Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress, known for her television roles as Sammy Jo
Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker, Amanda Woodward on Melrose
Place and Caitlin Moore on Spin City. She had a recurring role on the TV Land sitcom
Hot in Cleveland and has a main role on the TNT drama-comedy television series Franklin
& Bash as of 2013.
Youth Locklear was born in Los Angeles' Westwood
District, the daughter of Diane, a production executive for Disney, and William Robert Locklear,
an administrator at UCLA. She was raised in Thousand Oaks, California and graduated from
Newbury Park High School. Locklear is the youngest of four children. Locklear claims
Native American ancestry. 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 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 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 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 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. 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 canceled 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 reprised her role as Amanda Woodward and appeared in eight episodes.
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, the new show was not a ratings success and
was canceled after one season. In 2011, Locklear starred in the television movie He Loves Me
on the Lifetime Channel. In 2012, Locklear began appearing in a recurring
role on the TV Land comedy series Hot in Cleveland. In 2013, Locklear signs to appear on the third
season of Franklin & Bash. In 2014, the actress features in a PSA titled "We Are, Sarah Jones"
in memory of camera assistant Sarah Jones, killed on the set of Midnight Rider on February
20, 2014. Personal life
Relationships
Locklear was romantically linked to several Hollywood personalities including Scott Baio.
She was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from May 10, 1986, to 1993. After their
divorce, she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora on December 17, 1994, in Paris. She
gave birth to their only child, daughter Ava Elizabeth, in 1997. As of 2010, Ava is modeling
and plans to be an actress. Locklear filed for divorce from Sambora in February 2006.
The following month Sambora filed for joint custody of their daughter and enforcement
of a prenuptial agreement. Their divorce was finalized in April 2007. In the same month,
Locklear began a relationship with fellow Melrose Place alum Jack Wagner. In August
2011, Locklear and Wagner announced they were engaged. Locklear's publicist announced that
the engagement was called off in November 2011.
Driving controversies In September 2008, Locklear was pulled over
and arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence by a California Highway Patrol
officer just outside Santa Barbara after she was seen driving erratically. Police had been
tipped off about Locklear's driving by Jill Ishkanian, a former reporter and editor at
Us Weekly magazine, who saw Locklear outside a market in Montecito, California. Ishkanian
photographed the incident and then sold the photos to celebrity news website TMZ.com for
$27,500, though she claims it was entirely a chance meeting and denies following Locklear
or setting her up in order to obtain photographs. Locklear was formally charged on November
17, 2008, with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence. A blood test detected
no alcohol or illegal narcotics, but Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Lee
Carter stated that they believe the prescription medications she consumed for her anxiety and
depression "could have impaired her ability to safely drive a motor vehicle". On January
2, 2009, Locklear pleaded no contest to reckless driving, and in return the district attorney
dismissed the DUI charges. Locklear was sentenced to three years of informal probation, a DMV
driver safety class and a $700 fine. On April 21, 2010, Locklear was arrested on
suspicion of hit and run, when a "No Parking" sign was wrecked at 4 a.m. and vehicle debris
was found. Police discovered that her car, parked in her garage, showed apparently matching
damage. Her lawyer confirmed that Locklear had been cited for a traffic misdemeanor as
the vehicle's owner, but said it was not clear who was driving at the time of the accident.
On May 26, 2010, the Ventura County District Attorney announced that no criminal charges
will be filed because there was “insufficient evidence” to determine who was driving the
car at the time of the collision. 911 calls
In March 2008, a 911 call was made by someone who claimed to be Locklear's doctor and said
that Locklear was trying to commit suicide. Emergency responders were dispatched to Locklear's
home. Her publicist later said that Locklear had never requested any medical assistance
and the Ventura County Sheriff's Department later stated that no further action was taken
once they arrived at Locklear's Westlake Village home, as she appeared to be fine. They did,
however, state that they believed the call to be genuine. On June 24, 2008, she checked
into a medical facility in Arizona for psychological issues including anxiety and depression, and
requested an in-depth evaluation of her medication in order to receive proper diagnosis and treatment.
Her agent confirmed that she was suffering from anxiety and depression. On July 23, 2008,
Locklear returned home after four weeks of treatment at the facility.
On January 12, 2012, Locklear's sister called 911 when she believed Locklear was in danger
after reportedly taking prescription drugs and alcohol. Emergency personnel responded
and Locklear was taken to Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, but was reported
to be out of danger the following day. Filmography
Film Television
Producer Melrose Place
LAX Awards and nominations
References
External links Heather Locklear at the Internet Movie Database
Heather Locklear at People.com