July 8, 2024 • 41 mins
On July 8th, 1992 apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same once “Melrose Place” was introduced to the world.
It took drama and mayhem to an entirely new level.
We are reliving every hookup, every scandal, every back stab, blackmail, explosion and every wig removal... together!
Secrets are revealed as we rewatch every moment with you.
Sydney, Alison and Jo are back together on Still The Place, with a trip down memory lane to Melrose Place.
Mondays are STILL a B*tch!!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney thorn Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
And Daphne's Ania and iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Oh my gosh, we'll find me here. It's so exciting.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Let's see the pearls. Guys. We have like thirty years
of memories.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hey, do we do an official intro?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
It's it's a podcast called Still the Place, Still.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
The Place, Melo's Place for rewatch podcasts.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah, and Melro's Place was the show that where we
all met.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
In the early By the way, I'm Courtney thorn Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeah, I'm Laura Layton and I'm Daphne's Anigay.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I like, I'm interviewing you. You're such a cute couple.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
We're very happy to get us from my.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Therapist a therapist, you too, on the couch.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Actually, after Melroe's Place, I went into therapy.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
If this was couple's therapy, this would not be good. Yeah,
you're happy.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Was ready?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
We want to get you close too, couldn't possibly.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
It's where our friendship began and where we all met.
And it's thirty two years later.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Almost exactly thirty two years because I did the math
and we started shooting May eleventh of nineteen ninety two,
so it's almost exactly thirty two years. And the weird
thing is we all look exactly the same, Isn't that weirdess?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Because it's a podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
The weirdess.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
She just thank God for filters.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Can we have filters? I'd like a few filters in life.
So so excited to be doing this with you guys,
So excited to just get the time to hang out
with you guys and talk about the show. I've been
thinking about all my Melrose memories and so many things
have been coming to my mind. Do you remember this
came to me today, made me laugh out loud. Do
you remember how Jack Wagner, Now remember Heather Locklear was
(01:50):
the biggest star in the world at the time. How
Jack Wagner always remembered he couldn't remember her name. Pretend
he couldn't remember his name, and you would call her Helen.
Where's Helen? Is Helen here?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Do you remember that we laugh out loud this morning
that that sounds exactly like Jack. Yeah, totally, but he
but Thomas actually did that to me on purpose, really yeah,
like not kidding. I mean, I thought it was unpurposed,
like he could never remember my actual name, so you
just called me by my character names, and I'm finding
there were a lot of us when I yeah, like
(02:19):
what I think when I'm thinking about Melrose and like
going back into my memory of it and stuff, I
don't think of you guys as your character names. I
think of your names. I'm like, oh, well, remember when
Courtney had that scene? You know, it's like Courtney had
that scene instead of like remember when Alison did this.
Like I can't quite remember the character's names and connect the.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
People because so much time's gone by.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
But back in the day when you know, I know,
the crew even had like our names, I think, but
it was like the names and the character like our
real name because because it was a.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Lot Yeah, so wait, we haven't even said that. So
like Daphne, you played.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Joe, Joe, Daphney, I played Joe, right, Joebeth Reynolds, I.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Remember you coming on. I remember you coming on because
you were very cool, and you like came from the
movies and you were very cool, and edge were all
kind of nervous, and it's like you came in and
you were really cool, and we're all kind of nervous
that you were there.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Wait, and you're Courtney and you played.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I'm Courtney, I played Alison Craker, I'm o rost Place.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And I'm Laura Layton and I played Sydney, Andrews, Mancini
and a bunch of other last names. And now did
you Andrews.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
But Laura, when you came on, you didn't start as
a regular, right, that was expanded. You come in as
I'm already remembering. Josie's character name, Josie was Jane.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, see, it was hard guys, and I'm gonna refer
it was Jose half the time instead of Jane. I'm
going to refer to her as Jane. Josie's gonna see.
I think like the nostalgia factor of it being all
the way back in the nineties, it just seems like
that was such a different time and place, Like my
kids even will say weird stuff like I wish I
(03:59):
lived in the nineties. I'm like, why, what is it
about the nineties that is appealing to you?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Like you remember because we grew up in the eighties
thinking about the sixties and how long ago that was.
The nineties are longer for them ago ago. Yeah, I
know there's a way to say that better, but I
don't know where it is, yeah, right, like that was
only twenty years This is thirty years ago.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, but for us, for me anyway, it doesn't feel
that far at all. And yet watching the show or
remembering specifically things about the nineties.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I mean, we look so different.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Everything was colorful, and the hair was high and coming
out of the eighties, which was all you know, day
glow and massive amounts of hairspray. Right, But how I
feel is like it was a couple of literally just
you know, maybe ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, maybe a decade now.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Because fashion has changed, it doesn't look that weird. Like
I checked out in episodes several years ago, it looked insane.
And then getting ready for this, I've looked at some
episodes the fashion holds up, like my first outfit, which
I don't remember at all in real time, but I
was looking at I thought, oh, I would wear that today.
I had a fitted jacket much like the one I
have on now, but it was bright red and a
(05:09):
black dress.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Because circled back the boxy jacket.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Many years I thought I would die if my son
saw this, right, I have a sixteen year old son.
He came in last night. I was watching an episode,
and I had on, of course a sheet mask, as
I do, because you guys know I'm obsessed with skincare.
They had on a sheet mask. You woe, doesn't even
blink anymore? He comes in? How often am I in
a I saw in a blanket with my led mask on?
So last night was getch a sheet mask, didn't even blink.
Shat down and watched for a second.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I thought, it.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Doesn't look that weird, except that my hair was big
and I looked kind of different. But the clothes were
right on point. It was almost the same stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
You mean, it's coming back around.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It has come back around.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It insane for twenty years.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, and now it's back.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I would wear I probably was wearing exactly what I
was wearing on the.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Show, maybe a little different. Those are some pretty high
shoulder pads.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
But apparently shoulder pads are coming back. Remember the shoulder
pads that we put in our clothes that were what
was that fabric and then they'd fall down and all
of a sudden you'd have an extra breast because your shoulder,
like if it was falling.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Out pads or like places in your shoulders where they
would fit in and you know, like Denise, our wardrobe
God would like come and.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
You know, just fit it in.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
So you fit to this square jacket as opposed to
like getting something that fit you, you know that was
like shape to you. And I mean I relied so
much on those shoulder pads. I thought, you know, now
I feel together and like you feel too slopey without
a shoulder pad.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Do you know, do you guys have any wardrobe items
or anything that you took from the show, anything that
you can.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I don't know. I did take from there. There was
like a maroon and cream skirt that fit me like
a and I thought I'll wear this forever, but then
it was maroon and cream.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
So never found the occasion for maroon and cream.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
It didn't come back, but I did for a long time.
I still have my melrose Place hat. And I remember
when when melrose Place was really hot, and Andrew Shoe
and I were dating, so it felt like there was
a lot of attention on us. And I went to
see member Missy and John. Yeah, so, and we went
to see them for dinner and we were going we
were going out, The four of us were going out
to Universal Studios. When Universal Studios opened and we were
(07:30):
really trying to hide.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
That brave because I can't imagine that was.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
It was brave, but you know, you can put on
a baseball hat. It wasn't like now with social media
you could kind of put it on a baseball hat
and go out under the radar. And we showed up
at their door and they both had on Melro's Place
baseball hats.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Doesn't mean so much for subtle they didn't wear it.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
But remember that hat, it was black. I still have that.
I should have wearn that today and it had the
Melrose Place hot. I still had that. I wear it
all the time, so I don't have to explain who
I I don't Clarious.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Do you feel like it was that you were able
to go out under the radar? Like when do you
think that changed in like over the course of the show,
Like when did that because I remember it being sort
of a shocking thing to be, oh my gosh, we
can't go anywhere without being recognized from the show.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I remember the game when I really well, one of
the times it really dawned on me was when you
were with Grant.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So whatever season that was, I was, we were writing
Harley's to Latline.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
At the time, I had my own little I wrote
a couple of times on the back of Grant's Harley,
and then I was like, uh, I want my own,
So I went and got my own.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
I took the lessons and everything you were on the
back of Grants. But I'm not that I aways ever
dated Grant.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But anyway, anyway, we go to Laughlin and there was
just all of these motorcycle writers and you know, it was.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Laughlin, Nevada.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So we crossed the state line and there were these
escalators and it was just a mob. And I just
remember you and Grant and like everyone these Harley Davidson
like to mix it there and they're like, oh my god, wait,
they're following it, you know, And I just thought, wow,
this is like one of those scenes where there's a
mass and the escalator and just this massive people recognizing you.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I thought, that's it.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
We're stuck on the three of you rode motorcycles to Laughlin, Nevada. Oh,
I'm trying not to focus on I wasn't invited. Whatever,
we'll get over it. We'll talk about that.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
And a whole motorcycle gang on the show.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Really really with us, fascinated like our teamster and Greg.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I think Lacava came. Who else? Oh, there were a
couple others from the crew.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That is so cool. You know what else encouraged me
last night was you dated Grant in real life, but
all three of us dated him on the show, So
we have all kissed Grant show.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Thank you? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Did everybody dated everybody on the show?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I don't know. Well, let's what, let's wait, we're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
That.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I watched the pilot.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I didn't remember any of it, Like I vaguely remembered
my audition scene, but I was like.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
That, what what?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
What?
Speaker 1 (10:07):
It's so crazy how much I've forgotten? Remember when we
did We did a reunion show in New York on
the twenty fifth anniversary, and they were showing us scenes
from Melwer's Place, you remember it, and Doug and I upped.
At some point we were all.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Wait, what happened?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
How do I remember a scene? Yeah, Doug and I
were kidnapped. And the other thing that made me laugh
is so as you know, Doug was one of the
first gay characters on on Timetime Network TV, and he
felt like they didn't use him enough. Because they didn't
really know what to do with a gay character. They
weren't really ready.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Ironic Star created and was our showrunner.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, different time though, so it's really well he was
allowed to write.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yes, he was just talk about exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You can really see what a different time it is, right,
how far we've come in that area. But he came
and he had a sign. He made himself a sign
and it said, Hi, I'm Matt. I played Doug because
he hadn't been there it so long.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't remember that, but it doesn't surprise maybe left
so hard. Yeah, but like how the perspective that our
show at the time was it just like did you
anticipate it becoming this giant hit? I mean it was
like a juggernaut.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Well it wasn't a hit at first. Let me tell you,
ladies who weren't there in the very beginning, sit down,
sit on many Let's tell you a story. So in
the beginning, it was a spin off of nine O
two and note they expected great things. We were sold
for thirteen. I remember doing the opening credits scene on
Melrose and Grant was sort of recognizable because he'd already
(11:40):
been on nine O two and O. But nice kids
and a soap opera and just insanely handsome obviously, right,
like watching those chos, like how do I even talk
to Grant? Insanely handsome? And we were we were we
There were all these expectations. It was so much press
and then nothing happened. It was like eight nice kids
trying to make it. And then Heather came on as
(12:03):
a bitch, right, that was the that was the poster,
Monday's our bitch, and all of a sudden we had
someone to play against. And then Thomas's character, Michael Mancini,
turned bad. Was that when you came on? Yes, that's
when you came on. Yeah, so we had you and
we had Michael, and we had Heather, and that's when
it we were I imagine, I don't know the inner workings.
(12:23):
I think we came very close to getting canceled, and
then all of this new energy came in and we
weren't just nice kids trying to make it. There was
all this conflict and drama and then, as you guys know, the.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Drama just took off.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah. I was just gonna say, I want to give
you some perspective because you were saying nobody watched it
right right the premiere, I'm going to give you it
statistic which I have to be accurate.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I am so impressed.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
I believe this to be accurate. The Melrose Place premiere
episode had sixteen million viewers.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But at the time, yes, what were the top shows getting?
Like now, that was an insane so.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Right, So I guess I'm gonna have to get back
to you with that. I'm going to have to get.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Myself or get your people on that.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
By comparison, I will let's compare to for example, today
the series finale of Breaking Bad, right, I mean giant
current cultural phenomenon, cultural phenomenon. Series finale of Breaking Bad
was ten point three million. Melrose premiered sixteen million, and
when it was in the height, there was nineteen million
(13:34):
viewers for like, for say the season two finale of
Melrose So nineteen million.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
That's unheard of today we're watching it.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
But also the way they had to watch it was
at the same time, like we had to. They had
to make an appointment. Go oh, I have to watch
on Wednesday night or I will miss it. So sixteen
million people watch that premiere on the same night, or
we Divo didn't come INUNTI late could record not hard.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You could record it.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Like a VHS.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Everybody had a VHS and if they're like if they
weren't going to be stones riding the bike, and you'd
have the recording and if you were going to miss
it on that Wednesday night, you may have to make sure,
oh I forgot to set my VCR. Remember that, and
then they miss it, and then they wouldn't get that
moment of being able to talk about it the next
day around the water cooler.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Like that was a thing, I think.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
But to your point, it premiered like that because people
had been watching nine O two and zero right, and
it was like the same vibe is really cool la
vibe but older people in their twenties now. But it
leads into that because Darren told me so, I live
with Darren Starr, the creator of this show, in college,
and he said, you know, it's a show when he
(14:43):
called me about coming out to this one.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
It's a show.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
About you know, kids after college and they're trying to
make it on their own. And sure enough, you see
in the pilot and through the first however many shows,
that's what it was like, like, how do you pay
the rent?
Speaker 4 (14:55):
And can I keep my job? And da da da,
these things.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
That that earrow wasn't covered, that you had thirty something
and you had nine or two to zero and you
didn't but you didn't have this the twenties, you know,
you didn't have that on TV and how and because
that's what he remembers experiencing and that's what so I
think he really want to do like a thirty something
but in the twenties and then and then so it
(15:19):
started big, but that didn't last at first. So I
came in halfway through the first seasons. I think I
has been told episode fifteen, there's gonna be a lot
of you talk and Courtney for the first fifteen.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
A lot of questions recording til we get that court yeah,
what happened behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Then oh, you'll have opinions. I know, both of you.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
And the thing that these filmmakers did is that you
go with where the juice is and when they made
Michael a villain because he was kind of an asshole anyway,
and then he just went and then boom it. Then
it started to pick up and then they brought in
Heather and I came in there somewhere around there but
I wasn't a bad girl.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I was and then they brought it and have Ben
just went with it and made her the ultimate bitch.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And then you guys had all that, you know, and
then you went crazy and all that.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But what I love is, oh, I thought they were hoping.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
They were hoping it was going to be a hit
for one reason, and that didn't fly, and they just
pivoted and it became bigger than they imagined.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I think.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So I just think that's a cool story because it's real,
and I think that that's really valuable to know in life.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I love that we get to watch it again and
in real time, sort of as it was meant to be,
you know, as it was is this one went first,
and here's how it was in the beginning and the
evolution of it. We get to rewatch that and see
that evolution again and sort of compare it to how
we remember it versus how it's going to feel watching
it the second time, and you're.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Going to be surprised how little you remember. Like I remember,
I remember, oh, I remember shooting the pilot, I remember
how we Deutsche directed it, I remember the people, but
watching the scenes, I don't remember any of them. It
was watching it and knew it was fascinating. And as
you were saying about people having to watch it on
that day, like what people? I still people talking about
Melo's Place more than anything I've ever done. I've worked
(17:07):
a longer. I did a lot of things after Melo's
Place because it was a time in their lives. That's
why I love our title still the Place. Because I
was at my son's friend's house and his dad was
telling me. His dad's this big heart, the big back surgeon,
and he was telling me how in college he and
his friends watched Meloe's Place and he wrote an article
(17:28):
for their paper, like an update on Melroe's Place, like
this guy he was a black surgeon. He was like blogging,
but actually on paper. It's a time. People remember it
as they were in college, they got together with their friends.
How many times in a week do people stop you
and say, I lived on Meloe's Place. I lived in
an apartment building with a pool.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Yep, right, well it used to be like that, I
think people.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I think to your point, it was it felt like
a time and we need it now, you know, like
just ape and a time that you remember that time
that life was I don't know, simpler, or you connected
more in real life, or you went next door for
advice to your neighbors if you lived in that apartment.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
And I just feel like people you know, talked about
that experience.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Of being an apartment building a lot and then talking
about the show at the water cooler, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Well, and getting together to watch it. People got together
watch it every Yeah, Like now we're all in our
own little world on our own devices watching shows Now.
I watch things sometimes concurrently with friends and we're texting
while we're watching it. That's why Game of Thrones was
exciting because people wanted to watch that in real time. Yeah,
it's so rare. But Melrose was that and if you
(18:42):
didn't watch it the next day and people were talking
about it, it was a bonding experience. You don't get
that as often.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Now, And I think that's what makes it different from
like what watching shows are now, is like that experience
of I remember where I was when I watched it
and who I watched it with.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, and that day I binged six or eight yep,
like that episode and the next day, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Well you could all be like do you can you
believe that this happened. Can you believe that? And what
was she wearing anyway? The belt around the vest. I'm
going to look into that, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (19:12):
The water cooler conversation, that was the real thing. People
actually had a time that watched it, and the next
table was a big conversation about it. And it's just
different now with being able to stream and watch whatever
you want whenever you want, you don't have that water
cooler moment. And so I feel like our podcast is
like we're doing it again, where our conversation after watching
it is our water cooler conversation is like we just
(19:33):
watched episode one and we get to have the water
cooler conversation, but it.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
All over again that way that's horrible.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
And we get to do it one episode at a time.
I can't I can't wait to see it unfold. And
I'm not gonna like I'm not going to binge ahead.
I'm going to do it in time, like when we're
doing our episodes of the podcast. I mean, just watch
that episode. I just want to have that experience.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I don't think I could watch more than one. It's
kind of overwhelming, right, Like it was such a time
and place in my life, and like I said, I
don't remember for any of it, so I'm watching it anew.
But I think one at a time is perfect, and
I love that way of thinking about it, of like
as fans watching the show again because there's enough distance.
Although I will say, like I want to say, there's
enough distance that I can watch myself. It's still hard,
(20:13):
but I was watching. When I did watch the pilots
we're gonna talk about it, I was like, oh my god,
my legs. I would kill for those legs today. And
I thought I was so hard on myself about my
body right.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Exactly, like we.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Never know. It is so heartbreaking now to look back
at that young woman. I don't do that to myself anymore.
I'm not mean to myself about my body, my more,
thank you God. But I was looking at myself, going,
I wish i'd known how adorable I was, right, like
you never know at that time. So I think this
will be healing too, to like connect to that younger
(20:49):
version of ourselves. Yeah, and just be really sweet and
generous to those young women we.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Were and for all the young women out there.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
There's so much to talk about.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Where I'm talking about the capturing the essence of an
entire decade. And then but I wasn't there from the
very beginning. You said, you remember when I came on.
I remember coming on. You know, this is eight years
after doing movies, and things were movies lasted longer, and
also like you're with a certain group of people and
(21:26):
then it's over. And then for me, like right before
I came on, there wasn't a lot going on, and
I was like.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
What do I do in between?
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I was really frustrated.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I just love to work and act.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
And I remember walking with my manager at the time,
Brian Metavoy, were walking somewhere in Westwood and I'm like,
I just want to act.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And I had done some India where I played a
This is after some studio movies that I did.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I was playing a serial killer.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And then that when I was like, please help me
with like, you know something I want to play and
he's like, daf don't you worry. In this business things
turn on a dime. And that week I got a
call from Darren Star, who I said we were friends,
and he's like, hey, dafh, I know you don't do TV,
but you know I'm doing this show. It's called Melro's
(22:16):
Place and da da da, he described it, and I
just thought it was a big decision to go do
TV after film because we're very separate then.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah, yeah, it was so separate then.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
But my gut was like, you get to act every day,
you know, so for as long as this last, you
just get to act, and you know you're going to
meet all these people.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
And so when I came in, I.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Was so excited, also nervous because you guys had been
doing it for like fifteen episodes already and you had.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
It down, but I wasn't there from the beginning. So
that's my coming into it.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
So did you audition at all?
Speaker 4 (22:51):
No?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I didn't, Lucky.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Those are the actually sorry, I'm sorry only for Aaron Spolling.
I think I did because I remember being in Aaron's
office and yeah, Darren was there with me, and he
wrote a scene for Joe.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
He's like, I'm introducing this new character, so she's from
New York blah blah blah, and he had written something
for me. So I just went in and did it
and and I had a great time with with Aaron
Spelling and.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Duke was in there, Duke Vincent was in there, and
we were in Aaron's spelling. Oh yeah, so anyway it was.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
And then uh yeah, then I was going to start
right away. I also anyway, I'm just saying this because
I wanted to like give a lead into where it
because we all came from different places, different experiences.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
You were there from the beginning, you had done.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
I want to hear all about that, Like what that Alura.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
You were kind of just starting.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I'm just well, I had been I had been auditioning.
I was doing like TV and movies, and at that time,
like I said, it was really separate, not like now
where movie stars are doing limited TV and TV. It's
all sort of one big pile now, right, it's all
It's very different to the time. It was very separate,
and I was getting very close to movies down to
the final two, down to the final three, and not
(24:07):
getting it. And it was always like there was a
bigger name. There was a bigger name. And I had
been auditioning at with Aaron and Aaron Spelling for this
doctor show. It was called Partners, and it was one
of those where you go back every day every day
and you're paired up, and you're paired up one of
those grinds right every day, every and I didn't get it,
and I was like, I'm out, I'm done. And at
the end of the final audition, Aaron said, we're gonna
(24:28):
work with you kid, like old Hollywood, and I sort
of rolled my eyes like yeah, whatever. And I woke
up the next day and I opened my front door
and there was a stack of scripts from Airli like
something up from Spelling. There was a stack of scripts.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Remember when they delivered actual scripts.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
They delivered actual scripts. You'd go open in the morning
every pages and and my agent and I were talking
about it was like, well, there's this thing. It's a
spinoff of nine er two and one. And he said, look,
it will probably get your name out there, and then
you'll have more opportunity, Like even if it only goes
like thirteen episodes, it'll get your name out there, and
then you'll have a name and it'll give you more
power to get other things. And I went in and
(25:01):
it was as opposed to the Partner Show, which had
been a grind and a grind. It was one of
those things where it's just you walk through the open door,
right like this podcast has felt like that, Like it's
just we had the idea and then it was just
walked through the open doors. It was really easy when
things are meant to be, and that was one of
those things. I just went from audition to audition to audition.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
You're in Did you have like chemistry reads or any
of that stuff, like when you were testing and did
you test?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
I tested? Actually before Andrew got cast, there was a
really wonderful Canadian actor named Stephen Fanning and we tested
together and he was amazing. And then as happens, you know,
we've all we'll talk about this when we get to
the pilot, but you know, I don't know anyone who
hasn't get fired. Have you been fired? Yes, I've been fired.
Have you been fired?
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Wow, we have to talk to you about something. This
was uncomfortable to do in high school.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I worked.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
I believe I was.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Fired, but it just for whatever reason, they didn't think
it worked on the day. And then I'll tell that
Andrew audition story when we do the pilot. It's a
crazy story. And it was just sort of like, Okay,
this is where I'm supposed to be, like not banging
on George closed, George closed, George Closure. Then all of
a sudden, you make a turn and there it was.
And it was so weird because I don't think there
(26:14):
are people like Aaron Spelling anymore. He had that beautiful,
huge office and smoked cigars and literally, we're gonna work together.
Yeah yeah right, And he remember he'd hug you and
he was so thin because he picked all those cigars, remember,
and then and he meant it like I thought, oh
my god, he meant it that stuff. I don't think
that happens anymore. So that was my story. Laura Old.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Oh, Well, I I had not worked as an actress,
but Melrose was my first job. So I was in
nineteen ninety two. Well, I had done like a couple
of commercials and stuff like that, but literally this was
my first job. And so and the audition came to me.
It was a two episode guest star, which I thought, well,
(26:57):
that's a lot, Like it's not just a it's not
just a HW may I help you, like I'm your
server role and that's I just get the one line.
I got two whole episodes where there was a storyline
and a whole character, and I had to like figure
out how to flash that character out. And I really,
you know, like, oh my god, this is huge to
get two episodes as my first job was huge and
(27:18):
not just a hi, how are you so? Yeah. So
my audition process was a series of auditions just to
like I had to start. And at the time, our
casting director said, you know, you might be right for
this guest star playing the younger sister of Josie Bizzett
on this new show called Melrose Place. You might be
(27:40):
right for the younger sister, but you have to pre
read because I can't bring you to producers if you can't,
you know, like pull it off or whatever. I'm like, sure,
I'll do that, okay, you know, so we I pre
prepared my material and I auditioned for him, and he's like,
all right, yeah you could, you could maybe pull this off.
I'll bring you to the next sort of level, the
(28:00):
next And so you go from that to reading in
front of the producers and then they might ask you
back again for another read with producers. And so I
sort of went through the process that way and they
kept going okay, yeah, yeah, maybe you know okay, And
I was up against when it came down to deciding
if I was going to get the role. It was
(28:21):
me and another actress who had far more experience, because
everybody had farmed time. And so they brought us, the
two of us to Aaron Spelling's giant office suites on
Welsh Boulevard to have him make the decision. And so
we did. We were in that same giant suite of
offices and we both read and and I sort of
(28:44):
found out right after that I had right after that
I had won the role. And one of my things
was that I had worn a leather jacket as the
character is like, yeah, this is you know, this is
how I think she would be and whatever. And I
had worn this leather jacket and mister Spelling had said,
I like the jacket, keep the jacket.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Sidney wears the jacket.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
So I ended up wearing my leather jacket, I believe
in my first appearance on the show. And yeah, and
I'm like, my my big insecurity at the time, besides
not knowing what the heck I was doing as an
actress at all, was I looked up Josie and I
was like, oh my god, she's beautiful and she's younger
(29:26):
than I am, and I'm supposed to be her younger sister.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Nobody's gonna buy it.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Nobody's gonna believe me. Nobody's gonna believe that we're related
because she's so pretty, and I can't. Nobody's gonna believe
that we're sister. Like, I was so concerned that I
had to make sure that I came off as younger.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Than she was.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
And I didn't know that, and then just like so
worried that, like I wouldn't nobody would buy it. Well,
you know, Josie's beautiful and blonde, and here's this like
quirky little redhead, right like could they be sisters? But
I was so concerned that Sidney come off as young
enough so that people would believe Sidney was younger than Jane,
even though Laura is older than Josie. Said that terrified,
(30:07):
well done.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It never even occurred to me if you asked me,
I would even of course you're younger. And when we
were talking about this podcast where you watched the first episode,
all of us were in and I remember thinking, you
guys absolutely look like sisters, and it didn't even occur
to me they weren't younger because of that energy you brought,
were not And the jacket to.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Make sure this character is young, like find all the
ways to make her young.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Yeah they did.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
They don't called me out and fire me.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well, good thing about Josie too. And I know we're
not talking about the pilot yet, but I can't help myself.
She was timeless, like, first of all, insanely beautiful obviously,
but like her haircut, her clothes, like her choices. I
remember that she understood fashion more than I did to
the nth degree. But I'm looking at him like, well
even then, like she had a handle on it. She
(30:59):
was a model a maturity, her haircut play still like
she is timeless.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I know.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
So one of the things I think we've failed to
mention is that I ended up marrying one of our
co stars, right, so you got around I just like
I feel like that was It's such a funny thing,
like to go back and this was this moment in
our lives where we were just doing a television show,
Like you don't expect to go oh at the end
(31:28):
of it, the rest of my life is going to be,
you know, sort of defined by the people that I
met at that time. But for me it really is
because like now I have kids, who go, Oh my gosh,
my parents met doing this television show. And you know,
it's just such a different I never would have thought
it going in of course, and then now I can't
(31:49):
think of it any other way either. But it's been
really fun because he was there in the beginning like you,
so I have the benefit of hearing about beginning in
those first episodes before my character arrived. I have the
benefit of hearing about it from his point of view
as well. And I love so. My husband is Doug Savant,
(32:11):
and he played Matt Fielding. He was the gay character
on Melrose, and his perspective on the beginning where you
were Courtney, but his perspective on the beginning. But also
he had such a unique experience playing the gay character
at that time when television shows in the nineties weren't
really portraying that. You know, what we're doing now is
(32:35):
far greater and far better than what he was able
to do then, and so it's just been great to
see it through his eyes.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Yeah, and two things. First of all, it's so great
that he played that character because he's such an ethical
good man, and I remember them trying to ask him
what his sexuality was and it's like, I'm not even
addressing that that's not important. We're talking about a character
and this is important. He really, he was such the
perfect strong He has such a good character, and it
would he was such a great person to play that character.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Well, I can't. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
But also, it's not just that you guys met there,
it's that you're still married, right Like I dated Andrew,
you dated Grant? Did you date anyone in our little Melrose.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Place where she's not telling.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Oh my goodness, well we have a lot of I
just got married from ago, so that.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
So cute.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
But that you guys met, got married and are still married.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
I guess it's exceptional in Hollywood anymore.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
It's exceptional anywhere, right, Like it's exceptional anywhere. That's so sweet.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Well, and I you know, I can't wait till we
have guests on and we will have our other cast
casts and they will get to speak on their experiences too,
and bring their memories and share, and we'll be able
to have those conversations. I can't like that will be
part of our podcasts. We'll get to have all our
old castmates come back, and you know, like you mentioned
Doug speaking about his experience you really have to hear
(33:59):
it from his point of view because he's so eloquent
about that. So I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
So one of the funniest people in the world can't
wait to spend an hour with him.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Well, I can't wait to see all our old friends
when they come back.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
That will be just a blast.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
I started in nineteen eighty three, so whatever year we
are now, and I look back and I've done another
series after this for even more years, but this one,
because it was that time in my life, really felt
like family on the set, you know, and just the crew,
and like we said, doing things on the weekends, like
motorcycles or whatever.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I remember going to Target and getting earthquake supplies with
Heather or self help books or whatever. I just remember
like a real feeling because of that time and the
age that I was of it, ing secure. I loved
going to work every day, driving out to Santa Clarita,
having that stability.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
You know. So that's what this show felt like.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Like. I left college to start acting, so this felt
like my four years of college or something like that.
It just felt really really good, and we were starting
to do things, you know, outside of shooting when we
had time, we worked a lot.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah, I love I love that you say that, actually,
because part of it was that we were in Santa Clarita,
so we were it's almost like going a way to college, right,
we were far away. I was remembering when you guys
came on, We're we're still going to Ree Calendars for lunch.
Absolutely right, we had an hour for lunch. We had
an hour and we would all go to Marie Calendars
and sit together in Clora remembered. Do you remember that
between scenes? And this doesn't happen a lot, we would
(35:46):
all hang out in the office, like we would hang
out and talk, and I like you and Doug. You
may not have gotten together, but one of the times
you connected was at a party at my house. Like
we actually hung out outside of work. And you're right,
we were all that age. I was twenty four when
I started Moro's Place, so we really were all that
age having that experience.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
And I think those years are such formative years, were
like becoming who we're going to be as adults, but
we're not there. We're children in our early twenties, and
so we were all having this shared experience in really
formative years of our lives, and so it's impossible for
that not to have sort of informed the rest of
our lives. And then to be able to go back
(36:28):
and watch these episodes now is such a special privilege.
Most people don't have film of those years of themselves.
And so, like you were saying, you look at that
young girl, and you say, oh, why didn't I appreciate,
Like why didn't I just give myself a break? And
like look at my cute little young self. You know,
it's like for for us to be able to go
(36:50):
back and look at ourselves at that age and at
that time of our lives. And it really was, like
you said, daff like our family at that time television
and had that way of because you have to go
back every week and every day. It's not like a
film where you're like done, and but it was our
family and it was definitely unforgettable time in all of
(37:11):
our lives. And the fact that we all still admire
and adore each other and I we're so lucky to
get this opportunity to come back together and just like
go back.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
And play together.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, go back down memory land together. Yeah, how funny.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The other thing that was different about it is that
because it wasn't as huge success when it started. We're
all kind of I remember and this may be a
before you guys were on it, but we went to
some maybe Magic Mountain, because we shot right next to
Magic Mountain for like a fan thing, and it was
nobody like it was just the guest. There were people
like who are you? What show were you? Like, nobody knew.
(37:47):
We were like Caesar one for someone nobody knew. Wo
we were so uncomfortable and we got to have that
ride together too, right. We all went from relative unknowns.
You had a career before and granted in the soap opera,
but for the moment part where will it dove unknowns
and we had that journey together like as it took off,
we got to do that together too. So we went
(38:08):
through a lot together. We all went from unknowns to
recognizable actors in the span of a year or two.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
And and our off screen lives were intertwined clearly by
you two, who dated all the good looking stars on.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I dated Andrew pretty early on.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Yeah, yeah, And it.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Was a weird thing to sort of juggle that, you know,
becoming not just like a private person but like all
of a sudden there was a public sort of entitlement
to your life. You know, that was just a weird
thing to juggle. I think it is for any in
any decade. It's a weird thing to come to terms with,
like when you go from being unknown to all of
(38:48):
a sudden people. I remember like the first time on
a red carpet when photographers were like calling my name
to get me to turn my head and look at
their camera. And I was like, wow, do they know
my name?
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Why?
Speaker 3 (38:58):
What that is so weird? How do they know my name?
That was bizarre, Like you don't know me? Why are
you calling me by my name? I mean I understood
if they maybe knew me as a character, but like
my name, it just struck me as like ye, So
it was like it was really disconcerting, and it's like
I can't remember who was with me. Good because you're
(39:18):
on a television.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
Like a carpet.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
But to me, it was like it was so confusing
and disconcerting and it took a while to get used to,
like it wasn't you know, it's a weird thing. And
then yeah, but that's that's what we all experienced together.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Yeah, and it was so different then like I think
now the volume has been turned up so much. Like
I remember, like Andrew and I could we couldn't live
a normal life like we both lived in like Hollywood.
We could go to the store, we could lunch, we go,
we could go to movies like it was pretty normal.
And we were on a red carpet. They would try
to I remember being offended that they were trying to
take our picture together on the red carpet, which is
we're at a red carpet event. But we had a
(39:55):
sense of privacy that I don't think recognizable people do today.
I think it would have been I'm really happy to
not be famous like that today because I think it's
so much more intense, so much more to see.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Considering Yeah, exactly, I'm so glad that when we did it,
we did it in the nineties.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yes, we have.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
So many stories and so much to talk about, and
I cannot wait to do this every week with you.
We get to have our old cast members come back.
I imagine that over time we might take fans questions
and be able to respond to that, which I think
is really cool because obviously the fans it's what it's
you know what it's all about and why we're back
(40:35):
here again.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
So I would love to hear what the fans say,
what the questions they have, because I think the fun
is revisiting everybody's youth, you know, like everyone who's listening.
That's why I would want to listen to this, you know,
to go back and watch it. But then also through
that I get to relive my youth. So I'm I'd
love to hear the fans.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
And some people might be finding it and watching it
for the first time, which I think is sort of
a fun perspective too, that the old fans can come
to it and they might have memories of where they
were when and with whom and while they watched. But
other people, We welcome everybody to come and watch the
show for the.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
First time, and you can watch it now stream it yep. Stream.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
We actually had a friend, does it not apropos of anything?
Who said we were looking for a new show to watch.
We decided we're going to watch Molo's Place. I was like, well,
your timing is impeccable.
Speaker 5 (41:23):
Yeah, that will.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Be watching it with you, yes, and we can meet
around the water cooler to talk about it the next day.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Water can't be so excited to
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Still the place,
Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney thorn Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
And Daphne's Ania and iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
Oh my gosh, we'll find me here. It's so exciting.
Speaker 4 (00:18):
Let's see the pearls. Guys. We have like thirty years
of memories.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hey, do we do an official intro?
Speaker 3 (00:23):
It's it's a podcast called Still the Place, Still.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
The Place, Melo's Place for rewatch podcasts.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Yeah, and Melro's Place was the show that where we
all met.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
In the early By the way, I'm Courtney thorn Smith.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Oh yeah, I'm Laura Layton and I'm Daphne's Anigay.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
I like, I'm interviewing you. You're such a cute couple.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
We're very happy to get us from my.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Therapist a therapist, you too, on the couch.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Actually, after Melroe's Place, I went into therapy.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
If this was couple's therapy, this would not be good. Yeah,
you're happy.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Was ready?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
We want to get you close too, couldn't possibly.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
It's where our friendship began and where we all met.
And it's thirty two years later.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Almost exactly thirty two years because I did the math
and we started shooting May eleventh of nineteen ninety two,
so it's almost exactly thirty two years. And the weird
thing is we all look exactly the same, Isn't that weirdess?
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Because it's a podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
The weirdess.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
She just thank God for filters.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Can we have filters? I'd like a few filters in life.
So so excited to be doing this with you guys,
So excited to just get the time to hang out
with you guys and talk about the show. I've been
thinking about all my Melrose memories and so many things
have been coming to my mind. Do you remember this
came to me today, made me laugh out loud. Do
you remember how Jack Wagner, Now remember Heather Locklear was
(01:50):
the biggest star in the world at the time. How
Jack Wagner always remembered he couldn't remember her name. Pretend
he couldn't remember his name, and you would call her Helen.
Where's Helen? Is Helen here?
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Do you remember that we laugh out loud this morning
that that sounds exactly like Jack. Yeah, totally, but he
but Thomas actually did that to me on purpose, really yeah,
like not kidding. I mean, I thought it was unpurposed,
like he could never remember my actual name, so you
just called me by my character names, and I'm finding
there were a lot of us when I yeah, like
(02:19):
what I think when I'm thinking about Melrose and like
going back into my memory of it and stuff, I
don't think of you guys as your character names. I
think of your names. I'm like, oh, well, remember when
Courtney had that scene? You know, it's like Courtney had
that scene instead of like remember when Alison did this.
Like I can't quite remember the character's names and connect the.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
People because so much time's gone by.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
But back in the day when you know, I know,
the crew even had like our names, I think, but
it was like the names and the character like our
real name because because it was a.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Lot Yeah, so wait, we haven't even said that. So
like Daphne, you played.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
Joe, Joe, Daphney, I played Joe, right, Joebeth Reynolds, I.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Remember you coming on. I remember you coming on because
you were very cool, and you like came from the
movies and you were very cool, and edge were all
kind of nervous, and it's like you came in and
you were really cool, and we're all kind of nervous
that you were there.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Wait, and you're Courtney and you played.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I'm Courtney, I played Alison Craker, I'm o rost Place.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
And I'm Laura Layton and I played Sydney, Andrews, Mancini
and a bunch of other last names. And now did
you Andrews.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
But Laura, when you came on, you didn't start as
a regular, right, that was expanded. You come in as
I'm already remembering. Josie's character name, Josie was Jane.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, see, it was hard guys, and I'm gonna refer
it was Jose half the time instead of Jane. I'm
going to refer to her as Jane. Josie's gonna see.
I think like the nostalgia factor of it being all
the way back in the nineties, it just seems like
that was such a different time and place, Like my
kids even will say weird stuff like I wish I
(03:59):
lived in the nineties. I'm like, why, what is it
about the nineties that is appealing to you?
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Like you remember because we grew up in the eighties
thinking about the sixties and how long ago that was.
The nineties are longer for them ago ago. Yeah, I
know there's a way to say that better, but I
don't know where it is, yeah, right, like that was
only twenty years This is thirty years ago.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Yeah, but for us, for me anyway, it doesn't feel
that far at all. And yet watching the show or
remembering specifically things about the nineties.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I mean, we look so different.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Everything was colorful, and the hair was high and coming
out of the eighties, which was all you know, day
glow and massive amounts of hairspray. Right, But how I
feel is like it was a couple of literally just
you know, maybe ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah, maybe a decade now.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Because fashion has changed, it doesn't look that weird. Like
I checked out in episodes several years ago, it looked insane.
And then getting ready for this, I've looked at some
episodes the fashion holds up, like my first outfit, which
I don't remember at all in real time, but I
was looking at I thought, oh, I would wear that today.
I had a fitted jacket much like the one I
have on now, but it was bright red and a
(05:09):
black dress.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Because circled back the boxy jacket.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Many years I thought I would die if my son
saw this, right, I have a sixteen year old son.
He came in last night. I was watching an episode,
and I had on, of course a sheet mask, as
I do, because you guys know I'm obsessed with skincare.
They had on a sheet mask. You woe, doesn't even
blink anymore? He comes in? How often am I in
a I saw in a blanket with my led mask on?
So last night was getch a sheet mask, didn't even blink.
Shat down and watched for a second.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
I thought, it.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Doesn't look that weird, except that my hair was big
and I looked kind of different. But the clothes were
right on point. It was almost the same stuff.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
You mean, it's coming back around.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
It has come back around.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
It insane for twenty years.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Yeah, and now it's back.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
I would wear I probably was wearing exactly what I
was wearing on the.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Show, maybe a little different. Those are some pretty high
shoulder pads.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
But apparently shoulder pads are coming back. Remember the shoulder
pads that we put in our clothes that were what
was that fabric and then they'd fall down and all
of a sudden you'd have an extra breast because your shoulder,
like if it was falling.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Out pads or like places in your shoulders where they
would fit in and you know, like Denise, our wardrobe
God would like come and.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
You know, just fit it in.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
So you fit to this square jacket as opposed to
like getting something that fit you, you know that was
like shape to you. And I mean I relied so
much on those shoulder pads. I thought, you know, now
I feel together and like you feel too slopey without
a shoulder pad.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Do you know, do you guys have any wardrobe items
or anything that you took from the show, anything that
you can.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I don't know. I did take from there. There was
like a maroon and cream skirt that fit me like
a and I thought I'll wear this forever, but then
it was maroon and cream.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
So never found the occasion for maroon and cream.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
It didn't come back, but I did for a long time.
I still have my melrose Place hat. And I remember
when when melrose Place was really hot, and Andrew Shoe
and I were dating, so it felt like there was
a lot of attention on us. And I went to
see member Missy and John. Yeah, so, and we went
to see them for dinner and we were going we
were going out, The four of us were going out
to Universal Studios. When Universal Studios opened and we were
(07:30):
really trying to hide.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
That brave because I can't imagine that was.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
It was brave, but you know, you can put on
a baseball hat. It wasn't like now with social media
you could kind of put it on a baseball hat
and go out under the radar. And we showed up
at their door and they both had on Melro's Place
baseball hats.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
Doesn't mean so much for subtle they didn't wear it.
Doesn't that defeat the purpose.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
But remember that hat, it was black. I still have that.
I should have wearn that today and it had the
Melrose Place hot. I still had that. I wear it
all the time, so I don't have to explain who
I I don't Clarious.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Do you feel like it was that you were able
to go out under the radar? Like when do you
think that changed in like over the course of the show,
Like when did that because I remember it being sort
of a shocking thing to be, oh my gosh, we
can't go anywhere without being recognized from the show.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I remember the game when I really well, one of
the times it really dawned on me was when you
were with Grant.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So whatever season that was, I was, we were writing
Harley's to Latline.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
At the time, I had my own little I wrote
a couple of times on the back of Grant's Harley,
and then I was like, uh, I want my own,
So I went and got my own.
Speaker 4 (08:39):
I took the lessons and everything you were on the
back of Grants. But I'm not that I aways ever
dated Grant.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
But anyway, anyway, we go to Laughlin and there was
just all of these motorcycle writers and you know, it was.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Laughlin, Nevada.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So we crossed the state line and there were these
escalators and it was just a mob. And I just
remember you and Grant and like everyone these Harley Davidson
like to mix it there and they're like, oh my god, wait,
they're following it, you know, And I just thought, wow,
this is like one of those scenes where there's a
mass and the escalator and just this massive people recognizing you.
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I thought, that's it.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
We're stuck on the three of you rode motorcycles to Laughlin, Nevada. Oh,
I'm trying not to focus on I wasn't invited. Whatever,
we'll get over it. We'll talk about that.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
And a whole motorcycle gang on the show.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Really really with us, fascinated like our teamster and Greg.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
I think Lacava came. Who else? Oh, there were a
couple others from the crew.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
That is so cool. You know what else encouraged me
last night was you dated Grant in real life, but
all three of us dated him on the show, So
we have all kissed Grant show.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
Thank you? Everybody?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Did everybody dated everybody on the show?
Speaker 4 (09:55):
I don't know. Well, let's what, let's wait, we're gonna have.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
That.
Speaker 4 (09:59):
I watched the pilot.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I didn't remember any of it, Like I vaguely remembered
my audition scene, but I was like.
Speaker 4 (10:05):
That, what what?
Speaker 3 (10:06):
What?
Speaker 1 (10:07):
It's so crazy how much I've forgotten? Remember when we
did We did a reunion show in New York on
the twenty fifth anniversary, and they were showing us scenes
from Melwer's Place, you remember it, and Doug and I upped.
At some point we were all.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Wait, what happened?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
How do I remember a scene? Yeah, Doug and I
were kidnapped. And the other thing that made me laugh
is so as you know, Doug was one of the
first gay characters on on Timetime Network TV, and he
felt like they didn't use him enough. Because they didn't
really know what to do with a gay character. They
weren't really ready.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Ironic Star created and was our showrunner.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, different time though, so it's really well he was
allowed to write.
Speaker 4 (10:45):
Yes, he was just talk about exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
You can really see what a different time it is, right,
how far we've come in that area. But he came
and he had a sign. He made himself a sign
and it said, Hi, I'm Matt. I played Doug because
he hadn't been there it so long.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I don't remember that, but it doesn't surprise maybe left
so hard. Yeah, but like how the perspective that our
show at the time was it just like did you
anticipate it becoming this giant hit? I mean it was
like a juggernaut.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Well it wasn't a hit at first. Let me tell you,
ladies who weren't there in the very beginning, sit down,
sit on many Let's tell you a story. So in
the beginning, it was a spin off of nine O
two and note they expected great things. We were sold
for thirteen. I remember doing the opening credits scene on
Melrose and Grant was sort of recognizable because he'd already
(11:40):
been on nine O two and O. But nice kids
and a soap opera and just insanely handsome obviously, right,
like watching those chos, like how do I even talk
to Grant? Insanely handsome? And we were we were we
There were all these expectations. It was so much press
and then nothing happened. It was like eight nice kids
trying to make it. And then Heather came on as
(12:03):
a bitch, right, that was the that was the poster,
Monday's our bitch, and all of a sudden we had
someone to play against. And then Thomas's character, Michael Mancini,
turned bad. Was that when you came on? Yes, that's
when you came on. Yeah, so we had you and
we had Michael, and we had Heather, and that's when
it we were I imagine, I don't know the inner workings.
(12:23):
I think we came very close to getting canceled, and
then all of this new energy came in and we
weren't just nice kids trying to make it. There was
all this conflict and drama and then, as you guys know, the.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Drama just took off.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Yeah. I was just gonna say, I want to give
you some perspective because you were saying nobody watched it
right right the premiere, I'm going to give you it
statistic which I have to be accurate.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I am so impressed.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
I believe this to be accurate. The Melrose Place premiere
episode had sixteen million viewers.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But at the time, yes, what were the top shows getting?
Like now, that was an insane so.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Right, So I guess I'm gonna have to get back
to you with that. I'm going to have to get.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Myself or get your people on that.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
By comparison, I will let's compare to for example, today
the series finale of Breaking Bad, right, I mean giant
current cultural phenomenon, cultural phenomenon. Series finale of Breaking Bad
was ten point three million. Melrose premiered sixteen million, and
when it was in the height, there was nineteen million
(13:34):
viewers for like, for say the season two finale of
Melrose So nineteen million.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
That's unheard of today we're watching it.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
But also the way they had to watch it was
at the same time, like we had to. They had
to make an appointment. Go oh, I have to watch
on Wednesday night or I will miss it. So sixteen
million people watch that premiere on the same night, or
we Divo didn't come INUNTI late could record not hard.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
You could record it.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Like a VHS.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Everybody had a VHS and if they're like if they
weren't going to be stones riding the bike, and you'd
have the recording and if you were going to miss
it on that Wednesday night, you may have to make sure,
oh I forgot to set my VCR. Remember that, and
then they miss it, and then they wouldn't get that
moment of being able to talk about it the next
day around the water cooler.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
Like that was a thing, I think.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
But to your point, it premiered like that because people
had been watching nine O two and zero right, and
it was like the same vibe is really cool la
vibe but older people in their twenties now. But it
leads into that because Darren told me so, I live
with Darren Starr, the creator of this show, in college,
and he said, you know, it's a show when he
(14:43):
called me about coming out to this one.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
It's a show.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
About you know, kids after college and they're trying to
make it on their own. And sure enough, you see
in the pilot and through the first however many shows,
that's what it was like, like, how do you pay
the rent?
Speaker 4 (14:55):
And can I keep my job? And da da da,
these things.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
That that earrow wasn't covered, that you had thirty something
and you had nine or two to zero and you
didn't but you didn't have this the twenties, you know,
you didn't have that on TV and how and because
that's what he remembers experiencing and that's what so I
think he really want to do like a thirty something
but in the twenties and then and then so it
(15:19):
started big, but that didn't last at first. So I
came in halfway through the first seasons. I think I
has been told episode fifteen, there's gonna be a lot
of you talk and Courtney for the first fifteen.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
A lot of questions recording til we get that court yeah,
what happened behind the scenes.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Then oh, you'll have opinions. I know, both of you.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
And the thing that these filmmakers did is that you
go with where the juice is and when they made
Michael a villain because he was kind of an asshole anyway,
and then he just went and then boom it. Then
it started to pick up and then they brought in
Heather and I came in there somewhere around there but
I wasn't a bad girl.
Speaker 4 (15:57):
I was and then they brought it and have Ben
just went with it and made her the ultimate bitch.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
And then you guys had all that, you know, and
then you went crazy and all that.
Speaker 4 (16:06):
But what I love is, oh, I thought they were hoping.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
They were hoping it was going to be a hit
for one reason, and that didn't fly, and they just
pivoted and it became bigger than they imagined.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
I think.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
So I just think that's a cool story because it's real,
and I think that that's really valuable to know in life.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Anyway.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I love that we get to watch it again and
in real time, sort of as it was meant to be,
you know, as it was is this one went first,
and here's how it was in the beginning and the
evolution of it. We get to rewatch that and see
that evolution again and sort of compare it to how
we remember it versus how it's going to feel watching
it the second time, and you're.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Going to be surprised how little you remember. Like I remember,
I remember, oh, I remember shooting the pilot, I remember
how we Deutsche directed it, I remember the people, but
watching the scenes, I don't remember any of them. It
was watching it and knew it was fascinating. And as
you were saying about people having to watch it on
that day, like what people? I still people talking about
Melo's Place more than anything I've ever done. I've worked
(17:07):
a longer. I did a lot of things after Melo's
Place because it was a time in their lives. That's
why I love our title still the Place. Because I
was at my son's friend's house and his dad was
telling me. His dad's this big heart, the big back surgeon,
and he was telling me how in college he and
his friends watched Meloe's Place and he wrote an article
(17:28):
for their paper, like an update on Melroe's Place, like
this guy he was a black surgeon. He was like blogging,
but actually on paper. It's a time. People remember it
as they were in college, they got together with their friends.
How many times in a week do people stop you
and say, I lived on Meloe's Place. I lived in
an apartment building with a pool.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
Yep, right, well it used to be like that, I
think people.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I think to your point, it was it felt like
a time and we need it now, you know, like
just ape and a time that you remember that time
that life was I don't know, simpler, or you connected
more in real life, or you went next door for
advice to your neighbors if you lived in that apartment.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
And I just feel like people you know, talked about
that experience.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
Of being an apartment building a lot and then talking
about the show at the water cooler, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
Well, and getting together to watch it. People got together
watch it every Yeah, Like now we're all in our
own little world on our own devices watching shows Now.
I watch things sometimes concurrently with friends and we're texting
while we're watching it. That's why Game of Thrones was
exciting because people wanted to watch that in real time. Yeah,
it's so rare. But Melrose was that and if you
(18:42):
didn't watch it the next day and people were talking
about it, it was a bonding experience. You don't get
that as often.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Now, And I think that's what makes it different from
like what watching shows are now, is like that experience
of I remember where I was when I watched it
and who I watched it with.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
Yeah, and that day I binged six or eight yep,
like that episode and the next day, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:04):
Well you could all be like do you can you
believe that this happened. Can you believe that? And what
was she wearing anyway? The belt around the vest. I'm
going to look into that, you know what I mean?
Speaker 3 (19:12):
The water cooler conversation, that was the real thing. People
actually had a time that watched it, and the next
table was a big conversation about it. And it's just
different now with being able to stream and watch whatever
you want whenever you want, you don't have that water
cooler moment. And so I feel like our podcast is
like we're doing it again, where our conversation after watching
it is our water cooler conversation is like we just
(19:33):
watched episode one and we get to have the water
cooler conversation, but it.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
All over again that way that's horrible.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
And we get to do it one episode at a time.
I can't I can't wait to see it unfold. And
I'm not gonna like I'm not going to binge ahead.
I'm going to do it in time, like when we're
doing our episodes of the podcast. I mean, just watch
that episode. I just want to have that experience.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
I don't think I could watch more than one. It's
kind of overwhelming, right, Like it was such a time
and place in my life, and like I said, I
don't remember for any of it, so I'm watching it anew.
But I think one at a time is perfect, and
I love that way of thinking about it, of like
as fans watching the show again because there's enough distance.
Although I will say, like I want to say, there's
enough distance that I can watch myself. It's still hard,
(20:13):
but I was watching. When I did watch the pilots
we're gonna talk about it, I was like, oh my god,
my legs. I would kill for those legs today. And
I thought I was so hard on myself about my
body right.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Exactly, like we.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
Never know. It is so heartbreaking now to look back
at that young woman. I don't do that to myself anymore.
I'm not mean to myself about my body, my more,
thank you God. But I was looking at myself, going,
I wish i'd known how adorable I was, right, like
you never know at that time. So I think this
will be healing too, to like connect to that younger
(20:49):
version of ourselves. Yeah, and just be really sweet and
generous to those young women we.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Were and for all the young women out there.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
There's so much to talk about.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Where I'm talking about the capturing the essence of an
entire decade. And then but I wasn't there from the
very beginning. You said, you remember when I came on.
I remember coming on. You know, this is eight years
after doing movies, and things were movies lasted longer, and
also like you're with a certain group of people and
(21:26):
then it's over. And then for me, like right before
I came on, there wasn't a lot going on, and
I was like.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
What do I do in between?
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I was really frustrated.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
I just love to work and act.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
And I remember walking with my manager at the time,
Brian Metavoy, were walking somewhere in Westwood and I'm like,
I just want to act.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (21:48):
And I had done some India where I played a
This is after some studio movies that I did.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I was playing a serial killer.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And then that when I was like, please help me
with like, you know something I want to play and
he's like, daf don't you worry. In this business things
turn on a dime. And that week I got a
call from Darren Star, who I said we were friends,
and he's like, hey, dafh, I know you don't do TV,
but you know I'm doing this show. It's called Melro's
(22:16):
Place and da da da, he described it, and I
just thought it was a big decision to go do
TV after film because we're very separate then.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah, yeah, it was so separate then.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
But my gut was like, you get to act every day,
you know, so for as long as this last, you
just get to act, and you know you're going to
meet all these people.
Speaker 4 (22:35):
And so when I came in, I.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
Was so excited, also nervous because you guys had been
doing it for like fifteen episodes already and you had.
Speaker 4 (22:43):
It down, but I wasn't there from the beginning. So
that's my coming into it.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
So did you audition at all?
Speaker 4 (22:51):
No?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
I didn't, Lucky.
Speaker 4 (22:53):
Those are the actually sorry, I'm sorry only for Aaron Spolling.
I think I did because I remember being in Aaron's
office and yeah, Darren was there with me, and he
wrote a scene for Joe.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
He's like, I'm introducing this new character, so she's from
New York blah blah blah, and he had written something
for me. So I just went in and did it
and and I had a great time with with Aaron
Spelling and.
Speaker 4 (23:19):
Duke was in there, Duke Vincent was in there, and
we were in Aaron's spelling. Oh yeah, so anyway it was.
Speaker 2 (23:27):
And then uh yeah, then I was going to start
right away. I also anyway, I'm just saying this because
I wanted to like give a lead into where it
because we all came from different places, different experiences.
Speaker 4 (23:40):
You were there from the beginning, you had done.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
I want to hear all about that, Like what that Alura.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
You were kind of just starting.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
I'm just well, I had been I had been auditioning.
I was doing like TV and movies, and at that time,
like I said, it was really separate, not like now
where movie stars are doing limited TV and TV. It's
all sort of one big pile now, right, it's all
It's very different to the time. It was very separate,
and I was getting very close to movies down to
the final two, down to the final three, and not
(24:07):
getting it. And it was always like there was a
bigger name. There was a bigger name. And I had
been auditioning at with Aaron and Aaron Spelling for this
doctor show. It was called Partners, and it was one
of those where you go back every day every day
and you're paired up, and you're paired up one of
those grinds right every day, every and I didn't get it,
and I was like, I'm out, I'm done. And at
the end of the final audition, Aaron said, we're gonna
(24:28):
work with you kid, like old Hollywood, and I sort
of rolled my eyes like yeah, whatever. And I woke
up the next day and I opened my front door
and there was a stack of scripts from Airli like
something up from Spelling. There was a stack of scripts.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Remember when they delivered actual scripts.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
They delivered actual scripts. You'd go open in the morning
every pages and and my agent and I were talking
about it was like, well, there's this thing. It's a
spinoff of nine er two and one. And he said, look,
it will probably get your name out there, and then
you'll have more opportunity, Like even if it only goes
like thirteen episodes, it'll get your name out there, and
then you'll have a name and it'll give you more
power to get other things. And I went in and
(25:01):
it was as opposed to the Partner Show, which had
been a grind and a grind. It was one of
those things where it's just you walk through the open door,
right like this podcast has felt like that, Like it's
just we had the idea and then it was just
walked through the open doors. It was really easy when
things are meant to be, and that was one of
those things. I just went from audition to audition to audition.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
You're in Did you have like chemistry reads or any
of that stuff, like when you were testing and did
you test?
Speaker 1 (25:26):
I tested? Actually before Andrew got cast, there was a
really wonderful Canadian actor named Stephen Fanning and we tested
together and he was amazing. And then as happens, you know,
we've all we'll talk about this when we get to
the pilot, but you know, I don't know anyone who
hasn't get fired. Have you been fired? Yes, I've been fired.
Have you been fired?
Speaker 4 (25:45):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Wow, we have to talk to you about something. This
was uncomfortable to do in high school.
Speaker 3 (25:52):
I worked.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
I believe I was.
Speaker 1 (25:54):
Fired, but it just for whatever reason, they didn't think
it worked on the day. And then I'll tell that
Andrew audition story when we do the pilot. It's a
crazy story. And it was just sort of like, Okay,
this is where I'm supposed to be, like not banging
on George closed, George closed, George Closure. Then all of
a sudden, you make a turn and there it was.
And it was so weird because I don't think there
(26:14):
are people like Aaron Spelling anymore. He had that beautiful,
huge office and smoked cigars and literally, we're gonna work together.
Yeah yeah right, And he remember he'd hug you and
he was so thin because he picked all those cigars, remember,
and then and he meant it like I thought, oh
my god, he meant it that stuff. I don't think
that happens anymore. So that was my story. Laura Old.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
Oh, Well, I I had not worked as an actress,
but Melrose was my first job. So I was in
nineteen ninety two. Well, I had done like a couple
of commercials and stuff like that, but literally this was
my first job. And so and the audition came to me.
It was a two episode guest star, which I thought, well,
(26:57):
that's a lot, Like it's not just a it's not
just a HW may I help you, like I'm your
server role and that's I just get the one line.
I got two whole episodes where there was a storyline
and a whole character, and I had to like figure
out how to flash that character out. And I really,
you know, like, oh my god, this is huge to
get two episodes as my first job was huge and
(27:18):
not just a hi, how are you so? Yeah. So
my audition process was a series of auditions just to
like I had to start. And at the time, our
casting director said, you know, you might be right for
this guest star playing the younger sister of Josie Bizzett
on this new show called Melrose Place. You might be
(27:40):
right for the younger sister, but you have to pre
read because I can't bring you to producers if you can't,
you know, like pull it off or whatever. I'm like, sure,
I'll do that, okay, you know, so we I pre
prepared my material and I auditioned for him, and he's like,
all right, yeah you could, you could maybe pull this off.
I'll bring you to the next sort of level, the
(28:00):
next And so you go from that to reading in
front of the producers and then they might ask you
back again for another read with producers. And so I
sort of went through the process that way and they
kept going okay, yeah, yeah, maybe you know okay, And
I was up against when it came down to deciding
if I was going to get the role. It was
(28:21):
me and another actress who had far more experience, because
everybody had farmed time. And so they brought us, the
two of us to Aaron Spelling's giant office suites on
Welsh Boulevard to have him make the decision. And so
we did. We were in that same giant suite of
offices and we both read and and I sort of
(28:44):
found out right after that I had right after that
I had won the role. And one of my things
was that I had worn a leather jacket as the
character is like, yeah, this is you know, this is
how I think she would be and whatever. And I
had worn this leather jacket and mister Spelling had said,
I like the jacket, keep the jacket.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Sidney wears the jacket.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
So I ended up wearing my leather jacket, I believe
in my first appearance on the show. And yeah, and
I'm like, my my big insecurity at the time, besides
not knowing what the heck I was doing as an
actress at all, was I looked up Josie and I
was like, oh my god, she's beautiful and she's younger
(29:26):
than I am, and I'm supposed to be her younger sister.
Speaker 5 (29:28):
Nobody's gonna buy it.
Speaker 3 (29:29):
Nobody's gonna believe me. Nobody's gonna believe that we're related
because she's so pretty, and I can't. Nobody's gonna believe
that we're sister. Like, I was so concerned that I
had to make sure that I came off as younger.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Than she was.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
And I didn't know that, and then just like so
worried that, like I wouldn't nobody would buy it. Well,
you know, Josie's beautiful and blonde, and here's this like
quirky little redhead, right like could they be sisters? But
I was so concerned that Sidney come off as young
enough so that people would believe Sidney was younger than Jane,
even though Laura is older than Josie. Said that terrified,
(30:07):
well done.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
It never even occurred to me if you asked me,
I would even of course you're younger. And when we
were talking about this podcast where you watched the first episode,
all of us were in and I remember thinking, you
guys absolutely look like sisters, and it didn't even occur
to me they weren't younger because of that energy you brought,
were not And the jacket to.
Speaker 3 (30:29):
Make sure this character is young, like find all the
ways to make her young.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Yeah they did.
Speaker 3 (30:35):
They don't called me out and fire me.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Well, good thing about Josie too. And I know we're
not talking about the pilot yet, but I can't help myself.
She was timeless, like, first of all, insanely beautiful obviously,
but like her haircut, her clothes, like her choices. I
remember that she understood fashion more than I did to
the nth degree. But I'm looking at him like, well
even then, like she had a handle on it. She
(30:59):
was a model a maturity, her haircut play still like
she is timeless.
Speaker 4 (31:07):
I know.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
So one of the things I think we've failed to
mention is that I ended up marrying one of our
co stars, right, so you got around I just like
I feel like that was It's such a funny thing,
like to go back and this was this moment in
our lives where we were just doing a television show,
Like you don't expect to go oh at the end
(31:28):
of it, the rest of my life is going to be,
you know, sort of defined by the people that I
met at that time. But for me it really is
because like now I have kids, who go, Oh my gosh,
my parents met doing this television show. And you know,
it's just such a different I never would have thought
it going in of course, and then now I can't
(31:49):
think of it any other way either. But it's been
really fun because he was there in the beginning like you,
so I have the benefit of hearing about beginning in
those first episodes before my character arrived. I have the
benefit of hearing about it from his point of view
as well. And I love so. My husband is Doug Savant,
(32:11):
and he played Matt Fielding. He was the gay character
on Melrose, and his perspective on the beginning where you
were Courtney, but his perspective on the beginning. But also
he had such a unique experience playing the gay character
at that time when television shows in the nineties weren't
really portraying that. You know, what we're doing now is
(32:35):
far greater and far better than what he was able
to do then, and so it's just been great to
see it through his eyes.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Yeah, and two things. First of all, it's so great
that he played that character because he's such an ethical
good man, and I remember them trying to ask him
what his sexuality was and it's like, I'm not even
addressing that that's not important. We're talking about a character
and this is important. He really, he was such the
perfect strong He has such a good character, and it
would he was such a great person to play that character.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
Well, I can't. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
But also, it's not just that you guys met there,
it's that you're still married, right Like I dated Andrew,
you dated Grant? Did you date anyone in our little Melrose.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Place where she's not telling.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Oh my goodness, well we have a lot of I
just got married from ago, so that.
Speaker 5 (33:25):
So cute.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
But that you guys met, got married and are still married.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
I guess it's exceptional in Hollywood anymore.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
It's exceptional anywhere, right, Like it's exceptional anywhere. That's so sweet.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Well, and I you know, I can't wait till we
have guests on and we will have our other cast
casts and they will get to speak on their experiences too,
and bring their memories and share, and we'll be able
to have those conversations. I can't like that will be
part of our podcasts. We'll get to have all our
old castmates come back, and you know, like you mentioned
Doug speaking about his experience you really have to hear
(33:59):
it from his point of view because he's so eloquent
about that. So I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
So one of the funniest people in the world can't
wait to spend an hour with him.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
Well, I can't wait to see all our old friends
when they come back.
Speaker 5 (34:10):
That will be just a blast.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
I started in nineteen eighty three, so whatever year we
are now, and I look back and I've done another
series after this for even more years, but this one,
because it was that time in my life, really felt
like family on the set, you know, and just the crew,
and like we said, doing things on the weekends, like
motorcycles or whatever.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
I remember going to Target and getting earthquake supplies with
Heather or self help books or whatever. I just remember
like a real feeling because of that time and the
age that I was of it, ing secure. I loved
going to work every day, driving out to Santa Clarita,
having that stability.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
You know. So that's what this show felt like.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Like. I left college to start acting, so this felt
like my four years of college or something like that.
It just felt really really good, and we were starting
to do things, you know, outside of shooting when we
had time, we worked a lot.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah, I love I love that you say that, actually,
because part of it was that we were in Santa Clarita,
so we were it's almost like going a way to college, right,
we were far away. I was remembering when you guys
came on, We're we're still going to Ree Calendars for lunch.
Absolutely right, we had an hour for lunch. We had
an hour and we would all go to Marie Calendars
and sit together in Clora remembered. Do you remember that
between scenes? And this doesn't happen a lot, we would
(35:46):
all hang out in the office, like we would hang
out and talk, and I like you and Doug. You
may not have gotten together, but one of the times
you connected was at a party at my house. Like
we actually hung out outside of work. And you're right,
we were all that age. I was twenty four when
I started Moro's Place, so we really were all that
age having that experience.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
And I think those years are such formative years, were
like becoming who we're going to be as adults, but
we're not there. We're children in our early twenties, and
so we were all having this shared experience in really
formative years of our lives, and so it's impossible for
that not to have sort of informed the rest of
our lives. And then to be able to go back
(36:28):
and watch these episodes now is such a special privilege.
Most people don't have film of those years of themselves.
And so, like you were saying, you look at that
young girl, and you say, oh, why didn't I appreciate,
Like why didn't I just give myself a break? And
like look at my cute little young self. You know,
it's like for for us to be able to go
(36:50):
back and look at ourselves at that age and at
that time of our lives. And it really was, like
you said, daff like our family at that time television
and had that way of because you have to go
back every week and every day. It's not like a
film where you're like done, and but it was our
family and it was definitely unforgettable time in all of
(37:11):
our lives. And the fact that we all still admire
and adore each other and I we're so lucky to
get this opportunity to come back together and just like
go back.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
And play together.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, go back down memory land together. Yeah, how funny.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
The other thing that was different about it is that
because it wasn't as huge success when it started. We're
all kind of I remember and this may be a
before you guys were on it, but we went to
some maybe Magic Mountain, because we shot right next to
Magic Mountain for like a fan thing, and it was
nobody like it was just the guest. There were people
like who are you? What show were you? Like, nobody knew.
(37:47):
We were like Caesar one for someone nobody knew. Wo
we were so uncomfortable and we got to have that
ride together too, right. We all went from relative unknowns.
You had a career before and granted in the soap opera,
but for the moment part where will it dove unknowns
and we had that journey together like as it took off,
we got to do that together too. So we went
(38:08):
through a lot together. We all went from unknowns to
recognizable actors in the span of a year or two.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
And and our off screen lives were intertwined clearly by
you two, who dated all the good looking stars on.
Speaker 1 (38:21):
I dated Andrew pretty early on.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Yeah, yeah, And it.
Speaker 3 (38:26):
Was a weird thing to sort of juggle that, you know,
becoming not just like a private person but like all
of a sudden there was a public sort of entitlement
to your life. You know, that was just a weird
thing to juggle. I think it is for any in
any decade. It's a weird thing to come to terms with,
like when you go from being unknown to all of
(38:48):
a sudden people. I remember like the first time on
a red carpet when photographers were like calling my name
to get me to turn my head and look at
their camera. And I was like, wow, do they know
my name?
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Why?
Speaker 3 (38:58):
What that is so weird? How do they know my name?
That was bizarre, Like you don't know me? Why are
you calling me by my name? I mean I understood
if they maybe knew me as a character, but like
my name, it just struck me as like ye, So
it was like it was really disconcerting, and it's like
I can't remember who was with me. Good because you're
(39:18):
on a television.
Speaker 4 (39:19):
Like a carpet.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
But to me, it was like it was so confusing
and disconcerting and it took a while to get used to,
like it wasn't you know, it's a weird thing. And
then yeah, but that's that's what we all experienced together.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Yeah, and it was so different then like I think
now the volume has been turned up so much. Like
I remember, like Andrew and I could we couldn't live
a normal life like we both lived in like Hollywood.
We could go to the store, we could lunch, we go,
we could go to movies like it was pretty normal.
And we were on a red carpet. They would try
to I remember being offended that they were trying to
take our picture together on the red carpet, which is
we're at a red carpet event. But we had a
(39:55):
sense of privacy that I don't think recognizable people do today.
I think it would have been I'm really happy to
not be famous like that today because I think it's
so much more intense, so much more to see.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Considering Yeah, exactly, I'm so glad that when we did it,
we did it in the nineties.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yes, we have.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
So many stories and so much to talk about, and
I cannot wait to do this every week with you.
We get to have our old cast members come back.
I imagine that over time we might take fans questions
and be able to respond to that, which I think
is really cool because obviously the fans it's what it's
you know what it's all about and why we're back
(40:35):
here again.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
So I would love to hear what the fans say,
what the questions they have, because I think the fun
is revisiting everybody's youth, you know, like everyone who's listening.
That's why I would want to listen to this, you know,
to go back and watch it. But then also through
that I get to relive my youth. So I'm I'd
love to hear the fans.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
And some people might be finding it and watching it
for the first time, which I think is sort of
a fun perspective too, that the old fans can come
to it and they might have memories of where they
were when and with whom and while they watched. But
other people, We welcome everybody to come and watch the
show for the.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
First time, and you can watch it now stream it yep. Stream.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
We actually had a friend, does it not apropos of anything?
Who said we were looking for a new show to watch.
We decided we're going to watch Molo's Place. I was like, well,
your timing is impeccable.
Speaker 5 (41:23):
Yeah, that will.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
Be watching it with you, yes, and we can meet
around the water cooler to talk about it the next day.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Water can't be so excited to
Speaker 3 (41:34):
Still the place,
Hosts And Creators
Laura Leighton
Daphne Zuniga
Courtney Thorne-Smith
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