Heather Locklear

HEATHER LOCKLEAR

Date of Birth: September 25, 1961

A California native, Heather Locklear wanted to be a cheerleader in high school, but when that didn't pan out, she joined the drama club and discovered a passion for acting. She attended UCLA, where her father was the Dean of the School of Engineering, and while there, modeled for the UCLA store. However, after landing TV commercials for products such as Coca-Cola and Polaroid, she realized she enjoyed acting enough to drop out.

The California blonde quickly landed guest-starring roles on the hit drama series CHiPs and Eight is Enough in 1981 before being chosen as a regular on the prime-time soap Dynasty. When her contract wasn't picked up for a second season, she wound up as a regular on the crime drama T.J. Hooker, playing Officer Stacy Sheridan. Meanwhile, Dynasty decided to continue her storyline after all, and for awhile, Locklear juggled both series. Her beautiful looks hadn't gone unnoticed, and she was asked to model for a poster. Her quick success was an anomaly, and she remarked to TV Guide in 1983, "I see lots of actresses who've been working and waiting 10 years for a break and I wonder, "Why am I so lucky? Why me?" adding, "People always ask me about 'paying dues.' Why do you have to pay dues? Who says you have to?"

Her success held, with a role in the major motion picture Firestarter (1984) starring Drew Barrymore, and parts in a succession of TV movies, when on hiatus from her series. In 1986 she married rocker Tommy Lee, but the marriage ended seven years later. The low point of her career came after Dynasty came to an end in 1989, and she won a Razzie Award as Worst Actress for The Return of the Swamp Thing (1989). In 1993, Locklear joined the cast of the nighttime soap Melrose Place. For her role as Amanda Woodward Blake Parezi McBride Burns, Locklear received four Golden Globe nominations, finally proving to her critics that looks weren't her only asset. In 1999 when the show ended, she was hired to spice up the sitcom Spin City starring Michael J. Fox and received two more Golden Globe nominations.

When the show came to an end in 2002, she accepted a supporting role in the motion picture Uptown Girls (2003) starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning. Though in her forties, at a time when many actresses have difficulty finding work, she landed a starring role opposite Hilary Duff in The Perfect Man (2005) as a single mother searching for love.

Once shooting in Toronto was completed, Locklear jetted back to Los Angeles to star in a new NBC drama for the 2004/5 season, entitled LAX. Unfortunately, the series was cancelled in 2005.

Of predominately Scottish heritage, Locklear is part Lumbee Indian and has won numerous First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) awards for her television work. She has been married to Richie Sambora of the rock group Bon Jovi since 1994 and they have a daughter, Ava Elizabeth, born in 1997. Unfortunately, they were divorced in 2007. She is currently dating Jack Wagner.

Filmography:

Flying By (2009)
Oranges (2009) (V)
Flirting with Forty (2008) (V)
Oranges (2007)
The Perfect Man (2005)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Uptown Girls (2003)
Double Tap (1997)
Money Talks (1997)
The First Wives Club (1996) (uncredited)
The Return of the Swamp Thing (1989)
Firestarter (1984)