- 5 hours ago
More than three decades after the show dominated Monday nights, we reunited Heather Locklear, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Laura Leighton, Josie Bissett and Courtney Thorne-Smith to reflect on their time at television’s most iconic (and chaotic) apartment complex
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00:00I think people like watching, like, catfights and that stuff and a little, you know, there's a little bit of
00:05everybody in all of the characters, I believe.
00:08The freedom to call somebody a bitch, you know, and really have them.
00:12You are trash, Sydney, with a rap sheet to prove it.
00:16I think we're ready for a new version. I mean, if you thought we were crazy then, are you out
00:21of your mind?
00:21We are empowered women who've seen enough sh** in our lives.
00:27We were one of the beginnings of this sort of Aaron Spelling nighttime drama.
00:32I think initially, you know, we were doing like a little bit of 20-something.
00:36The show 30-something was on, so it was like, oh, the slightly younger 20-something, they're finding their way.
00:42And we also came off the heels of 90210, so we knew we were in a good position.
00:47We didn't know what it would go on to become, but we definitely started with a leg up, if you
00:52will.
00:53Natalie moved out on Allison in the middle of the night.
00:55Michael, can you tell the owner I can only pay my half of the rent this month?
00:59I don't think so. Was Natalie's name on the lease?
01:02No.
01:02Bad move.
01:03I like to remember that we were working so hard that we didn't know it was a big hit because
01:07we were working 12-hour days and always on set, a dark soundstage like this, and you're just learning your
01:12lines and doing your thing.
01:14I knew it was a big hit when I went on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ride with Laura was there.
01:20I was not driving.
01:21Grant was there, a couple crew members, and, like, they're, I don't know, walking up an escalator in some hotel,
01:29and people were, like, freaking out.
01:30And I was like, oh, I think we're popular now.
01:33I didn't know until a moment like that, you know, when people reacted.
01:37Yeah, it was cool.
01:38Well, I think we were in Santa Clarita, which is so far away.
01:41And it's not in Hollywood.
01:43It's not in really Los Angeles.
01:45Well, there was no social media either, so there was that.
01:48So we were all kind of locked in, and we, and go home, and read your lines, and then sleep
01:53when you can.
01:54And to me, I think once we did the Rolling Stone cover, I went, oh, I'm more of the Rolling
01:59Stone.
02:00I went, this is awesome.
02:01Well, so Heather's too humble to say it, but we were on the bubble.
02:05We were in a lot of danger of being canceled until Heather came on.
02:08I didn't know that.
02:08And that's when we became a hit.
02:11Allison, you know Amanda.
02:12Yeah, of course.
02:13Hi.
02:14Hello.
02:14I got married right before the show started.
02:16So I got married on a Friday, and the show started Monday.
02:20And then for me, I was so young, but also married and starting that new life and a new show.
02:26All I remember is just mostly the working and the driving and living the life.
02:31I don't recall it being so invasive, right?
02:34Yeah, yeah, like there wasn't just like massive paparazzi.
02:38There wasn't, at least not for me, maybe it was for you guys.
02:41No, we were working, yeah.
02:43Yeah, and like Josie, I went away on a weekend and came back a married woman too.
02:48But different men.
02:49Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:51I hope so, yeah.
02:51Exactly, exactly, exactly.
02:54So that was just a thrilling and exciting thing, you know, to add into the mix of like my first
02:59series job.
03:00So it was just incredible.
03:02I remember like, because I was pretty new, I was new to the business too.
03:06So when I landed on a show that became a hit show, pretty quickly, I was hearing people call my
03:14actual name when I was on a red carpet or out and about.
03:17And they're calling your name so you turn to the camera and there was like, how do they know my
03:21name?
03:21Like it really took me by surprise and it wasn't the most comfortable feeling.
03:26I was like, well, I understand like, I'm glad they're fans of the show, so they should know my character.
03:30But why do they know my name?
03:32That was so, I don't know why I didn't think about it.
03:34One of the biggest things was the red carpet, the premieres, all the perks versus what you're doing to get
03:42those things.
03:43And the perception is that that's what it all is.
03:47And oh, you have a couple of like, maybe you're exhausted and you have to put patches under.
03:51No, it's the meat of it is that behind the curtain.
03:55And then some of it, what the world sees is that stuff in the front.
03:58That's where the pressure comes in.
04:00That is exactly right.
04:00To be somebody that you're not.
04:02I loved that we were up on that hill away from all the other studios.
04:06Like we just were isolated on the studio.
04:09It was all ours and we would roll in on our sweats and our slippers.
04:12What's this, we're calling it a night?
04:14I, um, I've just, I've really got to get home.
04:17It's 7.30.
04:18The hours were crazy.
04:20So it's not like, you know, on a sitcom, you're done at two in the afternoon.
04:23You can go have dinner together.
04:25We, somebody was working till 10 o'clock every night.
04:28Somebody was there at 6 a.m.
04:29Somebody was working till 10 or by Friday, we'd be working till two in the morning.
04:33Or you're taking a little nap.
04:34That was.
04:35That's what I always do.
04:36Yeah, me too.
04:37Or you're golfing like Thomas and Grant.
04:39Were they off like golfing?
04:41During lunch?
04:41Well, they had four hours.
04:43If they had a break.
04:44Yeah, we were spending 14 hours a day together.
04:46So we got a lot of hangout time.
04:48Like, we genuinely liked each other.
04:50Because we were shooting on film.
04:50Yeah, we're really lucky.
04:51We genuinely got on film.
04:52So those setups took time, you know.
04:54Yes.
04:54Yeah, yeah.
04:55A lot of time to chat.
04:56Nice dress.
04:59This old thing?
05:00I got all my wardrobe.
05:01It was in my contract.
05:02It was in her contract.
05:03Some people had it in their contract.
05:05Yeah.
05:05I would have gotten it in my contract.
05:07It's, I'm like a hoarder in closets.
05:09It's in my garage.
05:09It's all over the place.
05:10But I used to, the stuff that I didn't want, I'd bring it out in a rack and my girlfriends
05:15would
05:15come and they'd take a number out of the hat and they'd get to go.
05:17Oh, that's great.
05:18Oh, that's so cool.
05:18And then let all the skirts out, back down a little bit.
05:21They didn't take those.
05:22But yeah, all the stuff and the shoes and.
05:25I did, took a lot of Jane's stuff.
05:27Yeah.
05:27Yeah.
05:28I love clothes.
05:29You did a bro.
05:29But you stole it, right?
05:31You didn't.
05:32Yours was more like, yeah, I'm just taking this.
05:33I'm just, yeah, I love fashion and clothes.
05:36And isn't it funny that they made you a designer?
05:39Yes.
05:39Did you just go.
05:39I wanted to be a, I was going, after high school, going to be, going to school for a
05:43fashion designer.
05:43They didn't know that?
05:44I know.
05:44Uh-uh.
05:45That's crazy.
05:46Wow.
05:46Yeah.
05:46I would have taken that ski suit.
05:49Your ski, the purple ski suit.
05:51So fly.
05:52Your ski suit.
05:53Very 92.
05:54You think you can just smile, steal a kiss here and there, play on whatever it is you had
05:59before?
06:00Great sex.
06:01That's what we had before.
06:02And you're wrong when you say I think I can do it, because I know I can.
06:05I understand men, Allison.
06:08I was celebrating.
06:09Yeah, definitely.
06:10Yeah, that people were like, I want to be like her, I want to do this, and I want to
06:13screw everyone, I mean physically, screw everyone.
06:16Screwing over.
06:17I also want to screw them over and be strong.
06:20Just like the boys do.
06:21I felt it was a very sort of like.
06:22Yeah, a stance almost.
06:24Yes, yes, like a women's liberation sort of thing.
06:27We can be just as messy and strong and powerful.
06:30And self-centered and narcissistic and all that.
06:33Visionary.
06:34Yeah, we were cutting edge as far as like that kind of stuff, and now it's so tame if
06:40we were to look back on it.
06:41Right.
06:41Yes, our little story.
06:43Yeah.
06:43I thought I was probably more judged for my character, because I thought my character was
06:47more messy than powerful.
06:50You just can't take the fact that I'm better than you.
06:52You couldn't make Michael happy, and I can't.
06:53Better than me?
06:54You are trash, Sydney, with a rap sheet to prove it.
06:57You know, she wanted to be powerful, and she was trying to find her way, but it was a mess
07:02all along to get there.
07:04Plenty of people would be like, I hated your character.
07:08You know, like that sort of thing.
07:09Like love.
07:10I believe it was a love to hate, because it's fun to watch, and it was certainly fun to
07:14play.
07:14But yeah, I think it was more like, yeah.
07:16Well, it felt like Amanda was in charge of her destiny and sort of knocking people over,
07:20and Sydney, because of what you brought to her, she was so vulnerable.
07:23Like she was trying and failing and trying and failing, so it was like the opposite end.
07:27Oh my God.
07:30You're even better at this than I am.
07:32It's about time you realized that.
07:34So I dated Grant for a bit, and we were in separate storylines for the most part.
07:40I mean, it was, you know, just sort of a separate thing.
07:43We just happened to have the same job, but occasionally we'd have our storylines, you
07:48know, sometimes they came to a story that was like made sense for Sydney and Jake to
07:52have a storyline together, and that was honestly kind of weird.
07:55You know, I don't really know you, but maybe you and I never learned to play the game, hide
08:01our feelings.
08:02Like, it just felt like, you know, a departure for Sydney.
08:04Like they're trying to get into your business or something?
08:07Well, we wondered if it occurred to them because they knew we were dating, like, oh, this
08:10could be interesting.
08:11And even though it seems sort of incongruous with who Sydney would normally hang out with,
08:15it was not a secret that we were dating.
08:18And like Courtney dated Andrew for a while, that was not a secret.
08:20I know.
08:21It was a big secret at first.
08:22We tried to keep it a secret.
08:23Yeah, at first they didn't want it because it was so cliche, right?
08:26I don't want to put words in your mouth.
08:28But did you feel like?
08:29Well, I remembered it as we really held off.
08:32But as we're watching, I'm like, oh no, episode two, we were dating.
08:35But they can see right there.
08:37I was like, oh no, oh wow, yeah, that was early.
08:40We really, we were so grown up.
08:41We held, because you don't want to date, then break up, then not get along.
08:44Luckily, we remained friends and it was fine.
08:46We were working the other 14 hours a day.
08:48We had a lot in common.
08:50When work ended, we were like, we don't have that much in common.
08:53When we're not working, he wanted to go to Africa and I wanted to stay home and watch TV.
08:57And we're like, we're on different kind of pages on where we wanted to go.
09:00So it wasn't dramatic or horrible.
09:03It was like, yeah, go ahead.
09:05So we stayed friends.
09:06We're still friends.
09:07Isn't it amazing how mature we were back in the 90s?
09:11So with you, when you and Grant broke up, then, yeah.
09:15We were just sort of, I think, able to be professional about it.
09:18And it was just, you know, it was sort of, it was that, you know, just a decision.
09:23And then you went, well, that was fun.
09:25I wonder what Doug thinks of me.
09:29I wonder what Doug thinks of me?
09:30But really, what I think I should do is marry this guy.
09:35So I did that.
09:36You were married to Rob, who was on it for a bit.
09:38Yeah, Rob came to this.
09:39He came on, what season did he come on for?
09:41First season.
09:42He was the first season as a guest.
09:43Rob?
09:43And then he changed characters.
09:45What?
09:45And came in as a second, as a different character.
09:48Amanda, perfect timing.
09:49I want you to meet my husband, Kyle.
09:50Kyle, McBride, we will be moving in at the end of the week.
09:53Well, I was pregnant with my son at the end.
09:56So it was kind of fun working together with him and knowing that I was about to have a
10:00baby.
10:00And I was five months pregnant when the show ended.
10:03And it was just perfect because I got to enjoy the last bit of my pregnancy at home and
10:09not have to make a decision of like, oh, should I take a time off from the show?
10:13It just was done.
10:14It was just perfect.
10:15We will raise this baby together.
10:18We will give it my name.
10:21And Michael will never know.
10:24It is simple.
10:25If you could have had any influence on the writers, what would you now?
10:29I would have had a black writer in the room.
10:30Yeah.
10:30But what would Rhonda's storylines be?
10:33I mean, she could have had as much salacious fun as I've been.
10:37It would have been amazing to like give her the license to like go off a little bit and
10:42just get wild, go crazy, have a split personality.
10:46Yeah, they cut you too quick.
10:48I think so.
10:49Yeah.
10:49I think so.
10:50And she was missed.
10:51I really think she was missed.
10:52And you were part of the era of it all being 30-something and natural show.
10:56Yes, it was sweet.
10:56It wasn't crazy yet.
11:00Sydney!
11:02Sydney supposedly died.
11:04So where is she now?
11:05I don't think she really died.
11:07No.
11:07I think she definitely deserves to have another life.
11:11And I think she's probably still trying to get it together.
11:16You know, trying to keep it, like have a good life and stay that way.
11:21And I think it would be really a slippery slope if she encountered her old friends again,
11:26back to her old personality.
11:28That's where I think she would be.
11:29I think Rhonda is a boss lady.
11:32She's a real estate mogul and she owns the building now.
11:35I think she's a trauma therapist.
11:38Oh.
11:39That's right.
11:40And I'm your patient.
11:41And I'm here to help these people heal through the earlier years at Melrose Place.
11:47I can't decide if I want Allison to be sober.
11:50She was so much fun to play as a drunk.
11:52Like if she has just become like a bar fly and she just sort of wanders around.
11:57Oh, I love that.
11:58Just showing up at things uninvited.
11:59So Jane, I think she's sworn off men just because.
12:03She's just like, and I think she's killing it in her career, but maybe meeting up with
12:09Allison at the bar, possibly.
12:12A little too much of that going on.
12:14A little mahjong and white wine.
12:16Cooler.
12:17Jane is like, yes, I do party.
12:20Did someone say party?
12:22I know everyone says they're bad at goodbyes, but I really am.
12:27Where are you going to go?
12:28You have your secret, I have mine.
12:31I think she went to Hollywood, she became an actress, and she developed this little show
12:36after what her life was.
12:38And it was a hit show.
12:40She should be on a reality show.
12:42She should be on a reality show.
12:45That would be so good.
12:47It's perfect.
12:49It's perfect closure.
12:50I think we're ready for a new version.
12:52I mean, if you thought we were crazy then, are you out of your mind?
12:55We are empowered women who've seen enough shit.
12:57In our lives, Heather wants to do, I don't know, you want to be on a little scooter now?
13:02Or is that right?
13:02I do.
13:03Actually, I just want a walker.
13:05Flat shoes and a walker.
13:06Right.
13:06I want orthotics.
13:08It's a whole different.
13:08But sexy.
13:09Yeah, but your home health guy is like a hunk.
13:13Yes, yes.
13:14Young and loves all the ladies.
13:16He's shirtless.
13:17He's shirtless.
13:17He's shirtless.
13:18He's shirtless.
13:18He's shirtless.
13:19He's shirtless.
13:20He's like, you know, I'm going to take care of my lady.
13:22We have so many good ideas.
13:23It's going to be so good.
13:25We're going to pitch a lot of stories.
13:30So this is it.
13:32This is the end.
13:34No, this is the beginning.
13:37Rhonda owns the building now.
13:39Wait, who did own the building?
13:40I thought I owned it.
13:41I don't think anybody remembers that story point.
13:44We've got a lot of memories.
13:47These are fair questions even we don't remember.
13:49Well, it's the second, the reboot with the other cast.
13:53I was in that and I think I owned the building at that point.
13:56I didn't remember that was one of my lines.
13:57My name's Jane Andrews.
13:59I'm Sydney's sister.
14:00I've inherited this building.
14:03I'll be your new landlord.
14:04I think that was only because I died.
14:06Right.
14:06And I owned it.
14:07You were like...
14:08Did I own it?
14:10I mean, we don't know.
14:12You don't even remember the reboot.
14:15I used to live in this very building.
14:17Are you serious?
14:19Yeah.
14:20Right over there.
14:21A lot of memories in this place.
14:24I did a couple episodes of the reboot.
14:26I walked on and the pool was like in the other direction.
14:30It's supposed to be the same exact building and it was like horizontal.
14:33And I said, excuse me people, can we rearrange the pool?
14:40I don't mean to be corny, but I would just tell my younger self,
14:44it's all okay.
14:46Like, love yourself.
14:47I'm here.
14:48That weird, insecure feeling you're feeling, that's normal.
14:52That thing where you're not feeling good enough or this or not,
14:54that's normal.
14:55That's human.
14:56It's not, you know, not a big deal.
14:58Just, I want to tell that to a lot of young actors starting out.
15:01Like, you're human.
15:03You're beautiful.
15:03You're different.
15:04It's okay.
15:05You know, because as an adult, I feel like that more and more.
15:09And I just want, I want, I want, I would have loved my younger self to know that.
15:14Because she did not know that.
15:15My big takeaway was, you are still a worthy, wonderful actor, whether you're on a TV show
15:23or not.
15:25Because, you know, my, my, my not coming back to season two, and I was in all the, like,
15:30all the parties, we got the news, we're coming back.
15:32And so I'm thinking my job is secure.
15:34And there was like, um, Vanessa, um, we're not picking up your contract for season.
15:39I was like, oh.
15:41And at the time, because, um, there were real cycles for pilot season and stuff.
15:47And all of pilot season had, had already come and gone.
15:50So there wasn't even a possibility for me to get onto another gig, you know, in that
15:54pilot season cycle.
15:56So I had to learn real quick.
15:58Oh, oh, okay.
15:59This is impersonal.
16:01But it feels very personal.
16:03You must have felt that at that age.
16:04Oh, my goodness.
16:05Oh, my goodness.
16:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
16:06You know, but it, it made me just really go within, develop and practice my spiritual
16:12practice so that these things weren't defining me.
16:15So it was a really good lesson.
16:16And I went off and did, um, work in Spain.
16:20I did a, a variety show called.
16:22Oh, my gosh.
16:23Vivan los novios, gran fiesta.
16:25Because the show had taken off, there was all this worldwide publicity.
16:28And they were like, come over here and do a show with us.
16:31Wow.
16:31I was like, okay.
16:31Great.
16:32Yeah.
16:32And then I never met you during the novelist place, but we ended up doing the movie together.
16:37Yeah, we did Flirting with 40.
16:38Flirting with 40.
16:38Do you think I totally live in a sweatshirt?
16:41Um, you have been in it a lot lately.
16:43And I think I was with you when you brought it 20 years ago.
16:45Oh, we did a movie together.
16:46I mean, we would see you to the, cause you came in season one.
16:48So I would see you in the trailers, but we never had any scenes together.
16:51Cause she was at the office with Allison.
16:53So, um, so it was great working with Heather.
16:56It was fun.
16:56I think it was all going so fast and you're so caught up in all the things that young people
17:02are caught up in, you know?
17:03And I think we just forgot to notice really what was there and wonderful.
17:09I think our, our growth and wisdom and all of the stuff we've all done together feels
17:15different.
17:16And what feels the same, they all look the same.
17:19For me, what's the same is just the kindness of, of everyone.
17:23And what's different is just the growth and who we are now versus who we were then all
17:28these years that have gone by.
17:29I was thinking about when we were all together, we'd be working 14 hours a day and we'd have
17:33photo shoots on weekends and we were tired.
17:34Now we're like, we could go out of the house.
17:36So we're all really super happy to be here.
17:38Um, and what feels the same is we're all wearing super uncomfortable shoes and makeup than we
17:44usually wear.
17:45I was going to say what's different is that I can't walk in those shoes anymore that we
17:51wore in the nineties.
17:52I just can't walk.
17:53But yeah, I feel like, um, I love these women, but I do feel there's a more confidence when
17:59you get older.
18:00And so we're not so stressed and working, working and we love people magazine, but we're
18:05like, Hey guys, we get to hang out.
18:07You know, we're walking around funny each other.
18:10Hey, so that's really nice.
18:13These people still feel like my people.
18:15Like that feels the same.
18:17You are always my people and we loved our time on the set and we were younger and it was
18:23crazy and it was stressful, but it still felt like, like you feel like these are my face.
18:27These are my familiar happy people faces.
18:29So that feels the same to me.
18:30Love that.
18:31The friendships and, um, yes, the footwear.
18:34I am not interested in heels anymore.
18:35The joy and how happy I am to be here with my girlies and yeah, we're so much wiser, more
18:43relaxed, more confident.
18:45And I was so respect, like our journey as artists, as actors and what we've, what we've come through.
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