Kim Johnston Ulrich

Actress Kim Johnston Ulrich has worked primarily in television, and she has enjoyed a wide variety of colorful roles. The California native's very first role was as an uncredited extra in Woody Allen's inventive 1983 comedy-fantasy "Zelig." That same year she struck big with the role of the spoiled Diana McColl on CBS's long-running soap opera "As the World Turns," which she played for two years. It was on a less-famous soap opera, however, that Ulrich had the chance to explore a character's evolution over a number of years: NBC's "Passions," which ran from 1999 to 2008. Ulrich played Ivy Winthrop Crane, the ex-wife of the wealthy Julian Crane (portrayed by Ben Masters), who yearns to rekindle the teenage love affair that she once shared with the now-chief of police, Sam Bennett (portrayed by James Hyde).

"Passions" was distinct from other soap operas in its incorporation of supernatural elements, and Ulrich portrayed Ivy for the duration of the show's entire run. Although "Passions" gave Ulrich her most prominent television role, she has put in brief appearances on a wide range of popular programs, among them "Cheers" in 1988, "Walker, Texas Ranger" in 1994, "Highlander" in 1995, and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" in 2005. Off-screen, Ulrich spends time with her husband and children and maintains an interest in gardening, cooking, and interior decorating.