Joan Collins, Kate Jackson & Heather Locklear Pay Tribute to 'Gentleman' John Forsythe

Joan Collins, Kate Jackson and Heather Locklear have paid tribute to late actor John Forsythe, who died on Thursday after a four-year cancer battle.

The trio worked with the TV icon on beloved shows Dynasty and Charlie's Angel.

Collins, who played the ex-wife of Forsythe's Blake Carrington character in Dynasty, called the actor "the last of the true gentleman of the acting profession."

A statement from the British star reads, "I enjoyed my nine years of feuding, fussing and fighting as the Carringtons and I was so glad to have had the chance to reunite with him a few years ago in the Dynasty reunion. He will be greatly missed."

Locklear, who also appeared alongside Forsythe in the Dynasty series, says, "John was a gentleman in every sense of the word... He was a gifted actor who knew the true meaning of being gracious and kind."

And Jackson, who played one of his Angels in Charlie's Angels, tells People.com she has fond memories of trying to avoid him on the set: "I made an effort never to see him when he came in to (record) his voiceover, but I left messages for him and he would leave me a note saying, 'Hi Sabrina, it's Charlie. You'll never catch me!'"

Forsythe voiced the character of detective agency boss Charlie, who was never seen.

Jackson adds, "He had a grace about him that was incredibly awesome... He was wonderful."

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz & Colin Egglesfield Out in "Melrose Place" Shake-Up

Two months into its run, The CW’s ratings-challenged (but creatively-smokin’) Melrose Place reboot is about to undergo a major renovation.

For starters, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield have been let go (they’ll last air in January), and the “Who Killed Sydney?” mystery is being wrapped up in December. Then, in addition to Heather Locklear’s Amanda, several new characters will be introduced and the show will take on a lighter, more fun vibe.

Here, in an exclusive interview with , exec producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer explain why they’re fixing a series that many felt wasn’t broken and tease what’s ahead for Melrose 2.0 3.0.

What was behind the decision to let Ashlee and Colin go?
TODD SLAVKIN: Well, we always knew that this murder mystery would end in episode 12. And we always knew that [Ashlee's] character of Violet would be instrumental in that as a suspect, and [Colin's character of] Augie as well. And once that murder mystery was solved, she would go on her way. That was the original plan going into the development of the show.

So it was always the plan for Ashlee to leave after episode 12?
SLAVKIN: Yes. Because we felt that once the murder mystery was resolved, the tone of the show was going to shift into a much more fun, romantic, sexy upbeat kind of show, and [her] character would move on.

Same thing with Colin?
SLAVKIN: Colin was always meant to be the ultimate suspect. And his brooding alcoholic [character] tonally didn’t fit the paradigm moving into post-murder mystery Melrose Place.

Is it fair to say that if either of those characters clicked you would’ve found a way to keep them?
SLAVKIN: Well, you never know when you go along. But in the end, we felt like it was right [decision].
DARREN SWIMMER: The nature of soaps is that as things progress along, the story takes on a life of its own and the characters come and go in relation to that.

How did Ashlee and Colin take the news?
SLAVKIN: They’re total professionals and they took it like professionals. When you go into a show you never know what’s going to evolve and what the possibilities are. But because they knew ahead of time [that leaving was a possibility], it wasn’t a complete shock.

People are going to look at these changes and assume it’s a direct result of the show’s disappointing ratings.
SLAVKIN: Well, I understand that perspective. None of us foresaw the ratings; there’s nothing we can do about that. All we can do is write and produce the best show we know how. It’s fine to speculate, but in the end there was always a plan.

What about Laura Leighton and Thomas Calabro? Are they leaving, too?
SLAVKIN: Thomas is very much a part of the fabric of this show. Many storylines are ahead for him. You’ll get to see him interact with his old friend Amanda Woodward as well as all the characters on our show. With Laura, we would never close the door officially. She did her part in the murder mystery. We love her. We think she is gorgeous and a great actress and would love to have her be involved in the future, but there is no plan at the moment.

Can you elaborate on the tonal shift?
SLAVKIN: Now that the characters are no longer suspects, they can have a great time, they can focus on their careers, they can get into bed with each other without having this ominous cloud hanging over the building… But this is still Melrose Place. There’s still going to be intrigue on the show.

Do you think viewers were turned off by the dark nature of the show?
SWIMMER: Who knows why the ratings aren’t better? I think for us, it’s just a matter of moving on in the direction we [always] wanted to go.

Some people might wonder why you’re fixing what’s not broken. Personally, I love the show.
SLAVKIN: Which we understand and I totally get that. I think our feeling is that TV shows need to evolve. Mike, you’re a fan of Smallville. You’ve watched that show and you’ve seen the evolution in that show. Characters come and go. This being much more of a soap opera, we feel that it’s heated up more rapidly, where characters come and go and have arcs and move on. There will be new characters coming in.

Tell me about those new characters.
SLAVKIN: There’s a doctor, a new resident at the hospital who is irreverent and funny and will mix it up and move into the building. He will be a roommate of one of the characters and interact with Lauren. He’s a guy that, even though he’s a doctor, he doesn’t take life very seriously. Medicine can be very fun as well as serious to him and he ends up lightening up Lauren. We think this guy’s a lot of fun and is going to mix it up in a great way with the rest of the cast.

Has the role been cast?
SLAVKIN: Not yet.

Any other new characters?
SWIMMER: We have [Heather Locklear's] new love interest played by Billy Campbell. He has a three-episode arc. He plays basically a billionaire version of Jonah. He’s the equivalent of a Mark Cuban. Again, a lot of fun, funny, irreverent, and is someone who can actually make Amanda Woodward smile.

How long do you have Heather for?
SLAVKIN: A long time. She’s in every episode moving forward. She’s a major focus [of the show]. She has a hidden agenda that will become not so hidden as the episodes move along. She’s not just the boss of Ella [Katie Cassidy].

Does Heather still have it?
SLAVKIN: Absolutely. Not only is she so fun as Amanda, but she’s such an amazing, hysterical woman. Her [return] is going to be a big moment on Melrose Place

Star Sighting: She's Back!

Look who's moving back in! A radiant Heather Locklear gets set to reprise her role as vixen Amanda Woodward as she arrives to the Hollywood set of Melrose Place on Tuesday. Locklear will make her return on an episode airing November 17th.

Heather Locklear Returning to Melrose Place

Let the catfighting begin!

Heather Locklear is reprising her most famous role, ad exec Amanda Woodward, as she returns to Melrose Place on an episode scheduled to air November 17th, the CW announced on Tuesday.

“We’re ecstatic to have the chance to bring Amanda Woodward back to Melrose Place,” executive producers Todd Slavkin and Darren Swimmer said in a press release. “Heather’s involvement in the show is something we’ve been working on for some time as we couldn’t imagine creating and producing this show without the iconic character’s inclusion.”

Since last month, the actress, 47, has been in talks to appear on the show. Locklear joined the original Melrose Place during its first season, and remained until it went off the air in 1999.

There’s no word on how long Locklear’s stint on the show will last. Other stars from the original series who will be returning to the CW re-vamp include Laura Leighton, Thomas Calabro, Josie Bissett and Daphne Zuniga.

Door to New Melrose Place ‘Always Open’ for Heather Locklear

Heather Locklear’s not currently slated to appear on the CW’s upcoming Melrose Place revamp, but that doesn’t mean producers have given up hope.

“The door is always open for Heather Locklear,” executive producer Todd Slavkin told reporters Tuesday during the CW’s portion of the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour. “We’re huge fans of hers.”

So much so that he’s already figured out exactly how he’d incorporate Locklear’s scheming ad exec, Amanda Woodward, into the new soap’s cast of hot young stars, which includes Ashlee Simpson-Wentz. “We have a great way for her to come into the show,” Slavkin said.

Even without Locklear, Melrose 2.0 isn’t hurting for alumni. Original series stars Laura Leighton (Sydney), Thomas Calabro (Michael Mancini) and Josie Bissett (Jane) will all appear, as will Daphne Zuniga (Jo) who, Slavkin promised, “will be back with a vengeance.”

The producer also revealed he’d had discussions with Grant Show (Jake) about reprising his role. In determining which characters to bring back, Slavkin said there was one main criteria: “Does it feel organic? Does it not feel contrived? That’s really what’s important to us.”

One actor who’s unlikely to check back into TV’s most drama-prone apartment complex? Lisa Rinna, who played Taylor McBride. Despite a public plea earlier this year, “She wasn’t calling our offices,” said executive producer Darren Swimmer. “I think her campaign was a little bit in fun.”

Star Sighting: Travel Buddies

Heather Locklear takes the lead Wednesday, making her her way through New York's John F. Kennedy Airport with boyfriend Jack Wagner.

No Amanda at the New Melrose Place

Actress Heather Locklear won't be part of the Melrose Place update, because she's not convinced writers can find a way of bringing her character Amanda Woodward back.

Locklear was considered a definite for the remake of the 1980s soap, but she has turned down an offer to join the cast.

A source tells EW.com, "There wasn't a way to bring her back that made sense."

The actress' reps have confirmed Locklear has declined the offer to return to the role.

The new show, which is slated to hit TV screens in America later this year, will feature new mum Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and David Cassidy's daughter Katie.

Meanwhile, another former Melrose Place star, Lisa Rinna, is going to extremes to land a role in the beloved TV series' remake, hitting the streets of Los Angeles to drum up support.

The actress-turned-reality TV star recently confessed she'd do anything to appear on the new show, and proved it on Wednesday by urging motorists to 'honk' for her.

Rinna, who played Taylor McBride on the original series, worked the corner of Melrose Avenue and Melrose Place with placards stating, "Honk for Lisa Rinna on the new Melrose Place".

The actress will be baring all for Playboy this summer in another attempt to boost her appeal and land a Melrose Place return.