Casting director, Robert Ulrich and actor Kim Ulrich have been chosen as the 2012 Distinguished Alumni for Modesto Junior College and will be honored at the commencement ceremony on Friday, April 27, at 6 p.m. in the MJC Stadium.

 As MJC’s Distinguished Alumni, the couple will be presented with an award and have their names added to the perpetual plaque on display at MJC.

Kim Johnston Ulrich was born in Ripon and grew up playing in the almond orchards, swimming and cheerleading.  Kim graduated from Modesto Junior College with an AA degree in Fashion Merchandising. After attending several colleges, Kim moved back home to Ripon. She attended California State University, Stanislaus and obtained a B.A. in Art.  While attending CSU, Stanislaus, Kim participated in a theatre class and performed in a production of “Thieves Carnival” – which whet her appetite for acting. It was during a production of “Camelot” where Kim was doing the make-up for extra credit in an art class, that she met Modestan Robert Ulrich, who was playing the role of Lancelot.

When Kim married Robert, they moved to New York City where they spent their first 5 years of marriage.  It was in New York, where Kim began modeling and eventually started her career in acting.  Kim’s first major role was playing Diana McColl on the CBS soap opera, “As the World Turns”. After two years on the soap, Kim and Robert moved to Los Angeles, and Kim’s career flourished.

For the next 15 years, Kim worked in movies and television and appeared in such shows as “Cheers”, “Wings”, “St. Elsewhere”, “My Two Dads”, “Third Rock From the Sun” and “Murder She Wrote”, to name a few.  Kim played Allison Yates on the controversial NBC series “Nightingales” and in 1999 she re-entered the “soap world”, originating the role of Ivy Winthrop Crane on the quirky NBC soap opera, “Passions”. Kim played Ivy until “Passions” went off the air 9 years later.

This past year, Kim guest starred on CBS’s “NCIS”, CW’s “Supernatural”, and CBS’s “The Mentalist”.  Kim can also be heard narrating the “audio” young adult novel, “Willow”.

Robert J. Ulrich was born in Modesto.  He attended Modesto Junior College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 1975.   After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, he obtained a master’s degree in English from the California State University, Stanislaus, and moved to New York City to pursue a vocation in acting. He eventually returned to California to begin a career in casting. While working at the prominent casting office of Reuben Cannon & Associates, Robert met his future casting partners, Eric Dawson and Carol Kritzer. In 1989, Robert and Eric formed their own company, Ulrich/Dawson & Associates.  Two years later, Carol Kritzer joined the firm and they formed Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting, now celebrating its 22nd year as a corporation.

Throughout his career, Robert has worked with a staggering array of talented producers including; Francis Ford Coppola, Jerry Bruckheimer, James Cameron, Ron Howard, Brad Pitt, Wolfgang Peterson, Anne Rice, Steven Bochco, Aaron Spelling, Gail Berman, Joel Surnow, Jodie Foster, and Ryan Murphy. Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer is currently casting the following television series: “C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation”, “The Mentalist”, “Drop Dead Diva”, “In Plain Sight,” “Supernatural”, and the multiple Emmy nominated series “Dexter” and “Glee”. Previous hit shows include “Dark Angel”, “Saving Grace”, the critically acclaimed “Battlestar Galactica”, and the much loved ‘90s series, “Melrose Place”.

Two years ago, Robert’s career expanded to include on-camera work as he is now the host/mentor on Oxygen’s hit competition reality series, “The Glee Project”. 

For more information on the MJC Distinguished Alumni Awards, to join the MJC Alumni Association or to make a contribution to the MJC Foundation, contact their office at 209.575.6068.