Heather Locklear

Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961 in Westwood, California) is an American actress, probably best known for her role as bad girl Amanda Woodward in Melrose Place.

Personal life

Heather is the daughter of Bill and Diane Locklear. Her father was the dean at the UCLA School of Engineering. She is the youngest of four children and a cousin of Donald Trump's second wife, Marla Maples. She is of Scottish and Lumbee descent. She dated Tom Cruise and Scott Baio. Later, Heather was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from 1986-1993. After their divorce, she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora on December 17, 1995 in Paris. On October 4, 1997 she gave birth to their daughter, Ava Elizabeth. Locklear's representative announced on February 2, 2006 that divorce papers had been filed to dissolve the couple's marriage. In further papers filed by Sambora, it has been revealed that the couple has been separated since December 26, 2005, and that Sambora will be seeking joint custody of Ava.

Career

While attending the University of California, Los Angeles, Heather Locklear began modeling and working in commercials for the school store. In 1979, Locklear landed her first TV role in a TV movie and then on an episode of CHiPs a year later. She landed a few more bit parts in shows, including Eight Is Enough, before Aaron Spelling cast her in the role of Sammy Jo Dean in his new TV series Dynasty. Locklear proved a popular addition to the cast in the show's second season, in the fall of 1981. Spelling immediately cast her opposite William Shatner in the cop show T.J. Hooker. The show's 1982 premiere significantly enhanced Locklear's Hollywood career. Throughout the 1980's she continued to work on these two shows plus numerous television specials and films.
In the 1990's (after a failed sitcom Going Places), Locklear played perhaps her best known part, the vixen Amanda Woodward on the series Melrose Place from 1993 to 1999. She was originally brought on as a guest star in an attempt to boost the ratings, and her billing in the credits reflected this. Despite eventually becoming a regular cast member, she continued to be listed as a "Special Guest Star" through the entire series. Locklear also won First Americans in the Arts: Best Actress in a TV series for her role on Melrose Place. After her run on the show, she was immediately on another TV sitcom, Spin City, opposite Michael J. Fox. She was similarly brought in as a successful ratings boost for this show. Locklear starred in the airport drama LAX, which ran from 2004 to 2005.
Locklear also served for 6 years as the spokesperson for the Health and Tennis Corporation of America.