Melrose Place” was one of the most popular primetime soaps of the 90s, first debuting at the beginning of 1993. The spin-off of “Beverly Hills, 90210” chronicles the lives of eight young people living in LA in an apartment complex, trying to establish their careers. A new character was introduced in the first season: Amanda Woodward, played by Heather Locklear. With larger-than-life shoulder pads and Locklear established as the villain on the show, it skyrocketed in popularity. “Melrose” ran for a total of seven seasons and ended in 1999. Find out what the OG cast of “Melrose Place” is up to in 2023.
After hitting a low point, Heather Locklear had a comeback
Locklear was one of the most popular Hollywood starlets, especially after her time on “Melrose Place.” After doing a range of TV guest spots, she experienced heartbreak in 2007. Her divorce from musician hubby Richie Sambora was finalized. The years after included Heather being hospitalized for anxiety and depression, getting arrested on a DUI charge, and showing up on the unsuccessful reboot of “Melrose Place.” In 2010, she was arrested once again for a hit-and-run, and in 2012, she was hospitalized for a lethal blend of alcohol and pills. After many tumultuous years, she entered a treatment facility, and a year later celebrated her sobriety with an IG post. Soon after, she starred in the Lifetime biopic “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story.” It seems like she’s on a better path, and we’re happy for her!
Grant Show starred in a reboot of a famous 1980s classic
Ever since “Melrose Place” ended, Grant Show has consistently been landing roles, with guest spots in “Six Feet Under” and a more steady role as Dr. Archer Forbes Montgomery on “Grey’ Anatomy” and the show’s spin-off “Private Practice.” He also played Spence Westmore on “Devious Maids” before making a foray into political dramas with “The Family.” But 2017 was the real comeback with a remake of “Dynasty” with a role played by the late John Forsythe. The CW reboot lasted for six seasons.
Amy Locane is in jail
Although Grant found success in his subsequent years, not all the “Melrose” stars were that lucky. She appeared in 13 episodes and was written off the show afterwards. As time went on, she did snag a few roles in movies like “Secretary” and “Blue Sky” but the roles started to get smaller, and she moved back home to New Jersey in the 2000s. In 2010, she got into a drunken driving accident where a passenger in the other car died. She was sentenced to three years in prison and when she got out, her husband divorced her and got custody of their kids. But after the victim’s family said the punishment was too lenient, a new judge sentenced her to an additional eight years and 18 months on top of that for fourth-degree auto assault. She’s eligible for parole in 2024.
Thomas Calabro is still a familiar face, years after “Melrose”
Playing Dr. Michael Mancini, Calabro was on every single episode of the show’s seven-season run. He worked consistently in the years after with roles on “Nip/Tuck,” “Touched By an Angel” and all kinds of TV movies, from sci-fi to holiday rom-coms. Over 20 years later, Mancini is still his most famous role, and he admitted that he’d play that character in a heartbeat again. Today, he shares three kids with his now ex-wife Elizabeth Pryor.
Josie Bissett became a Hallmark Channel queen
Although she was one of the original characters on the show, Bissett left the show because she got tired of the storylines. Afterwards, she kept busy with TV movies and guest-starring roles before joining as a cast member on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” in 2008, staying on the show until it ended in 2019. She then starred in many holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel and told The Seattle Times that a “Melrose Place” reboot with the original cast might be underway.
Laura Leighton joined “Pretty Little Liars”
One of the most successful original members of “Melrose Place,” Sydney Andrews was Laura’s character, and she turned into a full-on cast member after showing up in just a couple of episodes. Her first gig after departing was in “Beverly Hills, 90210” but in 2010 she graced our screens in PLL, remaining on the show until it ended in 2017. In “2021” she made appearances in two reboots: “Fantasy Island” and “Dynasty.”
Doug Savant reached massive success once again
Staying with the show from the beginning till the end, Savant played an openly gay character. In 1994, he made headlines when Fox cut his onscreen kiss with another man for fear that advertisers would leave. In reality, Savant was a married heterosexual with kids. However, Doug thought it was insulting to gay people if he said he was straight, so he kept being straight a secret. Today, some people might refer to that as queer-baiting. After “Melrose Place” he starred in shows like “Firefly” and a recurring role in “Desperate Housewives”. Currently, you can see him in the 2022 Amazon Prime show, “Leverage: Redemption.” He’s married to his co-star Laura Leighton and has been since ’98.
Courtney Thorne-Smith co-stars with Jim Belushi in a sitcom
Another one of the original members, Courtney, stayed on the show until the fifth season of “Melrose Place.” In 1999, she played Georgia Thomas, an attorney on “Ally McBeal.” After that, she played the wife of Jim Belushi’s character in a TV watcher’s favorite, “According to Jim” Although critics didn’t love the show, viewers kept it on for eight seasons. Thorne-Smith went on to appear in 51 episodes of “Two and a Half Men” as Lindsay Mackelroy.
