Melrose Place's
heatherlocklear

By Bonnie Siegler

     Dressed in black leather pants and jacket, a young 24-year-old Heather Locklear met her future husband, tattooed Motley Crüe rocker, Tommy Lee in 1985. They stayed married for seven long years. "I was so young then," says Heather in hindsight. Lee went on to marry Pamela Anderson but that's a whole other story.
     Circa 1998. Dressed in her short-skirted power suit as Melrose Place's resident sexy vixen Amanda Woodward, 36-year-old Heather is nothing like her former self or her current TV alter ego. While Woodward kills people, Locklear actually kills people with kindness. "I do have a darker side," she once admitted, referring to Lee, "that is attracted to bad boys." So one might think that her four-year marriage to Bon Jovi rocker Richie Sambora (former Cher boyfriend) is much of the same. Wrong! When Locklear married Sambora, the media was quick to describe her as a nice girl with an affinity for hard-living rock stars. "Richie is grounded, really family oriented and very close to his parents, since he's an only child," says Locklear of her 38-year-old husband. "He's always telling me how much he loves me, and he has no problem opening up and sharing his feelings. Richie writes love letters to me all the time."
     Shortly after megaproducer Aaron Spelling offered Locklear the chance of a lifetime to join Fox's primetime soap Melrose Place in 1993, Heather met Sambora after her divorce was finalized in February 1994. "I forced myself on him," she laughs. Ten months later, after their first official date, the two were married in a civil ceremony in New Jersey - Sambora's home state - and then again in a more elaborate ceremony in Paris at the American Cathedral.
     In Sambora, Locklear found a true soul mate - someone she could unwind with on weekends in their mountain home on Lake Arrowhead, outside Los Angeles, or at their beach getaway south of L.A. "We're very boring," she said in 1996. "We go out to dinner to the same three restaurants and eat the same things. We like to sit around and talk. He's sweet, gentle and caring." Only now, the couple are caring for daughter Ava Elizabeth, born October 4, 1997, the first child for both Heather and Richie.

And Baby Makes Three
Locklear knew she was joining Hollywood's new mom's club after doing three at-home pregnancy tests that all turned a very bright pink. "I called Richie's assistant and said, 'Stephanie, would you get one of those test things? I have this weird feeling.'" Despite their hopes for a family someday, the couple was not really trying. "Well, yes and no," confessed Locklear.
     After having logged in 35 hours of labor, Ava was delivered by cesarian section, weighing in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 19 inches, with her dad's dark hair and mom's blue eyes. "You've my daughter," cooed Sambora as a very tired new mom napped shortly after Ava's birth. Once back on their own turf in the airy, four bedroom home that was Heather's before Richie moved in, the proud parents took turns with Ava's waking every four hours. Now sleeping through the night, Sambora serenades Ava as she swings and he plucks the guitar.
     Luckily, Heather never suffered from morning sickness and reported for MP duty bright and early everyday. She happily flaunted her girth, only gaining 22 pounds and eating health food like vegetables, fish and chicken. She took dally walks and pumped light weights three or four times a week. Quite a departure for the normal size 2 actress who reveled in junk foods (Taco Bell being one of her favorites) and boasted a no workout workout. At night during her pregnancy, she would have warm milk with Ovaltine. "That would be my cocktail, she explains. "I would say, 'Oh, you guys can have your beer, but I'm having my warm mik.'"

Career Talk
So un-Amanda like. But so were most of her pre-Dynasty roles. Commercials for Tame cream rinse, STP Motor Oil and Polaroid led to small roles in TV's CHIPS and Eight Is Enough. There was also a workout video, Heather Locklear Presents Your Personalized Workout, where she pranced her petite figure in a light-blue leotard spouting the merits of going for the burn.
     Locklear knows that all good things must end, and she's anticipating what comes after Melrose. "I will miss my friends when this all ends," says Heather. However, Fox picked up another season of the show with Locklear wearing two hats - producer and star. "I would like to do some comedy afterwards."
     I guess Locklear is worth her weight in golden locks. Just go ask Sambora and Ava who are content to spend time as a family on weekends and evenings when MP lets out after a 12-hour day. So as Amanda takes off a pretty dress, Heather throws on jeans and t-shirt. As Amanda proves her witchy self, Heather proves she has found her niche as loving wife and mother. Picture of domestic bliss: a Barbie Doll and a Rock Star.