Blonde and buoyant actress Heather Locklear had the distinction of co-starring simultaneously in two weekly series within a year of her 1981 TV debut. Locklear played Steven Carrington's long-suffering wife Sammy Jo on Dynasty, then went down the block to essay the role of ever-imperiled lady cop Stacy Sheridan on T.J. Hooker. Since that time, Locklear has made several efforts to establish herself as a comedienne, ranging from a forgettable sitcom to her wiselipped heroine in Return of the Swamp Thing (1991). Far better at inducing feminine envy than laughs, Locklear was later seen as elegant villainess Amanda Woodward, on the Fox Network series Melrose Place, a show she is credited as saving from cancellation with her sexy but catty performance. Numerous television roles followed -- including appearances in Two and a Half Men, Boston Legal, and Hannah Montana -- and in 2009 Locklear returned to the character of Amanda Woodward in the shortlived Melrose Place revival series. When not participating in series television, Locklear has functioned as spokesperson for the Health and Tennis Corporation of America. Locklear was for several years married to rock star Tommy Lee; after their breakup she wed yet another rocker, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora. Lee in turn married another blonde TV icon, Baywatch star Pamela Anderson.
by Hal Erickson
biography
