Kim Sullivan Hughes

Infobox soap character
series = As the World Turns
name = Kim Hughes



first = 31 August, 1972



caption2 = Kim back in 1975
caption1 = Kathryn Hays as Kim Hughes, as she appears presently
birth = 1938
age = 70
gender = Female
parents = Frances Sullivan (Mother)
Mr. Sullivan (Father)
siblings = Jennifer Sullivan Hughes (Sister)
spouse = Jason Reynolds
(deceased)
John Dixon
(divorced)
Dan Stewart
(deceased)
Nick Andropoulous
(deceased)
Bob Hughes
(Married, 1985-)
children = Sabrina Hughes (Daughter)
Andy Dixon (Son)
Christopher Hughes II (Son)
romances = Jason Reynolds
Bob Hughes
John Dixon
Dan Stewart
Nick Andropoulous
Raymond Speer
Jeffrey Talbot
relatives =Barbara Ryan (niece)
Rick Ryan (nephew)
Melinda Grey (niece, deceased)
Frances "Frannie" Hughes (niece)
Paul Ryan (great-nephew)
Jennifer Munson (great-niece, deceased)
William "Will" Munson (great-nephew)
John "Johnny" Dixon Jr. (great-nephew, deceased)
Jennifer Ryan (great-great-niece, deceased)
John "Johnny" Donovan (great-great-nephew)
Hallie Munson (adopted great-great-niece)
occupation = Co-owner of WOAK-TV
Host of Patterns TV show
portrayer = Kathryn Hays
creator = Irna Phillips
color = #99CCCC

Kimberly "Kim" Hughes (née Sullivan; previously Reynolds, Dixon, Stewart, and Andropoulous)is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera "As the World Turns". The character is currently portrayed by Kathryn Hays, who first stepped into the role in August 1972. She has played the role for 36 years, making her the 3rd longest running female in the history of the show. She is now days much more of a leading matriarch, often giving advice to younger members of the community. She also makes up the other half of supercouple Bob and Kim Hughes.

She originally had a brown coloured short hair style, but since the turn of the century, she has decided to go with the natural grey colour.

History

Kim has evolved from an adulterous sister to a loving member of the Oakdale community. Kim has led an interesting life, fraught with drama and tension. Her first husband, Jason Reynolds, widowed her. She first arrived in Oakdale for her sister Jennifer's wedding to Dr. Robert Hughes in late 1972, she fell in love with Bob and Bob also began to share feelings for Kim. Bob and Jennifer's marriage was at a strain due to the behavior of Jennifer's son Rick, Bob took a break to Florida and Kim who still had feelings for Bob followed him there and pretended that she had met him out of pure coincidence. Eventually Kim and Bob shared a one-night stand together and then the two returned to Oakdale where Jennifer announced she was pregnant with Bob's child. However Kim was also pregnant with Bob's child but she didn't want to hurt Jennifer so she married Bob's rival Dr. John Dixon. At this stage, show creator Irna Phillips planned to have Bob leave Jennifer for Kim, this caused outrage among viewers who thought Kim should've been "punished" for her adultery. CBS asked Irna to reconsider but Irna refused, they were forced to dismiss her as head writer. Kim gave birth to a still born or so she thought in 1973, things would come out differently later.

Marriage to John Dixon

Kim never really loved John as she was really in love with Bob, in frustration of their luck luster marriage, John raped Kim and marital rape was not illegal in those days so Kim couldn't press charges against him. Kim stayed in her marriage to keep her sister, Jennifer happy as she and Bob had discovered she was dying of a rare disease of the central nervous system, later it went into remission, but tragedy struck for Kim in 1975 when Jennifer died in a car accident. One day she had enough of John's controlling antics and ran out of the house, John followed but fell down the stairs. Kim then stayed with John out of guilt but she had started to fall in love with Dr. Dan Stewart, John faked his illness when he recovered and this forced Kim to leave him, she went into the middle of a lightening storm and sustained an injury that made her get amnesia. John then pretended to Kim that he had the perfect marriage with her. John made her contact with the outside world limited thinking that her memory would return, when Kim did regain her memory she discovered she was pregnant with John's baby as he had taken advantage of her memory loss. Kim then left John to be with Dr. Dan Stewart.

Dr. Dan Stewart

Kim got together with Dan Stewart with resistance from his estranged wife Susan and married, in 1976, Kim gave birth to Andy Dixon but she only wanted John to see him under supervised visits as he had become a drunk after losing Kim. John couldn't stand it and kidnapped Andy, Dan later found and confronted him but John shot him. Dan recovered and John married the witness, Pat Holland as he had lied and told everyone Dan tried to kill him. Pat eventually realized the truth was the best policy and testified against John. John then threatened to tell Dan's teenage "niece" Betsy that she was really his daughter. Kim thought that Dan should tell her himself, which he did and after hysterical anger, she accepted the idea. Tragedy struck in nearly 1979 for Kim when Dan was experiencing bad headaches and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Dan however did not tell Kim as he didn't want to hurt her, Kim picked up that something was wrong asked his doctor who explained that Dan didn't want to hurt her feelings. Kim went to a church to try and help her. When Dan's illness grew worse, they went on vacation but were stumbled upon by criminals Roy Barker and Chip Kelley who were robbing a store. The latter of the two was killed and Barker held them hostage, Dan disarmed him eventually and he was arrested, sadly the next day for Kim was even worse when Dan died.

Moving On

After Dan's death, Kim found comfort in Oakdale's newest business man, Nick Andropolous who was running a Greek restaurant in Oakdale. Kim reminded Nick of his dead wife, this was confirmed when his brother Steve arrived in town, he was shocked when he saw Kim who resembled his brother's dead wife. Kim couldn't understand why the two never got on, she discovered that Nick blamed Steve for the deaths of his wife and daughter. Kim and Nick then planned to get married but a problem arose, Nick's dead wife Andrea wasn't dead, Andrea eventually allowed a divorce and Kim and Nick married. Kim's stepdaughter by Dan, Betsy was now seeing Steve who was a bad egg and was now involved in smuggling drugs. Betsy and Steve refused to see reason and ran away, Nick found them and threatened to kill Steve in furious anger, Nick made Betsy swear not to see Steve again which she did, then Nick sadly collapsed and died of a heart attack, leaving Kim a widow by two men.

Bob Hughes

Kim married Bob Hughes in 1985. During the time they were married, Bob Hughes slept with Dr. Susan Stewart, causing a falling out between them. In 1997, Kim also (during a heart bypass surgery) had a near-death experience resulting in a vision of her sister showing her what her family was going through.

In late 2007, Bob suffered a stroke after an argument with son Chris Hughes. Kim only found out days later this was the cause and bickered with her son for trying to take his father's hospital by going for the top job. Kim then defended Bob, stating that he wouldn't be impressed with his position at the hospital being given to his son. Bob soon woke up from the coma in 2008, and it was revealed that Evan Walsh IV poisoned him.

Chris and Alison

In early 2008, her son Chris Hughes started dating Alison Stewart. Kim has had some reservations about the daliance and told him to tread carefully. Inviting them out for dinner, Kim unintentionally made a comment about Susan to Alison. Explaining herself, Alison brushed it off.

Hospitalizations

*Her blood type is O
*Had emergency gall bladder surgery (operated on by Dr. Dan Stewart) in 1972.
*Suffered by amnesia after running out in a lightning storm (1970's)
*Suffered a severe concussion after a fall at the Hughes cabin. (February 1985; treated by her future husband, Bob Hughes.)
*Had open heart surgery in December 1997 (also a near-death experience).

Crimes

*Stole John Dixon's keys to stop him from following Tom and Margo.