What Josie Bissett Loved — and Hated — About Filming 'Melrose Place'
It’s been 25 years since the apartment complex of Melrose Place brought sudsy drama to our TV screens, and star Josie Bissett is reflecting on her most beloved— and hated — parts of filming the iconic series.
“My favorite memory [from the show] is when we would just get — mostly Laura [Leighton] and I — would get into laughter fits,” Bissett, 53, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the show’s 25th anniversary on Friday, May 24. “Because sometimes some of the things [we had to do] were just so silly. Or we were really tired and we would just start laughing and not be able to stop. It was just fun.”
Melrose Place ran for seven seasons on Fox from 1992 to 1999. The series followed the love lives of a group of young adults living in the same apartment complex in Los Angeles. Bissett starred as Jane Mancini, a young fashion designer married to Dr. Michael Mancini, played by Thomas Calabro.
The fan favorite couple faced a series of ups and downs throughout their tumultuous relationship, divorcing after Michael had an affair in season 1 — and slept with Jane’s sister, Sydney (Leighton). The pair eventually married for a second time and welcomed a baby together, but later called it quits for good.
Chris Rock's 'Everybody Still Hates Chris' Animated Reboot Picked Up
Bissett shared that despite their tension on screen, she “really” liked filming alongside Calabro, noting that the actor is “very giving and gracious” to work with. She didn’t, however, enjoy the more intimate moments the show demanded of them.
“I never like shooting love scenes,” Bissett told Us. “There’s a lot of add on there. It’s just no, it is uncomfortable.”
How her real-life husband, Thomas Doig, feels about those scenes remains a mystery. Bissett confessed that her hubby hasn’t seen any of Melrose Place — but she has plans to rectify that in the near future. “It’d be fun to go back and start from season 1,” she said, adding, “Maybe that’s what we’ll do this weekend.”
For Bissett, the highs of filming were the moments she got to play around and have fun with her casemates. When asked the most memorable scene from her time on set, Bissett recalled the iconic pool scene in season 2 when Jane and Sydney come to blows over a wedding dress.
Bissett said they had “one take” to get it right. “We only had one dress,” she explained. “But fingers [were] crossed and it worked out great.”
A revival of Melrose Place premiered on The CW in 2009, but was canceled after one season. Bissett reprised her role for the series as the complex’s new landlord. In April, reports surfaced that CBS was developing a second reboot with original cast members Leighton, Heather Locklear and Daphne Zuniga, who will reprise their roles as Sydney, Amanda and Jo, respectively. The new series is written by Lauren Gussis and will follow the women as they reunite after one of their dearest friends dies suddenly.
Bissett told Us that she would “definitely” be interested in coming back for the revived series as Jane — and even hinted that the plan may already be in motion.
“That was a little bit of a leak, I think,” she quipped while teasing her involvement. “But that’s fine, because people are hoping and we just have our fingers crossed.”
As for where she thinks Jane is today, Bissett believes that the character would likely be coparenting with Michael and possibly following in Gwyneth Paltrow’s footsteps with her own lifestyle brand. Bissett is most interested, however, in seeing what all the other characters have been up to all these years.
“I would love to see all the relationships back together and where everyone’s at and how are their lives intertwining again,” she gushed. “And seeing what everyone’s up to. And I’m sure all stories and lies probably come back up. It’s, like, taking Melrose again, but bringing it bac into our current time. It would just be so much fun.”
The Pool! The Catfights! 9 Things We Learned From the 'Melrose Place' Reunion
When asked why she thinks Melrose Place has resonated with so many — and continues to be beloved by audiences today — Bissett credited the nostalgia it elicits for TV of decades past.
“I think back in the ‘90s [and] life was a lot more simple,” she told Us. “And I think that people related to the craziness in a way. But also, [it’s about] wanting to live vicariously through these characters.”
With reporting by Sarah Jones
