Why Heather Locklear Kept Her 'Special Guest Star' Credit After Becoming A Melrose Place Regular

If you regularly watched Fox's primetime lineup in the '90s, you definitely remember the iconic theme song of "Melrose Place." And if you watched the opening credits closely, you probably noticed a peculiar recurrence: Heather Locklear was always billed at the very end as a "Special Guest Star" — even long after she became the undisputed center of the "Beverly Hills 90210" spin-off.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the unique billing was a strategic move that stemmed from a simple contract negotiation. When executive producer, Aaron Spelling, initially recruited Locklear mid-way through Season 1, she was brought onboard for a four-episode stint to boost the drama's sinking ratings. At the time, she literally was just a guest star.

But little did she know, her portrayal of the cutthroat advertising executive Amanda Woodward — one of TV's ultimate mean girls — completely transformed the primetime soap opera. Amanda quickly became a fan favorite, injecting the apartment complex chronicle with much-needed drama, corporate warfare, and toxic romances. Spelling naturally asked Locklear to stay on full-time, but her "special" introductory title remained intact. And it was a clever move to ensure she stood out.

Locklear chose to retain her distinct credits placement versus joining the alphabetical cast list. According to the Tribune, keeping the "Special Guest Star" tag guaranteed her prime real estate at the end of the sequence, regardless of how overstuffed the ever-changing "Melrose Place" roster became.

It's a good thing Locklear had no idea the show was in trouble at the time. If she did, we may  have never gotten Amanda as a full-time character. "Did you even know that the show was kind of limping along?" co-star Courtney Thorne-Smith asked Locklear during a 2025 episode of their "Still the Place" podcast, per People. "If it was limping along, I wouldn't have done it," Locklear replied. "I did not know."

Locklear made her debut in Season 1, Episode 21, titled "Picture Imperfect," and was promoted to full-time during Season 2. She remained for all seven seasons of the original series, appearing in a total of 199 of the show's 226 episodes. That puts her at second place for the most appearances by a cast member, next to Thomas Calabro (Dr. Michael Mancini), who appeared in 219 episodes. Locklear reprised the role again in the 2009 reboot of "Melrose Place," appearing in eight episodes. The revival only lasted for one season.