‘Melrose Place’ Star Says Her Marriage Is 'the Best Thing' to Come Out of the Show

Actress Laura Leighton appeared in the first five seasons of the hit ’90s series, Melrose Place.

In a January 2025 interview on the Still Here Hollywood podcast, hosted by Steve Kmetko, Leighton discussed playing her Melrose Place character, Sydney Andrews.

During the interview, Kmetko noted that Leighton ended up marrying her Melrose Place co-star, Doug Savant, who played Matt Fielding, a year after she left the series in 1998. Kmetko referenced that Savant has said that “the best thing that came out of the show” was his relationship with Leighton. Leighton replied that she agreed with Savant, whom she described as “a very good husband.”

“I absolutely do. I mean who would have thought? We’re [at] 26 years of marriage and we’ve raised four children together. And we’re pretty proud of that and still going. And it truly was the best thing to come out of the show,” said Leighton on the podcast episode.

Laura Leighton Discussed the Legacy of ‘Melrose Place’

During the Still Here Hollywood podcast interview, Leighton discussed the legacy of Melrose Place, which had a seven-season run until 1999. She said that the show’s creator and executive producer, Darren Star and Aaron Spelling, understood how to connect with audiences.

“It was television tapping into what people wanted to talk about the next day. And Darren Star and Aaron Spelling really had their finger on the pulse of telling those kinds of stories that were really like water cooler television talk,” said Leighton during the interview.

She also said that she feels “really lucky” to have been part of “such a cultural moment.”

In addition, Leighton said she felt a sense of camaraderie with her Melrose Place castmates, which included Heather Locklear, Andrew Shue, and Josie Bissett.

“If you’re lucky enough to get [a show] that lasts as long as Melrose did, it becomes a family. And so having that place to go every week is something, there’s nothing like it. And you miss it when it’s gone,” said Leighton while recording the 2025 podcast episode.