Kimberly McCullough
Kimberly Anne McCullough is an American actress, television director and dancer. She is best known for her 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, .
McCullough is also an ABC Director Fellow, shadowing other directors.
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 and Anna Devane. The producers made her audition 12 times but eventually gave her the part and her role became a popular success.In the fall of 1985, McCullough made her debut during the Asian Quarter storyline, which showcased her acting skills alongside veteran actor Keye Luke through the majority of the storyline. 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. Unlike many soap opera characters, her character of Robin Scorpio has never been "sorased" but has aged in real time along with McCullough.
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' sorority sisters. After brief returns to General Hospital in 2000 and 2004, she returned on a permanent basis in October 2005, with her character Robin Scorpio 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. Starting in July 2012, McCullough made several guest appearances on General Hospital, and returned to the role in 2013.
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.
Personal life
McCullough was born in Bellflower, California. She has two older brothers and is of Mexican 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. However, she is not listed in any of the credits, so this is yet to be verified. McCullough followed this up with a dancing part in . McCullough was involved in a long-term relationship with Freddie Prinze Jr., before he met Sarah Michelle Gellar.In her year-end blog post for 2015, McCullough revealed she had suffered the miscarriage of her daughter, at 22-weeks. In her 2016 Year End Wrap Up, she revealed she was pregnant again with her second child. McCullough gave birth to her son, Otis, on June 7, 2017.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
1984 | ' | Kimberly / Dancer | |
1987 | Beauty and the Beast | Abbey | Episode: "Masques" |
1988 | Purple People Eater | Dorra Orfus | |
1991 | Bugsy | Barbara Siegel | |
1992 | Consenting Adults | Lori Parker | |
1985-2000, 2004–18 | General Hospital | Robin Scorpio | Series regular; 1985–2000, 2004–18 |
1996 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | April Morgan | Episode: "Crosstown" |
1997 | Nothing Sacred | Flavia | Episode: "Speaking in Tongues" |
1998 | Port Charles | Robin Scorpio | 1 episode |
1999 | Sons of Thunder | Jennifer Hobson | Episode: "Underground" |
1999 | Undressed | Episode: "Pilot" | |
1999–2000 | Once and Again | Jennifer | 9 episodes |
2000 | Party of Five | Phoebe | Episode: "Taboo or Not Taboo" |
2001 | DAG | Becky Jo Jensen | Episode: "America's Sweetheart" |
2001 | ER | Nori | Episode: "Fear of Commitment" |
2001 | Legally Blonde | Amy | |
2001 | Dying to Dance | Alyssa Lennox | TV movie |
2001 | All My Children | Robin Scorpio | TV series |
2002 | Judging Amy | Melissa Johnston | Episode: "Who Shot Dick?" |
2002 | Crossing Jordan | Isabelle | Episode: "Four Fathers" |
2002 | Family Law | Carly Sifton | Episode: "Big Brother" |
2002 | ' | Deena | Episode: "Blowback" Episode: "Pay in Pain" |
2003 | Cigarette | Mindy | Short film |
2003 | Firefly | Chari | Episode: "Heart of Gold" |
2004 | ' | Vampire #3 | Episode: "Suckers" |
2004 | ' | Audra | 4 episodes |
2004 | ' | Deena | Episode: "Streaks and Tips" |
2004–2005 | Joan of Arcadia | Beth Reinhart | 6 episodes |
2005 | Greener Mountains | Alice | |
2007–2008 | ' | Dr. Robin Scorpio | Series Regular |
2008 | Deena | Episode: "Game Face" | |
2010 | Fake It Til You Make It | Decoy | Episode: "Wayne Brady Tweets" |
2010 | Stage 4 | Eliza | Short film |
2012 | ’’Among Friends’’ | Director’s Girlfriend |
Director
Year | Title | Notes |
2011 | Nice Guys Finish Last | Short |
2013 | Shake It Up | Episode: "Haunt It Up" |
2015 | K.C. Undercover | Episode: "Operation: Other Side Part 2" |
2016 | Pretty Little Liars | 2 episodes |
2018 | Youth & Consequences | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
2018 | All About The Washingtons | 2 episodes |
2018 | Fuller House | Episode: "It’s Always Open" |
2018-19 | One Day at a Time | 3 episodes |
2018-19 | The Conners | 2 episodes |
2019 | The Cool Kids | Episode: "The Cool Kids Un-Retire" |
2019 | It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia | Episode: "Paddy's Has a Jumper" |
2019 | 2 episodes | |
2019-20 | The Bold Type | 3 episodes |
2020 | Carol's Second Act | Episode: "Blocking" |
2020 | Almost Family | Episode: "Permanent AF" |
2020 | Roswell, New Mexico | Episode: "I'll Stand By You" |
Awards
All of McCullough's awards and nominations have been for her role as Robin Scorpio on General Hospital.Won
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Soap Opera Digest Awards, Outstanding Child Actor
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Young Artist Award, Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress in a Daytime Series
- Soap Opera Digest Award, Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress on a Daytime or Prime Time Serial
- Young Artist Award, Outstanding Young Actress – Regular Daytime Serial
Nominated
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Young Artist Award, Best Performance in a Daytime Drama – Young Actress
- YoungStar Award, Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Soap Opera Digest Award, Outstanding Younger Leading Actress: Daytime
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Daytime Emmy, Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
- Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
- Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in Theater
- Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
- Young Artist Award, Best Young Actress Starring in a Television Drama Series