Aging gracefully in Hollywood? It’s not always as effortless as it looks.
Laura Leighton, best known as Sydney Andrews on the wildly popular ‘90s series “Melrose Place”, is opening up about how the industry has changed. And how she has changed right along with it.
During a chat on the Still Here Hollywood podcast with longtime entertainment reporter Steve Kmetko, Leighton, 57, didn’t sugarcoat her answer when asked if she was worried about aging in the business.
“Sure. It’s a different business for middle-aged women than it is for someone in their 20s,” she said. These days, Leighton says her drive is still there, but her priorities have changed. She’s more intentional about the work she takes on and happier with the balance she’s built. But she admits, “The opportunities are fewer and far between.”
Listen to the clip in this TikTok shared on October 8 by @stillherehollywood:
Leighton also reflected on her early fame. What started as a two-episode guest role on Melrose Place turned into one of the show’s most unforgettable characters. Her portrayal of the fiery and unpredictable Sydney earned her a Golden Globe nomination and a fanbase that still follows her decades later.
But as she told Kmetko, that breakout role came with baggage. Casting teams and producers sometimes expected her to be just as outrageous as the character she played. As People first reported, “They were disappointed I wasn’t actually a wackadoo like Sydney,” she said, describing how fiction and reality blurred.
That confusion even extended beyond Hollywood. She shared a story about a nurse who once mistook her for her character. And nervously asked if she might “hurt” her husband, actor Doug Savant, who co-starred as Matt Fielding. The couple has been married since 1998 and shares two children, Jack and Lucy.
Leighton’s life off-screen has many other beautiful chapters as well. Just this year, she shared a heartwarming Instagram post joyfully introducing her new grandson, Grayson. In 2023, she gushed when she first became a nana to her granddaughter, Josephine.
After her original run on “Melrose Place” ended in 1997, Laura Leighton went on to reprise her role as Sydney Andrews in The CW’s 2009 reboot of the series. Beyond that, she has built an impressive résumé, starring as Ashley Marin on “Pretty Little Liars” for seven seasons, appearing in dramas like “CSI: Miami” and “Boston Legal,” and taking on roles in several Hallmark films, as well as other notable television appearances.
Laura Leighton’s Latest Projects
Most recently, she reunited with former co-stars Courtney Thorne-Smith and Daphne Zuniga for “Still the Place,” a rewatch podcast celebrating the enduring legacy of the original series. And there’s a reboot of “Melrose Place” in the making that has fans excited.
If you grew up with the iconic show you can feel where she’s coming from. Leighton’s not fighting the clock; she’s owning her place in this new time. Like a lot of Gen X, she’s showing that getting older doesn’t mean fading out—it means showing up with more clarity and confidence than ever.
Because if there’s one thing those 90s soap operas taught us, it’s that life, and reinvention, are always better with a touch of attitude.