With only three weeks of episodes of Guiding Light remaining, I'm taking some time to reflect on some of the serial's most memorable actresses.
10. Joie Lenz as Clone Reva and Michelle Bauer. In 1998, Guiding Light heroine Reva Shayne was presumed dead after a plane crash. So her grieving lover Josh Lewis did what anyone else would do: he had Reva cloned. Thanks to a miracle growth drug (don't ask), Clone Reva (or Cleva, as she was called online) grew up quickly. And I mean quickly. Actress Joie Lenz (now known as Bethany Joy Galeotti) portrayed teenage clone Reva. Lenz so impressed the powers that be and viewers that Guiding Light brought her back later in 1998 to assume the role of heroine Michelle Bauer. Lenz's Michelle was soon teamed with mob scion Danny Santos in a popular love story. Lenz departed Guiding Light in 2000 and has since gone onto fame on One Tree Hill. Here's Lenz in a scene as the teenaged clone. Over the top story line. But a raw and riveting performance.
9. Amy Ecklund as Abigail Blume Bauer. In 1995, Reva Shayne showed up alive in Amish country after being presumed dead five years earlier. Reva, who had amnesia, was living with the Blume family and had become good friends with the Blume's young daughter, Abigail, who was deaf. In time, the sheltered and shy Abby came to Springfield and fell in love with Dr. Rick Bauer. Ecklund's performance was endearing and heartfelt. In 1997, Ecklund was presented with a powerful story wherein Abby was brutally attacked by a thug. Abby's attacker, Roy, went on trial for attempted rape but was eventually exonerated, leading to a dramatic and surprising showdown in the courtroom. Ecklund stayed with Guiding Light until the summer of 2000. Her presence in Springfield is missed.
8. Mary Stuart as Meta Bauer. Daytime legend Mary Stuart had played Joanne on Search for Tomorrow from the serial's premiere in 1951 until its cancellation in 1986. A decade later, in 1996, Stuart joined the cast of Guiding Light as Meta Bauer who had been off the canvas since the early 1970s. Stuart served as Guiding Light's matriarch until her death in early 2002. Stuart's Meta was a supporting character in every sense, offering loving advice to her family and friends and occasionally sparring with enemies, most notably her niece Michelle's biological mother. After Stuart's death in early 2002, Guiding Light paid tribute to the legendary actress. This clip features Guiding Light's beloved mantra, "There is a destiny that makes us brothers..."
7. Jane Elliot as Carrie Todd Marler. In 1981, actress Jane Elliot, fresh from her stint as bitchy Tracy Quartermaine on General Hospital, joined Guiding Light as heroine Carrie Todd, a new employee at Spaulding Enterprises. Carrie was soon paired romantically with attorney Ross Marler. In time, it was revealed that Carrie had quite a dark side: not only did she have multiple personalities, but she had also committed a number of murders. Elliot's performances were riveting and were the reason I first turned on the Light back in April 1982. Unfortunately, Elliot was fired from the serial shortly after and Carrie faded forever from Springfield in July 1982.
6. Kim Zimmer as Reva Shayne. Kim Zimmer joined the cast of Guiding Light in November 1983 and quickly garnered the interest of the show's fans. Zimmer's Reva was one-of-a-kind in every way. A dirt-poor girl from Oklahoma, Reva showed up in Springfield as a sexy schemer and, over the years, developed into a warm, loving matriarch. Zimmer was presented with lots of meaty -- and preposterous -- material over the years: She married her way through the Lewis family: patriarch HB and his sons Josh and Billy. She attempted suicide. She suffered post-partum depression. She was presumed dead a number of times. She was an amnesiac. She was Amish. She was a princess. She traveled through time. She battled cancer and leukemia. Yet, through it all, Kim Zimmer's passionate and bold portrayal of Reva Shayne earned her legions of fans and numerous Emmy awards. Here is Zimmer in one of her most memorable performance as Reva declared herself the slut of Springfield.
Well, that's the first first 5 most memorable actresses. Up next? Reva's arch-nemesis, the heart of the Bauer family, a regal baroness, a girl from the other side of the tracks, and the actress who was and is the epitome of Guiding Light.
