Editing Heather Locklear (section)

===1993-1999: ''Melrose Place (1992)'' and worldwide recognition===
In 1993, Heather Locklear began playing another of her best-known roles, Amanda Woodward, on Aaron Spelling's drama series ''Melrose Place'' created by [[Darren Star]]. Spelling originally signed Locklear for a limited four-episode run to boost interest, the first of which aired on January 27, 1993.<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/melrose-place-oral-history-marcia-cross-heather-locklear-grant-show-darren-star-look-back-1016500/ ‘Melrose Place’ at 25: Scrapped Storylines, Partying With World Leaders and How a Wig Reveal Saved the Show, June 30, 2017, by Greg Tomashoff]</ref> Locklear is credited to boost ratings at the end of the first season<ref>[https://ew.com/article/1993/08/06/heather-locklears-pay-increase/ Heather Locklear's pay increase, Entertainment Weekly, August 6, 1993]</ref> and became a full-time cast member, though she continued to be billed as Special Guest Star in the opening credits from season two until its cancellation in 1999. 

"It wasn't until Heather Locklear came on that she unlocked something, maybe because she brought this ''Dynasty'' cred. She literally could not say “hello” without an agenda", said Darren Star to Vulture.<ref>[https://www.vulture.com/article/darren-star-in-conversation.html The Master of Compulsively Watchable TV, Vulture, by E. Alex Jung, Aug. 14, 2024]</ref> Years earlier, he talked to The Hollywood Reporter: "[I] meet with Heather and at the time, Amanda was a fairly innocuous part with a four-episode arc. Once we started writing for her and saw how she was able to take an innocuous line and give it devious subtext, that inspired so much in terms of where the show could go".<ref>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/melrose-place-oral-history-marcia-cross-heather-locklear-grant-show-darren-star-look-back-1016500/ ‘Melrose Place’ at 25: Scrapped Storylines, Partying With World Leaders and How a Wig Reveal Saved the Show, The Hollywood Reporter, by Carig Tomashoff, June 30, 2017]</ref> Locklear remembered: "I just said, 'I wanna be a businesswoman. I don't wanna be Sammy Jo from ''Dynasty''. I don't wanna, like, be a quirky girl".<ref>[https://ew.com/heather-locklear-thought-she-was-too-old-for-melrose-place-11680495 Heather Locklear thought she was 'too old' to be on Melrose Place when she joined cast, Entertainment Weekly, by  Raechal Shewfelt, Feb. 14, 2025]</ref>

According to ''[[The New York Times]]'', "playing Amanda, Ms. Locklear has also taken a career that was sliding dangerously toward movies-of-the-week and given it new momentum".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1994/04/03/style/so-nice-to-be-so-mean.html So Nice to Be So Mean, by Elizabeth Kolbert, The New York Times, April 3, 1994]</ref> Locklear earned four [[Golden Globe Awards]] nominations for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama from 1994 to 1997.<ref>[https://goldenglobes.com/person/heather-locklear/ Golden Globes Database - Heather Locklear]</ref>

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 (Saturday Night Live)|Coffee Talk]]'' with [[Mike Myers (actor)|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]], wherein Wayne has a dream that he is a character on ''Melrose Place''.<ref>[https://www.onesnladay.com/2019/09/17/may-14-1994-heather-locklear-janet-jackson-s19-e20/ May 14, 1994 – Heather Locklear / Janet Jackson (S19 E20), by The One SNL A Day Project, September 17, 2019]</ref> 

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 spoof of ''Melrose Place'' titled "Muppet Heights". She was also the subject of a [[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]] ''[[Intimate Portrait]]'' special in 1997,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/intimate-portrait/episode-915960/202245|title=Intimate Portrait &#124; TV Guide|website=TVGuide.com}}</ref> and of an ''[[E! True Hollywood Story]]'' special in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/tv/e!-true-hollywood-story/season-9/episode-4-heather-locklear|title=E! True Hollywood Story|via=www.metacritic.com}}</ref>

Locklear was featured on the cover of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine on May 19, 1994, as ''Melrose Place'' reached the height of its popularity.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/5392236/1994_rolling_stone_covers/photo/9/large/therollingstones |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108054309/http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/5392236/1994_rolling_stone_covers/photo/9/large/therollingstones |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 8, 2007 |title=1994 Rolling Stone Covers : Photos |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 19, 1994 |access-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> She was named one of [[People Magazine's 100 Most Beautiful People|''People'' Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People]] twice, first in 1994,<ref name="people">{{cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/heather_locklear/biography |title=Heather Locklear Biography |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> and again in 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20134393,00.html |title=Heather Locklear: Actress – Most Beautiful, Heather Locklear |work=People  |date=May 14, 2001 |access-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref>

In 1996, Locklear starred in NBC movie ''[[Shattered Mind]]'' directed by [[Stephen Gyllenhaal]] in which she plays a woman with multiple personalities.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/26/arts/cover-storyheather-locklear-from-melrose-vixen-to-shattered-victim.html Heather Locklear, From 'Melrose' Vixen To 'Shattered' Victim', by Bridget Byrne, The New York Times, May 26, 1996]</ref> The actress receive compliments from critics but no praise. According to ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', "Locklear interps the roles with vigor and theatricalflair, if not plausibility" but "doesn't make the character convincing".<ref>[https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/nbc-movie-of-the-week-shattered-mind-1200445742/ Variety, Nbc Movie of the Week Shattered Mind, Tony Scott, 24 May 1996]</ref> Entertainment Weekly added: "Locklear is, if at times uneven, always admirable".<ref>[https://ew.com/article/1996/05/24/shattered-mind/ Shattered Mind review, by Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly, May 24, 1996]</ref>

At the time, Locklear said her work in this [[Television film|made-for-television film]] was important in her career:
{{cquote|"I don't think I thought of myself as an actress probably until I've just done this movie. But I did know there was a lot more I could do, given the opportunity... With this last movie, I think I can say I'm an actress."<ref>[https://www.deseret.com/1996/5/27/19245037/locklear-proves-she-can-actually-act/ "Locklear proves she can actually act", Deseret News, by Scott D. Pierce, May 27, 1996<nowiki>]</nowiki>]</ref>|}}

The following year, she appeared in the action-comedy ''[[Money Talks (1997 film)|Money Talks]]'' with her future ''[[Spin City]]'' co-star [[Charlie Sheen]].<ref>[https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1997-08-22/money-talks/ Money Talks review, by Russell Smith, Austin Chronicle, August 22, 1997]</ref> It was her first major supporting role in a movie after cameos in ''[[Wayne's World 2]]'' and ''[[The First Wives Club]]'' but it was "insipid", according to ''[[The New York Times]]''.<ref>[https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/money-film-review.html 'Money Talks': A TV Reporter Grabs Onto Some News, by Stephen Holden, The New York Times, August 22, 1997]</ref>

The cancellation of ''Melrose Place'' in 1999<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-24-ca-40358-story.html Closing Up the "Place", by William Keck, Los Angeles Times, May 24, 1999]</ref> marks the end of Locklear and Aaron Spelling prolific collaboration. Throughout her career, the actress has appeared in eight television productions made by the TV titan: ''Dynasty'', ''T. J. Hooker'', ''[[Matt Houston]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Hotel (American TV series)|Hotel]]'', ''Melrose Place'', and the television film ''Rich Men, Single Women''.<ref>[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rich%20men%20single%20women/cast-and-crew Rich Men, Single Women, Rotten Tomatoes]</ref> Spelling "called her his lucky penny", ''Melrose Place'' producer [[Chip Hayes]] said.<ref>[https://people.com/melrose-place-heather-locklear-aaron-spelling-lucky-penny-8771164 Melrose Place Producer Says Heather Locklear Was Aaron Spelling’s 'Lucky Penny', by John Russell, People,  January 8, 2025]</ref> In 2016, Heather Locklear pay tribute to Spelling during the [[58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards]] in Los Angeles.<ref>[https://www.denverpost.com/2006/08/27/spelling-tribute-another-awkward-emmy-moment/ Spelling tribute another awkward Emmy moment, Denver Post, May 8, 2016]</ref>