Heather Locklear in 'Return of the Swamp Thing' (Photo: Everett Collection)
The queen of '80s TV is turning the big 5-0. The California girl is as blond as ever, recently announced she is engaged to her "Melrose Place" co-star Jack Wagner, and still keeps busy with made-for-TV movies.
But maybe the A-list TV star should have stuck with the small screen: Her movie roles were an embarrassing mix of bad choices. Here, we look back at the cringe-inducing parts in Locklear's campy career.
Creature Feature
Even with parts in the hit shows "Dynasty" and "T.J. Hooker," in 1989 Locklear landed her first awful movie role in "The Return of the Swamp Thing." The part: Locklear plays the love interest of this slimy monster -- think "Godzilla" in the Everglades. The star even extolled the virtues of her character to People magazine this way: "Since my character owns a plant shop, it's only natural she should enjoy making love to a plant."
Obviously, actors in the TV world these days can be more choosy. Olivia Wilde moved from the TV drama "House" to blockbusters like "Tron: Legacy" and "Cowboys and Aliens" -- and seems to be well on the way to a major Hollywood career. But movie roles for TV actors in the '80s? Not so much.
Burning Up
Locklear probably hoped to set the screen on fire with the 1984 movie "Firestarter." Locklear plays a woman who participated in a medical experiment gone bad that gives her psychic abilities and causes her daughter to set fire to stuff with her mind. The sci-fi flick did launch Drew Barrymore's career -- the young star played the creepy kid. We're thinking the movie burned Locklear in more ways than one.
Melrose Redux
In "Uptown Girls," Locklear channels witchy Amanda from "Melrose Place," this time as a career-driven mom to a young Dakota Fanning. Her character hires the late Brittany Murphy to be her child's nanny. This harmless but forgettable chick flick was followed by 2005's "The Perfect Man," where Amanda, um, Locklear plays a single mom to daughter Hilary Duff. Don't remember it? Nobody does.
See a clip of Heather Locklear in 'Firestarter':
Burning Mommy
Firestarter
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Find showtimes and tickets near you >>
Learn how to get free popcorn at the movies >>
619 comments