Heather Locklear and the cast of Melrose Place opened up about how the blonde beauty turned the show from a struggling soap opera to one of the most-watched shows in the US during a recent reunion.
The 64-year-old was just 30 when she joined the cast in 1993 as the conniving Amanda Woodward, an advertising executive at D&D who worked her way to the top by any means possible.
The show debuted in 1992 as a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210, and only blossomed into a global hit when Heather joined the cast, as her co-stars shared with People. When asked by the publication how they knew the series had hit the big time, Daphne Zuniga, who portrayed Jo Reynolds, shared: "We didn't know because we were working 14-hour days."
© Getty Images"I think once we did the Rolling Stone cover, I went, 'This is awesome,'" Heather added. "Heather's too humble to say it, but we were in a lot of danger of being canceled until she came on. And that's when we became a hit," Courtney Thorne-Smith, who played Alison Parker, chimed in.
"I did not know that," the star replied, before Daphne quipped: "Whenever Courtney brings that up, Heather's like, 'I didn't know you were going to get canceled.' Come on."
"I wasn't saving [the show], I just wanted a job," Heather admitted.
© FilmMagic, Inc"You could see the writers figure it out," Courtney then explained. "They were like, 'Oh, we have something here.' That was the turn that got more interesting for everybody, us included; it got more fun."
Heather then shared why the show and her character proved so popular with audiences. "I think people like watching catfights. There's a little bit of everybody in all of the characters. So maybe they like seeing a glimpse of themselves and then maybe what they should be doing or not doing."
© Getty Images"Amanda was celebrated. People were like, 'I want to be like her. I want to screw everyone – I mean, physically screw everyone – and I just want to screw them over,'" she added. Melrose Place was bringing in 14 million viewers in the early seasons and ran until 1999, cementing its place in the cultural zeitgeist.
© WireImageThe show's creator, Darren Star, previously confirmed to Vulture that Melrose Place took off after Heather joined as a series regular. "The ratings were really bad. It wasn't until Heather Locklear came on that she unlocked something, maybe because she brought this Dynasty cred," he explained. "She literally could not say 'hello' without an agenda."
© Stuart C. WilsonWhile the Melrose Place cast couldn't confirm if the rumored reboot was in the works, Heather shared her thoughts on where she hoped Amanda would end up.
"Amanda went to Hollywood, became an actress, and developed a show based on her life, and it was a hit," she guessed. "Peter [Burns, portrayed by Jack Wagner] and Amanda are on a golf course somewhere. I don't know…He was always so fun to work with. They had good chemistry."
