Kimberly McCullough

Kimberly Anne McCullough^[1] (born March 5, 1978) is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her longtime role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital, a role which she originated at the age of 7, playing the character on and off from 1985 to 2001 with a stint in 2004. McCullough later returned to the show in 2005 as a doctor and departed in 2012. She has made sporadic guest appearances since July 2012. However, in August 2013, McCullough signed a contract to return to the series full time.

McCullough has also played the character in one episode of the GH spinoff Port Charles, and in a few episodes of All My Children. In Summer 2007, again as Robin, she played one of the leads in the primetime GH spinoff, General Hospital: Night Shift.

Kimberly is also an ABC Director Fellow where she shadows other directors. And Kimberly recently directed an episode of "Shake it Up" on the Disney Channel called, "Halloween It Up".

Biography

Personal life

McCullough was born in Bellflower, California. She has two older brothers and is of Scottish descent. Her mother is a dance teacher, who took her to rehearsals, and got her involved with acting. McCullough's first appearance was as a 7-month-old baby in a diaper commercial, co-starring with actress Juliet Mills. She started doing gymnastics at the age of 4, and performed as part of a group called the "Gym Dandies." At the age of 6, she auditioned for choreographer Debbie Allen. Allen was eventually won over and cast McCullough in the television series Fame. McCullough followed this up with a dancing part in Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. McCullough was involved in a long term relationship with Freddie Prinze Jr.

Career

In 1985, after failing to land a role on the TV sitcom Webster, McCullough auditioned for the role of Robin Scorpio, the 6-year old daughter of Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers) and Anna Devane (director/actress Finola Hughes). The producers made her audition 12 times but eventually gave her the part and her role became a popular success.^[2]

In 1989 at the age of 11, McCullough won her first Daytime Emmy Award, for "Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series". One of her most memorable storylines began in 1995, when her teenage character contracted HIV after having unprotected sex with her boyfriend Stone, who was unknowingly infected with the virus and later died of AIDS. She won a second Daytime Emmy in 1996 for this storyline, once again for "Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series". In 1996, she took a short break from playing the character when she went off to college for a brief stint at New York University Tisch School of the Arts from 1996 to 1997, although she never graduated or received a degree from the university. On General Hospital, Robin Scorpio was also written out for the same reason, except the character was attending Yale University to study medicine.

In 1998, she returned to the show, but then left once again to pursue other acting opportunities, which included co-starring in the primetime drama series Once and Again and Joan of Arcadia. She also wrote and directed the mockumentary Lil Star about girls in childhood beauty pageants, a story which allowed McCullough to draw on her own experiences. In 2001 she appeared in the movie "Legally Blonde" as Amy, one of Elle Woods' sororiety sisters. After brief returns to General Hospital in 2000 and 2004, she finally returned to General Hospital on a permanent basis in October 2005, with her character Robin Scorpio now a doctor, having graduated from medical school. In November 2011, McCullough announced her plans to leave General Hospital once again in order to pursue a career as a director, and her character was believed to have died on February 21, 2012. However, scenes airing on March 27, 2012 showed Robin to be alive and held captive in an undisclosed location, leaving the door open for her to return in the future. Since July 2012, McCullough has made several guest appearances on General Hospital. In 2013 it was confirmed by producer Frank Valentini that Kimberly McCullough will be returning as Dr Robin Scorpio this Fall in a "it won't be a blink-and-you-miss it visit. McCullough has signed a contract".

In 2011, McCullough directed the short film Nice Guys Finish Last. The film starred Danielle Harris and McCullough's General Hospital co-star Lexi Ainsworth.^[3][4]

Filmography

Awards

All of McCullough's awards and nominations have been for her role as Robin Scorpio on General Hospital.

Won

• (1996) Daytime Emmy, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
• (1993) Soap Opera Digest Awards, Outstanding Child Actor
• (1989) Daytime Emmy, 'Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series
• (1987) Young Artist Award, Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Daytime Series
• (1986) Soap Opera Digest Award, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress on a Daytime or Prime Time Serial
• (1986) Young Artist Award, Outstanding Young Actress – Regular Daytime Serial

Nominated

• (1997) Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
• (1997) Young Artist Award, Best Performance in a Daytime Drama – Young Actress
• (1997) YoungStar Award, Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program
• (1992) Soap Opera Digest Award, Outstanding Younger Leading Actress: Daytime
• (1990) Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series
• (1990) Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Daytime Drama
• (1989) Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
• (1988) Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series

References

External links

• Kimberly McCullough at the Internet Movie Database
• General Hospital bio