Melrose Place icon Heather Locklear, 64, reveals why she ditched Hollywood for a quieter
Heather Locklear left Hollywood 40 years ago for a quieter life away from the parties and fake people of showbusiness.
It was the late 1980s and the actress was doing very well on TV shows as she already had Dynasty and TJ Hooker under her belt.
And Melrose Place was just around the corner, one of the biggest successes of her career where she played tough advertising executive Amanda Woodward.
The 64-year-old chose to settle in the rolling hills of Thousand Oaks, California, which is over an hour drive north west from Beverly Hills.
Locklear still lives in a large house high on a hill in the scenic neighborhood where Britney Spears, Tom Selleck and Jamie Foxx also own mansions.
The blonde beauty, who dates Falcon Crest veteran Lorenzo Lamas, told the Hollywood & Devine talk show that she left Hollywood because it was not her scene.
Heather Locklear left Hollywood 40 years ago for a quieter life away from the parties, she told a talk show; seen in 1985
The 64-year-old chose to settle in Thousand Oaks, California, which is over an hour drive from Beverly Hills
Locklear told hosts Dru Hammer – who is the mother of actor Armie Hammer – and John Luciano, ‘I don’t really hang out with Hollywood people.’
She explained, ‘I live so far away. Yeah. Like for many, many years. 40 years and stuff like that.’
The move never harmed her career.
After nearly 200 episodes of Melrose Place she had a role on Spin City with Michael J Fox for three years and then starred on LAX for a season in 2004.
Locklear has also popped up on the shows Boston Legal, Rules Of Engagement and See Jayne Run.
In 2009 she starred on eight episodes of the Melrose Place redo as she reprised her role as Woodward.
In 2012 she did three episodes of Hot In Cleveland and then was on 10 episodes of Franklin & Bash in 2013 followed by a gig on Too Close To Home in 2016.
Her last acting gig was a role as Jodi Hildebrandt in the 2024 TV movie Mormon Mom Gone Wrong: The Ruby Franke Story.
When she moved to Thousand Oaks 40 years ago, it was where families lived to raise their children in the quiet, predictable and wholesome atmosphere.
As Officer Stacy Sheridan on the show TJ Hooker in 1985
Seen on Dynasty in 1981 with John Forsythe, Linda Evans, Pamela Bellwood, Pamela Sue Martin and Joan Collins
Locklear was on Melrose Place with Jack Wagner, Josie Bisset and Kelly Rutherford, among others, in the 1990s
The hottest hangout was The Oaks Mall, which had shops, movie theaters and restaurants.
In the past decade, fancier places have popped up such as Mastro’s Steakhouse and Casalena.
Nearby is Hidden Hills where Kim and Khloe Kardashian live as well as Kylie and Kris Jenner. Jennifer Lopez recently bought a large compound there, too.
Across the 101 freeway is Calabasas where Kourtney Kardashian has a house with Travis Barker, and her ex Scott Disick owns a home in the area as well.
During the same interview, Locklear broke her silence on her romance with Lamas.
And while doing so she made a shocking claim about the Hollywood icon: she said that he was a gift from God.
Speaking on the Hollywood & Divine podcast, the actress said: ‘My new guy is very… everything.
‘I’m just like, when I tell this person I love him, I’m really saying, “I love you, God.” Because that’s what happened. It’s from God,’ she shared with the hosts. ‘I’m in the best time of my life,’ she added.
The actress first met the 68-year-old actor while posing for Playgirl magazine in 1983 but they recently reconnected and the star couldn’t be happier with her ‘new boyfriend.’
Last month Locklear broke her silence on her romance with Lorenzo Lamas; seen left this year and right in 1983 for Playgirl
Seen in November with Christopher Atkins (Blue Lagoon), Sonja Morgan (RHONY), Jennifer Beals (Flashdance), Deney Terrio (Star Trek)
His daughter Shayne Lamas shared a photo of the couple at the graduation celebration for two of her children
The duo made their first appearance as a couple at the Chiller Theatre Expo in April, where they greeted fans as they sat side by side.
And the actor admitted he never expected to find love with the beauty. Asked if he ever imagined things coming full circle like this, Lamas told Fox News Digital: ‘The short answer is no. I mean, I’ve been through a lot of trial and error, and she is the most amazing woman that I think I’ve ever met.’
In December, Lamas shared their Playgirl cover on X, and wrote: ‘I cannot believe that this was 43 years ago! Side note, speedos on request only #HeatherLocklear #Playgirl.’
And in April, he shared the throwback photo in another post which has since been deleted, but appeared to confirm their relationship. In November last year, the pair were spotted at a dinner party in New York City, before reuniting at Barry’s Steakhouse in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.
Renegade actor Lamas has been married six times in the past. He has children AJ, 43, and Shayne, 41, with second wife Michele Smith, Paton, 37, with ex Daphne Ashbrook, and Alexandra, 28, Victoria, 27, and Isabella, 25, with fourth wife Shauna Sand. In June 2025, he filed for divorce from Kenna Scott after less than two years of marriage, and the former model reflected on the breakup on Instagram.
Locklear was previously married to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee before their divorce in 1993, while she tied the knot with Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora shortly after. Last year, she ended her long-term relationship with Chris Heisser, who she first dated in high school. He proposed in 2020, but they never got married, and split in 2025.