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Life After Melrose Place Career Assessment
NOTE: This article originally appeared in 2002 on the Paper Bag Review
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Josie Bissett (Jane Mancini) Previous Career Highlight: A guest spot as Christa Benson in everyone's favorite drama about a child prodigy turned physician, "Doogie Howser, M.D." Not a lot of TV work for Mrs. Rob Estes, but she has been making babies and popping up in a few facial cleanser and make-up commercials here and there. Not the most groundbreaking work, but she still looks good. GRADE: B |
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Thomas Calabro (Dr. Michael Mancini) Previous Career Highlight: A gripping guest spot on "Father Dowling Mysteries" I don't know what he has done since then, and I don't really want to know. His TV/Filmography is rather bleek, so I am just going to say he is either a) directing or b) commandeering a shady medical practice somewhere near Wilshire Memorial. GRADE: A (speculative) |
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Brooke Langton (Samantha Reilly Campbell) Previous Career Highlight: A guest spot on the "Back Story" episode of 90210, and she also played Nikki in the movie "Swingers" I guess it can be determined that Melrose was the peak in Miss Langston's career. Since then, she has only garnered critical acclaim for her turn as a cheerleader in the Keanu Reeves vehicle "The Replacements." So much critical acclaim, I didn't even catch her name in the movie. GRADE: D |
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Heather Locklear (Amanda Parizi McBride Blake Burns) Previous Career Highlight: Being married to Tommy Lee, and I guess being on TJ Hooker was a highlight as well Well, after leaving the bitchy Amanda Woodward behind, Locklear has continued her excellent work opposite the likes of Chuck Sheen and Michael J. Fox on "Spin City" and now on the NBC show "Scrubs." However, she married Richie Sambora, which is only cool if he wrote "Livin' on a Prayer" or "Bad Medicine." Can someone from Jersey verify this and get back to me? Thanks. GRADE: PENDING |
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Doug Savant (Matt Fielding) Previous Career Highlight: Perhaps some of you might remember Brad from "Teen Wolf" with Michael J. Fox? OK, neither do I, but man, could Teen Wolf dunk a basketball and dance on a moving van. Apparently he was in "Godzilla," but the real story here is how he somehow stole Laura Leighton away from Grant Show, married her and then knocked her up. Man, he acts pretty heterosexual for being a homosexual on the show. Granted, it's not Laura Leighton in her prime, but still. GRADE: B+ |
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Courtney Thorne-Smith (Alison Parker) Previous Career Highlight: Trying to sex up Mark Harmon in the smash comedy "Summer School" Answering all the prayers of faithful Melrose viewers when she left the show, Miss Thorne-Smith has been rather active post-Melrose. I am not going to waste time mentioning all her work, but she now stars as the quirky housewife providing comic relief to one Jim Belushi in ABCs "According to Jim." It may be work, but nothing matches up to the interaction (or, um, lack there of) between Billy and Alison. GRADE: C |
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Grant Show (Jake Hanson) Previous Career Highlight: Starred as Rick Hyde on the soap opera "Ryan's Hope" I have no idea, but once Jake decided to move to Ojai with that lady and her kid, he sucked anyway. And to top it off, he let Doug Savant marry his girl. A sad, sad post-show career for a man who in season one showed so much promise when he passed his GED. GRADE: D |
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Andrew Shue (Billy Campbell) Previous Career Highlight: Playing soccer and growing up the brother to the sexy star of films such as "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Cocktail" (Elisabeth Shue) As far as I know, Shue doesn't do too much acting anymore, opting rather to stay at home and raise his kids. Wait a minute, did I say "acting"…that's obviously a typo. Mr. Shue doesn't spend much time in front of the camera looking articulate anymore…there, that's better. Kudos to him for not being an absentee father...and for having a hot sister. GRADE: B |
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Daphne Zuniga (Jo Reynolds) Previous Career Highlight: Some might remember her from her dramatic turn as Princess Vespa in the coming of age story "Spaceballs" She is probably as boring today as she was on the show. GRADE: D- |
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Marcia Cross (Dr. Kimberly Shaw) Previous Career Highlight: She had a small role as Victoria on "Knots Landing" Since she blew up Melrose Place and eventually died and left the show, she has done a bit of work on the small screen, including a spot on Seinfeld and the "Cheers: E! True Hollywood Story," which I am sure was good, but not as good as her work on Melrose. GRADE: B- |
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Lisa Rinna (Taylor McBride) Previous Career Highlight: Spending her time in Salem as Billie (ugly Billie that is) before being replaced by the foxy Krista Allen as "hot Billie" Showing her thespian range, Lisa has gone back to her old ways as the ugly Billie on "Days of our Lives." GRADE: C |
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Kelly Rutherford (Megan Mancini McBride) Previous Career Highlight: A lot of generic guest spot crap Since the show ended, she had a small role in the film "Scream 3," but apparently she enjoys spending most of her time buying coffee at Peet's Coffee and Tea in Beverly Hills. That's about all the information I could get, which pretty much means that she will be available when they start filming a "Melrose: E! True Hollywood Story." GRADE: D+ |
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Rob Estes (Kyle McBride) Previous Career Highlight: Patrolling the mean streets of Palm Beach as Sgt. Chris Lorenzo on the award-winning "Silk Stalkings" From an actor with so much charisma, I have to admit it was disappointing to see him willingly take a role opposite Brooke Shields on "Suddenly Susan," but I am sure there were some valid reasons for doing so. Perhaps the fact that he got his wife Josie Bissett pregnant made him overly concerned about providing for his family, so he took the job, then realized the royalty checks he gets for Silk Stalkings were still coming in, so then he quit. I mean, Judd Nelson didn't even stay on that show. I, for one, am going to pretend it never happened. GRADE: A |
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Alyssa Milano (Jennifer Mancini) Previous Career Highlight: Playing the daughter of John Matrix in the film "Commando," and hiding her hickey from Tony Danza on "Who's the Boss?" Let us also not forget her turn as "naked" in the film "Poison Ivy 2: Lily" After Melrose she kept the ball rolling and proceeded to captivate viewers on the WB show "Charmed," eliminating Shannen Doherty along the way. And for that, we are forever thankful. GRADE: A+ |
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Laura Leighton (Sydney Andrews) Previous Career Highlight: Graduating from West High School in Iowa City She had a brief recurring role as Sophie Burns on 90210, which all but ended her reign of being an attractive female in prime time, as she was out-hotted by Steve's future wife on the show, Janet. GRADE: C- |
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Jack Wagner (Dr. Peter Burns) Previous Career Highlight: One word…FRISCO. Or, how about three more words: "All I Need," as in his #1 chart-topping pop single release Does it really matter? The guy has played two of the coolest guys on TV, and he has a #1 chart-topping pop single. In my book, that affords early retirement. GRADE: A+ |
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Kristin Davis (Brooke Armstrong Campbell) Previous Career Highlight: I guess she used to have a role on General Hospital back in the day Riding her wave of success after a freak pool accident left her dead and written off Melrose, Davis now plays the role of "the attractive friend in a group of females" in the show "Sex and the City." GRADE: A+ |
After this quick assessment, the abundance of Cs and Ds proves that life after Melrose has not been so sweet to the former tenants of our beloved apartment complex, but at least we can always catch them in syndication. No wait, it's not in syndication. Seriously, how is this possible? The syndication rights to "Dharma and Greg" got bought up, but no one is biting on Melrose? Rest assured, when PBR TV hits the air, this will be our first monumental purchase. OK, on that note, I had better get back to fundraising.