and to read Kim's stories and highlights, it just brought everything back. Tears, laughter, more tears, and a reality that hit home with her real life struggles on issues.
This book is definitely a must read for fans !
This book is definitely a must read for fans !
June 14, 2024
At first, I kept thinking it was going to be a long read. I couldn’t really get into it. But I was determined to finish it. Once I hit the halfway mark, the book really took off and I loved it. I cried so much. This book broke my heart. But so worth it. Just get past the halfway mark and you won’t regret it.
April 23, 2019
You don't have to be a Kim Zimmer or 'Guiding Light' fan to enjoy this book. It's honest, insightful, and has it's humorous moments. Kim seems like the kind of person you could sit down and enjoy talking to over a beer and pizza!
January 13, 2023
Good Celebrity Memoir
Great memoir by daytimes biggest diva. She lived in my hometown for a few years and was as nice off screen as she was sassy on it. Lots of great stories and behind the scenes gossip!
Great memoir by daytimes biggest diva. She lived in my hometown for a few years and was as nice off screen as she was sassy on it. Lots of great stories and behind the scenes gossip!
July 23, 2025
This book was a joy to read. I grew up watching this show, and "Reva" was one of my favorites! This book gives the reader a behind the scenes look at a very fast-paced business. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
May 21, 2019
I loved this book! The Guiding Light will alway be my favorite daytime soap.
July 20, 2019
enjoyable for GL fans.
September 21, 2021
Fun nostalgic read
October 18, 2021
Like sitting down with a long lost friend. Sure do miss her...and Guiding Light.
February 1, 2022
Ah, Reva Shayne, I've missed you!
January 15, 2025
Loved Reva Shayne back in the Guiding Light days and love Kim Zimmer even more!
June 25, 2025
I love, love, loved Reva Shayne! I don't really feel that I know the actress Kim Zimmer much, if any, better by reading her book. I was honestly disappointed.
April 20, 2024
Fun, read!
I enjoyed this book and I think anyone who is a Guiding Light fan or a Reva fan or a Kim Zimmer fan will love it too.
I enjoyed this book and I think anyone who is a Guiding Light fan or a Reva fan or a Kim Zimmer fan will love it too.
September 3, 2012
Kim Zimmer, famous star of Guiding Light, the well-known soap opera of afternoon television for decades, tells her engaging story as an actress. Whether you are a die-hard fan of this eminent TV show or just interested in what makes actresses tick, this is a very readable and interesting look at the personal and professional life of an actress. Sometimes actresses and their world get a bum rap, and this book is probably more about the norms of such a life than the seedy, outrageous reports that the media often choose to focus on! It's much more enjoyable herein!
Kim Zimmer describes how she was bitten by the "acting" bug at a very early age. Her family always supported her, albeit somewhat worried about the erratic nature of the acting profession. Her years in Chicago are carefully described, a choice of location that she deems truly shaped her skills as an actress in a more positive way than would have been possible in New York or Los Angeles. During that time, she describes the famous actors and actresses she got to work with who helped shape and mentor her acting skills.
Finally, she landed a job with the TV show, The Doctors, which was short-lived but taught her that she could indeed do this type of work Then we learn of her marriage to A. C. Weary, fellow actor, which led eventually to the birth of her three children. A. C. is a stay-at-home Dad for quite a while in order to support Kim in her evolving career. Their deep love and respect for each other is obvious.
Finally, Kim tracks the history, development and eventual demise of The Guiding Light, the show on which she spent so many years acting as the character Reva Shayne in multiple plots and counter-plots. This is the most fascinating part of this memoir as Zimmer describes the role that actors, actresses, producers, directors, make-up artists, agents and more play in making a show run smoothly, addressing the needs of all. It's also the world where the viewer or reader begins to see the role of advertisers and sponsors in not only financially supporting a show but in calling the shots in areas such as wardrobes, number of actors and actresses, and much more.
Even aside from the above synopsis, there is so much more in this funny, intimate, passionate, and dynamic memoir. Kim Zimmer has penned a book that will do much for the profession of acting and opened a world to readers of all types, one that is guaranteed to rivet and perhaps even motivate readers galore! Very, very nicely done, Kim Zimmer!
Kim Zimmer describes how she was bitten by the "acting" bug at a very early age. Her family always supported her, albeit somewhat worried about the erratic nature of the acting profession. Her years in Chicago are carefully described, a choice of location that she deems truly shaped her skills as an actress in a more positive way than would have been possible in New York or Los Angeles. During that time, she describes the famous actors and actresses she got to work with who helped shape and mentor her acting skills.
Finally, she landed a job with the TV show, The Doctors, which was short-lived but taught her that she could indeed do this type of work Then we learn of her marriage to A. C. Weary, fellow actor, which led eventually to the birth of her three children. A. C. is a stay-at-home Dad for quite a while in order to support Kim in her evolving career. Their deep love and respect for each other is obvious.
Finally, Kim tracks the history, development and eventual demise of The Guiding Light, the show on which she spent so many years acting as the character Reva Shayne in multiple plots and counter-plots. This is the most fascinating part of this memoir as Zimmer describes the role that actors, actresses, producers, directors, make-up artists, agents and more play in making a show run smoothly, addressing the needs of all. It's also the world where the viewer or reader begins to see the role of advertisers and sponsors in not only financially supporting a show but in calling the shots in areas such as wardrobes, number of actors and actresses, and much more.
Even aside from the above synopsis, there is so much more in this funny, intimate, passionate, and dynamic memoir. Kim Zimmer has penned a book that will do much for the profession of acting and opened a world to readers of all types, one that is guaranteed to rivet and perhaps even motivate readers galore! Very, very nicely done, Kim Zimmer!
September 4, 2012
I’m Just Sayin’!: Three Deaths, Seven Husbands, and a Clone! My Life on Guiding Light and Beyond by Kim Zimmer and Laura Morton is as spontaneous as Reva Shayne was on Guiding Light, and while most of the memoir is linear in nature, there are moments where the flashbacks are a bit out of sequence — though never hard to follow. Zimmer pulls no punches with her memoir and does not sugarcoat anything that happened in the latter years of Guiding Light, which experienced severe budget cuts and went downhill in terms of quality where production was concerned. On the flip side, she’s also willing to admit her mistakes and allowed her temper to get the best of her when she should have tried a more diplomatic approach when story lines and production were falling by the wayside.
Even more interesting were the early years in which she made some tough decisions about college and acting, when she met her soul mate (A.C. Weary), and when she put her family first and left Guiding Light the first time. She shares some acting techniques she learned, including substitution in which an actor uses real life images and memories as stand ins for the characters’ current situations. Zimmer didn’t find this effective, and in fact, found it very distracting. One of the most interesting things in the book was that she took the bus to the studio rather than have a car pick her up or driver herself to work in the early days, which some of her co-stars found odd. (I applaud her for using public transportation!)
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/09/i...
Even more interesting were the early years in which she made some tough decisions about college and acting, when she met her soul mate (A.C. Weary), and when she put her family first and left Guiding Light the first time. She shares some acting techniques she learned, including substitution in which an actor uses real life images and memories as stand ins for the characters’ current situations. Zimmer didn’t find this effective, and in fact, found it very distracting. One of the most interesting things in the book was that she took the bus to the studio rather than have a car pick her up or driver herself to work in the early days, which some of her co-stars found odd. (I applaud her for using public transportation!)
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/09/i...
March 6, 2014
I grew up in a home where "Guiding Light" was watched religiously during extended "lunch breaks" from my father's hard work. Yes, my father was a fan.When I got married, I carried on the tradition, folding my laundry during the show, until one day my young son Michael urgently asked at bedtime what was going to happen to two of the characters, Beth and Philip, and I realized that my fantasy had become a reality for my child. I abruptly stopped watching the show that day, keeping up with the Spaulding and Lewis clan for several years by scanning the newspaper each week for updates, sneaking looks at the soap opera magazines in the checkout lines, and even calling a toll-free phone number every Friday for an update on "my family." But I never gave in and watched the show again. That didn't mean I wasn't still emotionally invested in the Reva/Josh storyline. Years later I would glance at a cover story in the soap opera magazine and see something related to a "Guiding Light" episode and wonder, "what ever happened to Beth, or Philip, or Mindy, or Josh and Reva?" I was saddened when I heard the show was going to be cancelled even when I didn't watch it anymore. I knew there were fans who never stopped watching it. And yes, I was gratified to think that Josh and Reva could finally end up in a "happily ever after" situation. So,yes, I read this book and enjoyed it very much, with a behind-the-scenes viewpoint of an actress who'd always impressed me with her heart-felt tears and her vulnerability underneath that "bad girl" image.
August 15, 2013
I checked this book out from the library. This is a good read for any "Guiding Light" fan. Like many others, I quit watching sometime in the late '90's when I got busy and the show started to change. I guess it was my generation who stopped watching. I enjoyed the journey and great insights to the character of Reva and the woman who played her.
What I really wonder about is the multi-generational aspects. Zimmer brushes on this because her mom was a fan before she was cast, and watched every episode her daughter was on. I remember watching with my mom, and realize that I don't bond with my daughter over a tv show. When Guiding Light came on (2 in the afternoon in our area) we would stop what we were doing, watch the segment, then continue during the commercials. Or, it would be on and we could listen while continuing on with our projects (folding laundry was our favorite chore). There is no show or shows that we watch like that. So I wonder if this is a symptom of the disconnect between parents and children that now permeates our culture. I don't know, but I do miss the over-the-top sets and the fantastic story lines.
This was very easy-to-read. The voice of the book is consistent and fun.
What I really wonder about is the multi-generational aspects. Zimmer brushes on this because her mom was a fan before she was cast, and watched every episode her daughter was on. I remember watching with my mom, and realize that I don't bond with my daughter over a tv show. When Guiding Light came on (2 in the afternoon in our area) we would stop what we were doing, watch the segment, then continue during the commercials. Or, it would be on and we could listen while continuing on with our projects (folding laundry was our favorite chore). There is no show or shows that we watch like that. So I wonder if this is a symptom of the disconnect between parents and children that now permeates our culture. I don't know, but I do miss the over-the-top sets and the fantastic story lines.
This was very easy-to-read. The voice of the book is consistent and fun.
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