Heather Locklear - Career

Career

Locklear attended the University of California, Los Angeles, and pledged Chi Omega and Delta Delta Delta, but was never initiated into either sorority. While at UCLA, she began modeling and working in commercials for the school store. She made her earliest screen appearances in the early 1980s with small roles in episodes of CHiPs, 240-Robert, and Eight Is Enough, before beginning a long-term collaboration with Aaron Spelling. Spelling cast her in the role of Sammy Jo Dean during the second season of his TV series Dynasty, and the following year he cast her in the cop show T.J. Hooker with William Shatner. Until the mid 1980s, Locklear appeared as a series regular on T.J. Hooker, while making semi-regular appearances on Dynasty. She was a full-time cast member on Dynasty from 1985 until its cancellation in 1989. In 1991, the cast of Dynasty (including Locklear) reconvened for the four-hour mini-series Dynasty: The Reunion.

Following Dynasty, Locklear had a starring role in the movie The Return of Swamp Thing (for which she won the satirical Razzie Award for Worst Actress,) and also starred in the short-lived sitcom Going Places.

In 1993, she began playing what would be another of her best known roles, that of scheming vixen Amanda Woodward on Aaron Spelling's drama series Melrose Place, which was a spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210. Spelling originally signed Locklear for a limited four-episode run, the first of which aired on January 27, 1993. Locklear became a full-time cast member (though she continued to be billed as "Special Guest Star" in the opening credits) until its cancellation in 1999.

Throughout her career, Locklear has appeared in eight television productions made by Aaron Spelling, these being Dynasty, T.J. Hooker, Matt Houston, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Hotel, Melrose Place, and the made-for-TV movie Rich Men, Single Women.

Locklear was the guest host on Saturday Night Live on May 14, 1994. Two of her best-known skits included her as an elderly Jewish woman on Coffee Talk with Mike Myers, and her acting as Amanda Woodward in a Wayne's World skit with Myers, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, and Phil Hartman, where Wayne has a dream that he is a character on Melrose Place. Locklear also made a cameo in Wayne's World 2 in 1993. In 1996, she appeared as the main guest on Muppets Tonight, performing in a muppet-style spoof of Melrose entitled "Muppet Heights".

Locklear was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine on May 19, 1994, as Melrose Place reached the height of its popularity. She was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People twice, first in 1994, and again in 2001. She was also the subject of a Lifetime Intimate Portrait special, and of an E! True Hollywood Story special.

After Melrose Place ended in 1999, Locklear was cast in the sitcom Spin City (initially opposite Michael J. Fox and later opposite Charlie Sheen). The series ended in 2002, but Locklear earned two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy.

In 2002, Locklear had a brief recurring role on the sitcom Scrubs. In 2003, she starred in a pilot for her own comedy series, Once Around the Park, but this was unsuccessful. The same year, Locklear appeared in the theatrical film Uptown Girls.

In 2004, Locklear made a guest appearance on the sitcom Two and a Half Men, which starred her former Spin City co-star Charlie Sheen. She then starred in the short-lived television drama series LAX set in the airport of the same name. She was also executive producer on the series, but it was cancelled after 11 episodes.

In 2005, Locklear appeared in the theatrical film The Perfect Man with Hilary Duff. The same year, she had a brief recurring role on the series Boston Legal, which starred her former T.J. Hooker co-star William Shatner. She was also featured in a Biography Channel special.

In 2006, Locklear starred in another television pilot, Women of a Certain Age, but this was unsuccessful.

In 2007, Locklear made another pilot for ABC, See Jayne Run, about a business woman who juggles a career with single motherhood, but this was also unsuccessful. She guest-starred on the series Hannah Montana and in the sitcom Rules of Engagement, and was placed 25 on TV Guide & Entertainment Weekly's "100 Greatest TV Icons" list.

In 2009, Locklear joined the cast of The CW's updated version of Melrose Place. Beginning on November 17, 2009, she appeared in almost every episode, reprising her role as Amanda Woodward. Ten years after the end of the original Melrose Place, Amanda Woodward is now a partner in a PR firm, and is both mentor and tormentor to a young underling, Ella, played by Katie Cassidy. However, despite Locklear's appearances (along with various other original series regulars), the new show was not a ratings success and was cancelled after one season.

In 2011, Locklear starred in the television movie He Loves Me on the Lifetime Channel.