When Heather Locklear first watched Melrose Place, she never imagined she would be part of it. The actress, who was nearly 30 at the time she joined the show, thought the cast was made up of only younger actors, so she didn’t think she had a shot. She felt she was too old for the role, that assumption nearly stopped her from stepping into the role.
What Locklear also didn’t know was that the show was struggling when she finally joined. Since its 1992 premiere, its ratings had been slipping, and producers were searching for a way to keep audiences engaged. Aaron Spelling, who had worked with Locklear on Dynasty and T.J. Hooker, believed she was the missing piece. She agreed to join Melrose Place in early 1993, unaware that Melrose Place was in trouble.
Heather Locklear wouldn’t have joined ‘Melrose Place’ if she knew the ratings were low
Locklear’s character, Amanda Woodward, was introduced as a confident advertising executive meant to shake things up. She was initially signed for just four episodes, but she was good at her role, fans were enamoured with her, and her on-screen presence was also so strong that producers didn’t hesitate to extended her role. Her performance resonated with audiences, it helped boost Melrose Place’s ratings and secured its future.
By Season 2, she was officially part of the main cast, although she famously retained her “special guest star” credit throughout the series. However, Locklear later admitted that if she knew the show was struggling she wouldn’t have joined them. She told her fellow Melrose Place alumnae Courtney Thorne-Smith, Daphne Zuniga and Laura Leighton on the most recent episode of their podcast Still the Place, she never felt any pressure to save the show from cancellation because she didn’t know it was in trouble.
Heather Locklear enjoyed her time on the set of ‘Melrose Place’
Despite her success on the show, Locklear also admitted she was too focused on her work to fully appreciate her co-stars at the time. The fast-paced production schedule, which included over 30 episodes per season, left little time for off-screen connections.
Now, through the Still the Place podcast, Locklear has reconnected with former castmates like Courtney Thorne-Smith and Daphne Zuniga. Also, in recent years, Melrose Place casts have come together for a reunion to celebrate the essence of the show.