Heather Locklear facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heather Locklear
Locklear in 1993
Born	Heather Deen Locklear (1961-09-25) September 25, 1961 (age 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Dynasty T. J. Hooker Melrose Place Spin City
Spouse(s)	Tommy Lee ​ ​ (m. 1986; div. 1993)​ Richie Sambora ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2007)​
Partner(s)	Chris Heisser (eng. 2020)
Children	1

Heather Deen Locklear (born September 25, 1961) is an American actress. She is well-known for her role as Amanda Woodward on the TV show Melrose Place from 1993 to 1999. For this role, she was nominated four times for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a TV Drama.

She also gained fame for playing Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty from 1981 to 1989. This was her first big TV role and started a long working relationship with producer Aaron Spelling. Other important TV roles include Officer Stacy Sheridan on T. J. Hooker (1982–1986) and Caitlin Moore on Spin City (1999–2002). She received two more Golden Globe nominations for Spin City.

Heather Locklear has also appeared in movies. Some of her film roles include the science-fiction thriller Firestarter (1984), the action comedy Money Talks (1997), and the family-friendly comedy Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003).

Early Life and Beginnings

Heather Deen Locklear was born on September 25, 1961, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Diane, was a production executive, and her father, Bill Locklear, worked at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her father was also a former colonel in the United States Marine Corps. Heather has Lumbee ancestry.

While attending UCLA, Heather started modeling and appearing in commercials. In the early 1980s, she had small roles in TV shows like CHiPs, 240-Robert, and Eight Is Enough.

Acting Career Highlights

Rising to Fame with Dynasty and T.J. Hooker

In 1982, Heather Locklear began working closely with TV producer Aaron Spelling. She was cast in a recurring role as Sammy Jo Dean on Spelling's popular show Dynasty. The next year, while still on Dynasty, Locklear also took on a main role as Officer Stacy Sheridan in the police drama T.J. Hooker.

She worked on both series until 1986, when T.J. Hooker ended. After that, Locklear became a full-time cast member of Dynasty and stayed with the show until it finished in 1989. She once explained how busy she was, saying she would go from filming her police show to being "all glammed up" for Dynasty.

After Dynasty became a hit, Locklear appeared in her first major film, Firestarter (1984). She played the mother of a character played by Drew Barrymore. She also starred in the 1989 film The Return of Swamp Thing.

Becoming a Global Star with Melrose Place

In 1993, Heather Locklear took on another one of her most famous roles: Amanda Woodward on Aaron Spelling's drama series Melrose Place. She was originally hired for just four episodes to make the show more exciting. Her character, Amanda, quickly became very popular and helped boost the show's ratings.

Because of her success, Locklear became a full-time cast member. She was even credited as a "Special Guest Star" in the opening credits for many seasons. The show's creator, Darren Star, said that Heather's character brought a new energy to the show. The New York Times noted that playing Amanda helped Locklear's career reach new heights. She earned four Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a TV Drama between 1994 and 1997 for her work on Melrose Place.

Locklear was a guest host on Saturday Night Live in May 1994. She also made a brief appearance in the movie Wayne's World 2 in 1993. In 1996, she was a special guest on Muppets Tonight, where she appeared in a funny spoof of Melrose Place.

Heather Locklear was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in May 1994, when Melrose Place was at its most popular. She was also named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People twice.

In 1996, Locklear starred in the TV movie Shattered Mind. Critics praised her effort in the role. She later said that this movie helped her feel like a true actress. The next year, she appeared in the action-comedy Money Talks with Charlie Sheen, who would later become her co-star.

When Melrose Place ended in 1999, it marked the end of Locklear's many collaborations with producer Aaron Spelling. He often called her his "lucky penny" because she brought success to his shows.

Transitioning to Comedy

After Melrose Place finished in 1999, Locklear joined the cast of the ABC sitcom Spin City. She starred alongside Michael J. Fox and later Charlie Sheen. Locklear moved to New York for filming, and Spin City became very popular in its new time slot. She earned two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress in a TV Comedy for her role before the series ended in 2002.

Spin City opened a new chapter in Locklear's career, leading to more comedy roles in TV and movies. In 2002, she had a short recurring role in the hit sitcom Scrubs. She also made a guest appearance in the final season of the legal comedy-drama Ally McBeal.

In 2004, Locklear made a guest appearance on the sitcom Two and a Half Men, reuniting with her former Spin City co-star Charlie Sheen. In 2005, she appeared in the movie The Perfect Man with Hilary Duff. That same year, she had a recurring role on the drama series Boston Legal, working again with executive producer David E. Kelley.

Recent Roles and TV Movies

Since 2006, Heather Locklear has continued to appear in various TV movies and guest roles. In 2007, she starred in her first Lifetime movie, Angels Fall, which was one of the most-watched movies on the network at the time. In 2008, she starred in another Lifetime film, Flirting with Forty, which also had many viewers.

In 2009, Locklear returned to the world of Melrose Place by joining the cast of The CW's updated version of the show. She reprised her role as Amanda Woodward for eight episodes. Even with her return, the new show was not a big ratings success and was canceled after one season.

In 2012, Locklear began a recurring role on the TV Land comedy series Hot in Cleveland. In 2013, she became a regular on the comedy-drama Franklin & Bash. In 2016, she appeared in the TV movie The Game of Love and had a recurring role in Tyler Perry's drama Too Close to Home.

In 2021, Locklear played Kristine Carlson in the Lifetime TV movie Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: The Kristine Carlson Story. In 2024, she starred in another Lifetime film, Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story.

Other Ventures

Business and Endorsements

From 1997 to the mid-2000s, Heather Locklear appeared in commercials for L'Oréal hair and cosmetic products. She was also an ambassador for the company at the Cannes International Film Festival in France in 1999.

In 2006, Heather Locklear appeared in the music video for country singer Toby Keith's song "Crash Here Tonight." When Toby Keith passed away in 2024, she shared a tribute on Instagram, remembering her experience working on the video.

In 2020, Locklear joined Scrubs actors Zach Braff and Donald Faison on their podcast, "Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald." She had previously made guest appearances on the Scrubs TV show. In September 2024, Locklear made a public appearance at 90s Con in Florida.

In 2025, Locklear appeared on the "Still the Place" podcast with her former Melrose Place co-stars Daphne Zuniga, Laura Leighton, and Courtney Thorne-Smith. She also joined TV personality Jillian Barberie as a guest on Armie Hammer’s podcast, "The Armie HammerTime Podcast."

Personal Life

Family and Relationships

Locklear with Richie Sambora in 1994

Heather Locklear 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.

Heather and Richie had one child together, a daughter named Ava Elizabeth Sambora, born on October 4, 1997. Locklear filed for divorce from Sambora in February 2006, and their divorce was finalized in April 2007.

In April 2020, Locklear became engaged to Chris Heisser, a former motocross racer whom she had dated in high school.

Awards and Nominations

Filmography

Television

Film

Producer

See also

In Spanish: Heather Locklear para niños

• List of notable Lumbee