Who were the best Melrose Place characters? As one of the premier 90’s television series, fans and critics have strong opinions about these characters and their proper rankings.
Choosing the top roles is challenging, particularly in a series where most personas are morally bankrupt. Still, being a great character on Melrose Place often transcended morals and drew entertainment and shock value.
Nevertheless, Circa 98 undertook the task and created a list of the top 98 characters in Melrose Place. Of course, you can’t please everyone with a ranking, but you can give your opinions.
1) Michael Mancini
Michael Mancini starts as a med student and the property manager in the Melrose Place apartment complex with his wife, Jane. This arrangement changes when Michael becomes an official doctor and cheats on Jane with a colleague, Kimberly Shaw.
Michael is deranged (a theme consistent with many of the characters on Melrose Place), but makes up for it by being hilarious. Dr. Mancini is a liar, cheater, womanizer, hypocrite, and all-around scumbag, yet remains oddly likable for the series’ duration.
He’s married to four other characters throughout the series (Jane, Sydney, Kimberly, and Megan) and proposes to a fifth (Lexi).
2) Sydney Andrews
Sydney is one of the best Melrose Place characters for several reasons. First, she is a deranged lunatic with a flair for the dramatic. Second, she is strangely likable despite her transgressions.
Originally introduced to the series as Jane’s little sister, Sydney quickly makes herself a home in L.A. and proceeds to steal her sister’s husband, Micheal. Although Micheal openly hates her and even considers killing her, Sydney blackmails him into a short-lived marriage.
After the divorce, Jane’s little sister dates several other main characters, including Jake Hanson and Kyle McBride (though the latter was more of an affair). She goes on to marry Craig Field before her untimely death occurs immediately after the wedding ceremony.
3) Jake Hanson
Jake is essential to Melrose Place for a variety of reasons. Foremost is his connection to Beverly Hills 90210, the show from which the series spun off. Jake does construction work for Jackie Taylor while her daughter Kelly develops a crush on him.
The initial Melrose Place episodes detail Kelly’s pursuit of Jake and his rejection (because of age concerns). With Kelly out of the picture, Jake makes a living for himself by buying a bike shop and eventually buying the local bar & restaurant, Shooters.
Jake Hanson dates several of the show’s female characters, including Sandy, Jo, Amanda, Sydney, Jane, and Alison. Melrose Place’s beloved bad boy moves to Ojai in Season 5 and is never heard from again.
4) Jane Mancini-Andrews
Jane Andrews is Michael’s first wife and Sydney’s adopted sister. Jane never learns of her adoption until Season 5 — presumed to be the “favorite” child before the revelation. Sydney often criticized Jane for receiving all her parents’ attention and leaving her to become the forgotten daughter.
Jane’s passion for fashion leads her into the clothing industry, first as an assistant and later as a business owner and designer. She divorces Micheal after learning of his affair with Dr. Kimberly Shaw.
The eldest Andrews’s child moves back to Chicago with her adopted parents during Season 5 — looking to start fresh after ruining her relationship with Jake Hanson. She returns for the final season and starts a relationship with Kyle McBride.
5) Amanda Woodward
Amanda’s series’ introduction comes through D&D Advertising, where she works as Alison’s superior. When the co-workers become friendly outside of work, Amanda targets Billy as her lover, to Alison’s dismay.
To make matters worse, she reveals her pregnancy to everyone. Although she loses the child in a miscarriage, Alison quickly learns of her conniving and vindictive behavior. Alison and Billy are shocked when Amanda buys the apartment complex from the landlord and can now boss everyone.
Amanda dates most of the series’ male characters, including Billy, Jake, Micheal, Peter, Craig, and Kyle. Most of them grow to despise her. Peter becomes the one exception as they marry one another (for a second time) in the series finale.
6) Kyle McBride
Kyle is an ex-marine and successful restaurant chef who moves from Boston to Los Angeles with his wife, Taylor. He soon learns that Peter Burns sparked his wife’s desire to move to Los Angeles and that she harbors a deranged crush on the doctor.
After divorcing Taylor, he opens a jazz club called Upstairs with his business partner and eventual wife: Amanda Woodward. Meanwhile, he battles alcoholism and depression after learning of his presumed infertility (which turns out to be a lab mistake).
Kyle divorces Amanda near the series’ conclusion and begins a relationship with Jane Andrews, who opened her beach house to the couple while they waited on their new home construction.
7) Rhonda Blair
Though written out after Season 1, Rhonda was one of the series’ essential characters. She’d be higher on the list if not for her limited number of episodes.
Rhonda’s introduction comes as a primary character and tenant in the Melrose Place apartment complex. She works as an aerobics instructor, teaching a class called Cardio Funk.
Sandy is her roommate, but Matt is her best friend, and Rhonda relies on him for dates after misadventures with heterosexual men. Everything changes when she meets her future husband, Terrance Haggard, and moves away after the initial season.
8) Alison Parker
Alison is arguably the show’s main character since she appears first in the pilot after her roommate stiffs her with the rent. Most of the initial season revolves around Alison’s life and career as a receptionist at D&D Advertising. Her new roommate, Billy, adds excitement to her otherwise stringent lifestyle.
The lead character goes through many trials and tribulations throughout her five seasons (she moves to Atlanta before Season 6), including relationships with married men, resurfacing childhood trauma from her abusive father, and a battle with alcoholism.
Although Alison represents one of the few characters with morals and integrity, she also possesses questionable ethics, particularly regarding relationships.
9) Matt Fielding
Matt is an essential character in Melrose Place, who brings a sense of stability to his neighbors. An openly gay man, Matt dates several men throughout his five-plus seasons before moving to San Francisco in Season 6 and dying in a car accident during Season 7.
Matt first works at a halfway house serving underprivileged youth but later enters medical school at his late father’s request. Matt Fielding was close friends with Rhonda — who moves away after the first season but later becomes friendly with Michael, Jake, and most other neighbors.
After Michael’s severe car accident, Matt illegally alters his friend’s blood alcohol content in the hospital computer system, risking his career and freedom. Later in the series, he gains custody of his late brother’s daughter, Chelsea, which prompts his move to San Francisco.
10) Jo Reynolds
Jo Reynolds is a photographer from New York who moves to Melrose Place after leaving her abusive husband. Known initially for her stand-offish East Coast demeanor, most of the neighbors find her rude but warm up to her as the series progresses.
Jake Hanson is the one exception who admires her instantly. Jo and Jake start dating shortly after she moves into the complex. Eventually, the duo splits after Jake’s bike shop burns to the ground. Jo invested money into the shop, which created animosity within the relationship.
Aside from her prominence on Melrose Place, Jo is the primary transitional character for the Models Inc. spinoff series. After several awkward relationships with unfit men, Jo inexplicably leaves the country after Season 4.
11) Kimberly Shaw
Once referred to as the witch of Wilshire Memorial, Dr. Kimberly Shaw makes her presence felt throughout her tenure in Melrose Place. She appears in the first five seasons before dying tragically from brain cancer complications.
As Michael’s first mistress and later his wife, Dr. Shaw endures the worst of the Michael Mancini experience. She suffers severe head injuries as the passenger in a one-car accident after Micheal drove drunk. Presumed dead initially, she shocks Michael by showing up at his beach house 13 episodes later.
Kimberly’s head scar becomes a significant talking point in the series. After the accident, mental health problems plague Kimberly for the remainder of her life, culminating in her explosion of the Melrose Place apartment complex at the end of Season 3.
12) Peter Burns
Dr. Peter Burns is a deranged, high-brow surgeon with zero moral fiber. Peter goes through multiple phases during his tenure on Melrose Place, where he begins as Wilshire Memorial hospital’s Chief of Staff and ends as a fugitive.
Among his many stunts, Peter and Amanda Woodward attempt a coup of D&D Advertising. When Amanda gets cold feet, Peter attempts to murder her and cover it up as a failed surgery. Luckily for Amanda, Michael stops the murder and saves her life.
Just one season later, Peter gets out of prison and marries the woman he only recently tried to kill. They divorce soon after, but their connection resurfaces during the final season. In the series finale, Peter and Amanda remarry overseas after staging their deaths to avoid prison.
13) Billy Campbell
Billy is a recent college graduate looking for apartments in L.A. He hears through acquaintances that Alison’s roommate left suddenly and stiffed her with the rent. Equipped with inside information, he approaches Alison about the vacancy. Though initially resistant, she agrees to the roommate’s proposal so long as he follows her strict guidelines.
Billy evolves from a wide-eyed screenwriter into a ruthless advertising executive throughout the series. He eventually talks Alison into a romantic relationship and ultimately to marriage, though she leaves him at the altar.
He goes on to marry two additional women, Brooke and Samantha, but both marriages fail. During Season 6, Billy moves to Rome with his new fiancé Jennifer Mancini, though their relationship seems forced.
14) Taylor McBride
Taylor moves to Melrose Place after seeing Peter Burns’s picture in a Boston newspaper. She’d been secretly crushing on Dr. Burns since her adolescence when he married her late sister Beth. After Beth passed away several years prior, Taylor lost touch with Peter.
Despite her marriage to Kyle McBride, she makes it her goal to find Peter and lure him into a relationship. She fails when Peter learns of her crazy scheme, and Kyle files for divorce. Taylor plots to reclaim Kyle by getting pregnant with Michael and pretending the child is Kyle’s.
Ms. Mcbride’s plan fails when Kyle passes his paternity test. After agreeing to let Michael and Jane raise her baby, she leaves Los Angeles suddenly with her newborn.
15) Sandy Harling
Sandy appears as a primary character in the first season before landing an acting gig in New York. Though she doesn’t even last to the Season 1 finale, her presence is everlasting.
While living in Melrose Place, the aspiring actress rooms with Rhonda and works as a bartender at Shooters while trying to land movie roles.
Beverly Hills 90210 character Steve Sanders asks her out in one of the first episodes, to which she laughingly declines. Before moving to New York for good, she has an on-again, off-again relationship with Jake Hanson.
16) Lexi Sterling
Lexi Sterling is a sexy and sassy woman who travels to California to pursue alimony from her ex-husband, Coop. While in town, she meets Peter Burns on her visit and quickly falls in love with him. The pair are a toxic couple, as both demonstrate manipulative tendencies.
Things change for Lexi when she’s arrested for tax evasion and forced to remarry Coop for 10 million dollars, a condition stipulated in her father’s will. For Lexi, remarrying Coop is a nightmare scenario but something she cannot avoid.
Lexi grows more confident and funnier as the series progresses, though she remains highly unstable. She buys the apartment complex from Amanda during the final season and briefly accepts Michael’s engagement proposal.
17) Eve Cleary
Eve is a talented singer and a secret friend of Amanda Woodward. After her prison sentence, the performer moves to Los Angeles, where she headlines at Kyle’s club Upstairs. Amanda initially treats Eve like a stranger, but Kyle grows suspicious and demands an explanation.
Eve reveals that she and Amanda conspired to murder her abusive boyfriend in high school (though we later learn that Amanda killed him). Later, Eve marries Peter Burns, but they divorce within a year. After the split, Eve grows increasingly hostile toward Amanda.
As Eve begins to remember repressed memories of Amanda framing her for murder, she starts behaving in an unstable manner. Amanda and Peter ultimately fake their own deaths and flee the United States.
18) Craig Field
Craig is a classic example of nepotism as the heir to D&D Advertising’s throne. In his early 20s, Craig’s father brings him into D&D Advertising to learn the ropes before taking over. That day came sooner than expected when his father dies suddenly.
Craig initially pursues Amanda Woodward romantically but grows to despise her after Amanda finesses financial control of the agency. The pair sleep together on one occasion, but Amanda regrets it immediately.
Craig finally finds happiness by marrying Sydney and launching his exclusive ad agency. Unfortunately, Sydney dies tragically on their wedding day, and Craig decides to take his own life if the following season.
19) Megan Lewis-McBride
Megan is a prostitute hired by Kimberly to lure Micheal into marriage. Kimberly’s dying wish is to hide her terminal illness from Michael, which she feels is only possible if he finds someone else. As a result, she pays Megan to pursue Michael so that she can die without pity.
The plan sours when Kimberly’s health suddenly improves, and she changes her mind about the arrangement. By this point, Megan is already in love with Michael and convinces Kimberly to go through with the plan. Kimberly eventually relents and ends up dying soon after.
Megan goes on to marry Micheal but divorces him soon after. Despite Michael’s attempts to win her back, she ends up in a relationship with Coop. After breaking it off with Coop, she marries Kyle’s brother Ryan and lives happily ever after.
20) Jennifer Mancini
Michael’s younger sister first appears in Season 6, confusing viewers since Michael never previously mentions her. We learn that Jennifer attended college in Boston, where she’d had an affair with Kyle McBride.
When Amanda runs into Kyle in L.A., she harshly confronts him for leaving her heartbroken. Despite the confrontation, Kyle hires her as a bartender at Upstairs, to the dismay of Amanda. For a while, Jennifer believes Kyle wants her back but arrives at the reality that he doesn’t.
Jennifer eventually gets engaged to Billy, whom she moves with to Rome. Their relationship makes little sense since the characters have no compatibility.
21) Samantha Reilly
Sam is an innocent and wide-eyed boutique assistant who Jane hires towards the end of Season 4. Several male characters court Samantha including Craig and Billy. After Craig’s missteps, Billy wins her heart.
Despite their whirlwind romance, Sam and Billy’s marriage proves short-lived. Unsurprisingly, like most of the series’ married characters, Samantha cheats on her spouse within six months of their vows.
In Sam’s case, she falls for a minor-league baseball player Jeff Taylor. Aside from her adultery, Sam’s car strikes and kills Sydney in the Season 5 finale after her father hijacks her vehicle and runs it off the road.
22) Ryan McBride
Ryan is Kyle’s younger brother, who moves to Los Angeles during the seventh and final Melrose Place season. The younger McBride rents an apartment at Melrose Place, where he meets his future wife, Megan.
Meanwhile, Ryan hides a previous life from everyone, including his brother, until Lexi unveils it through investigation. Lexi learns of Ryan’s young daughter in New York and an ex-wife who died in a car accident.
After the revelation, Ryan regains custody of his daughter, whom he raises with Megan. Then, in an odd twist, Ryan’s ex-sister-in-law comes on to him, hoping to raise her sister’s daughter along with him.
23) Brett Cooper
Brett Cooper, or Coop, as he’s called, first moves to Melrose Place for vengeance on Michael Mancini. We learn that Coop served as Kimberly Shaw’s doctor in Cleveland and fell in love with the ailing doctor.
Of course, Coop’s love went unrequited because of Kimberly’s devotion to Michael, the man that injured her in his drunk driving accident. As a result, Coop attempts to destroy Michael through various means, including sabotaging his medical device venture.
Additionally, Coop pursues Megan — Michael’s fourth wife, at first as a ruse but later out of genuine affection. Ultimately, Coop moves away during Season 6 when Lexi visits L.A., attempting to blackmail the doctor.
24) Brooke Armstrong
Starting as an intern at D&D Advertising, Brooke Armstrong schemes her way into a full-time position with the help of her father, Hayley. Additionally, she targets Billy as her lover and soon-to-be spouse.
Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worst when Brooke’s father dies tragically after falling overboard on his boat. Meanwhile, she attempts to get pregnant with Billy to inherit money owed only after hir firstborn.
A clerical error reveals that Brooke was never pregnant, to begin with, but Brooke decides to lie about it and claims she had a miscarriage. Ultimately, Billy dumps and separates from Brooke, who soon spirals into a disturbing pattern of suicide attempts and erratic public behavior.
Brooke soon drowns in the Melrose Place pool, where she falls and hits her head after appearing at the complex drunk and belligerent. Her demise causes intense guilt for Billy, who has nightmares about Brooke.
25) Keith Gray
Keith is an aspiring marine biologist who meets Alison while handing out fliers for his upcoming lecture. Initially, Keith seems like Alison’s dream guy but later reveals he’s married.
After significant back and forth, Keith divorces his wife and commits to Alison. He even asks Alison to move with him to Seattle for a new job opportunity. Alison agrees but reneges after only a couple of weeks.
Once back in L.A., Keith becomes jealous of Alison and Billy and attempts to stage a robbery to make himself look like a hero. As a result, he becomes deranged, homicidal, and ultimately suicidal.
26) Reed Carter
Reed is best known as the father of Jo’s child. Jo kills him in self-defense after he kidnaps her on a boat. Their relationship dates back to high school but manifests once again after a class reunion.
Despite his criminal record, Jo naively believes his stated innocence. Reed is responsible for sparking Jake’s interest in charters by offering him a 50-50 cut on one of his ventures.
After his death, Reed’s parents sued Jo for custody of Reed’s child, resulting in a brutal court battle. Ultimately, Jo decides to give the baby up for adoption rather than endure ongoing litigation for years.
27) Terrance Haggard
Rhonda’s soon-to-be husband, Terrance Haggard, first meets his wife at a fruit stand, where she accidentally takes his strawberries. After a heated confrontation, Terrance apologizes for his outburst and asks her on a date.
Rhonda agrees reluctantly, but the two hit it off and form a relationship. However, Rhonda sometimes questions whether Terrance and the up-scale social circle he belongs to are ideal for her needs.
Despite some significant differences between the couple, they end up married. Unfortunately, we never hear from either of them after Season 1.
28) Chelsea Fielding
Chelsea is Matt’s niece and lives with him once her father dies in an accident. Matt’s brother granted him custody in his last will, much to Chelsea’s mother’s dismay, who initially fights the court’s terms.
A subsequent hearing rewards custody to Chelsea’s mother, but she reneges at the last minute. Chelsea moves with Matt to San Francisco and is never heard from again, even after Matt’s death in Season 7.
29) Bruce Teller
Bruce is a top executive and general partner at D&D Advertising. But, in contrast to most other ad executives, he treats his employees respectfully. Of course, he still dabbles in business politics, such as claiming credit for Amanda’s work.
Unfortunately for Bruce, colleagues fail to reciprocate his general humanity. The executive commits suicide after Amanda legally but unethically obtains his company shares as a more extensive scheme with Peter Burns.
30) Louis Visconti
Louis works as the resident psychologist at Wilshire Memorial. He often analyzes Peter’s mental health, which is primarily porous. In addition, the Dr. pursues female co-workers for romantic relationships or liaisons.
He is perhaps most infamous for revealing Peter’s secret (about staging Amanda’s abduction) to Lexi. He also provides a cabin key to Peter, who uses it to fake his death with Amanda.
31) Sarah Owens
Sarah Ownes, a young model, moves to L.A. from Iowa, where her abusive boyfriend resides. Sarah goes on to star in the Melrose Place spinoff: Models Inc.
In Melrose Place, Sarah works closely with Jo Reynolds, who photographs her shoots. However, things change when Amanda Woodward learns of her talent agency, Models Inc., and tries to sever ties.
We later learn that Amanda’s estranged mother runs Models, Inc., which is the source of her anguish. Meanwhile, Jake decides to beat Sarah’s boyfriend within an inch of his life after learning of his abuse.
32) Alycia Barnett
Alycia Barnett is a talented lawyer who initially worked with Matt Fielding after he was charged with murder. Matt’s parents solicited Alycia’s expertise to save their son from prison.
Matt grows frustrated with Alycia’s tactics but does not need her after the real murderer confesses. After Matt’s case, Alycia disappears from the show but later reappears as the same character.
Alycia serves as Bobby Parezi’s lawyer throughout much of Season 4. However, after an affair with Peter Burns, Alycia murders her client Bobby by throwing him out of a high-rise office window.
Though she had not initially intended to kill him, Bobby charged at her, at which point she dodged and shoved him to his death. Soon after, Alycia dies in a car accident, making Peter the prime suspect in Bobby’s murder.
33) Jeffrey Lindley
Jeffrey is one of Matt’s most serious boyfriends and tests positive for HIV. As an active duty Military member, Jeffrey hides his sexual orientation from his employer.
Matt often challenges his boyfriend about the don’t ask, don’t tell policy of the Military. Jeffrey is proud to be a Marine who he argues protects Matt’s freedom of thought.
Unfortunately, Jeffrey resigns from the Military after they continually reassign him throughout the country. Finally, he ends his relationship with Matt to save his lover from the grief of a dying partner.
34) Palmer Woodward
Palmer is Amanda Woodward’s father and one of the most prominent con men on the planet. Jake discovers his shadiness after joining his auto repair shop venture.
It turned out Palmer was marking up reproduced vintage cars as originals. Jake cooperates with the FBI in implicating his boss. After fleeing the country, Palmer returns in an attempt to murder his witness Jake Hanson.
Things fail to go as planned when Palmer’s accomplice shoots him to death and then blows up a boat where his corpse lies. She also intended to kill Jake, but he was able to jump overboard just before the explosion.
35) Lucy Cabot
Lucy is a D&D Advertising executive during the early seasons and a work superior to Amanda Woodward and Alison Parker. Ms. Cabot leaves D&D after getting engaged.
Lucy is integral to Alison’s ascendance at the advertising firm and mentors Alison while advancing her career. During Alison’s affair with Keith, Lucy often scolded her subordinate for sacrificing her career.
36) Jess Hanson
Jake’s brother Jess is a low-life towny who blames Jake for his miserable life. But, in Jess’s defense, he took care of their drunken mother after Jake split for the coast.
When their mother passes, Jake visits his hometown for the funeral. Jess is insulted by his visit since he took care of her. The brothers patch things up temporarily until Jess decides to visit Melrose Place.
Initially, Jess works at Shooters (Jake’s bar) but shows himself as a schemer and traitor. Jess targets Jake’s on-again, off-again girlfriend, Jo, and steals his money. He finally sets his brother off by abusing Jo.
After Jake learns of Jo’s beating, he kills his brother in self-defense. However, Jake does not get charged with murder after the violent struggle at Jess’s construction site led to his death.
37) Richard Hart
Richard is a clothing designer who goes into business with Jane after his wife dies in Kimberly’s bombing. The two form a romantic relationship until Jane leaves him for Jake. Richard also briefly dates Jo Reynolds.
Later in Season 4, Richard rapes Jane when they are away on business. Jane talks with the police, but they discourage her from pressing charges, anticipating a brutal trial. As a result, Jane opts for vigilante justice.
Jane and Sydney murder Richard (or so they thought) and bury him in the woods. We learn in Season 5 that Richard survived their murder attempt and tries to enact revenge on the sisters.
However, Jane and Sydney escape danger and notify security, who shoots Richard to death at a nearby diner.
38) Celia Morales
Celia is Billy’s co-worker and fellow writer at the magazine. As a New Yorker, Celia’s personality is often bold and callous. It comes through mainly when she stays at Billy and Alison’s apartment for a while.
Alison is put-off by the perceived aggressiveness though Billy mostly enjoys it. When a new editor position opens at the magazine, Billy and Celia compete as finalists. Billy gets the job but soon learns it’s in NYC.
Celia scolds Billy for quitting his NYC editor’s position, but it ends up being moot after their boss fires Billy for feeding corporate data to D&D Advertising — at Amanda’s request.
39) Brittany Maddocks
Brittany is best known for killing Amanda Woodward’s father, Palmer, by shooting him and then blowing up a boat where his corpse lay. But, ironically, it was Palmer who hired her as a co-conspirator to kill Jake.
Brittany seduces Jake as a ruse to get onto his boat, The Pretty Lady. However, once Brittany secures the funds, she kills Palmer and takes it for herself.
After Jake declines her offer to run away with her, she intends to kill him too, but he escapes from the ship before its explosion.
40) Nikki Petrova
Nikki is Katya’s daughter, who stays with Matt while her mother visits Russia. The initial plan was for her mother to return to the U.S, where they’d remain close to Matt.
However, visa concerns encourage Katya to stay in Russia, and she commands Matt to put her daughter on a flight back home. Nikki cries her eyes out before boarding the flight, which saddens Matt.
41) Meredith Parker
Meredith is Alison’s sister and co-victim in their father’s molestation. Though the sisters were not close as adolescents, they reconnected to grieve their childhood traumas.
Meredith was aware of her abuse much earlier than Alison, who had repressed the memories for most of her adult life. As a result, Meredith prefers to keep the charges private while Alison pursues justice.
Later in the series, Meredith visits Los Angeles for a work function but confides in Alison that her sexual history is non-existent. Though Allison encourages Meredith, she quickly attempts to seduce Billy Campbell, to the dismay of her sister and Billy.
42) Bobby Parezi
As a member of the Parezi crime family, Bobby was mob-affiliated by blood. However, unlike his brother Jack, Bobby believed in morals and class, ultimately leading to his demise.
Though Amanda once married his brother Jack, Bobby also has a history with his sibling’s ex-lover. Amanda dates Bobby for a good portion of Season 4, prompting Dr. Peter Burns to devise a plan to separate them.
Eventually, Peter frames Bobby for a series of white-collar crimes to end his relationship with Amanda. Unfortunately, Alycia (Bobby’s lawyer) murders her client by launching him out of a high-rise window.
43) Sarah McBride
Sarah is Ryan’s daughter from a previous marriage. Years earlier, Sarah’s mother died in an explosive car wreck. Her father, Ryan, was forced to choose between saving his daughter or his wife. After the accident, Sarah lived in a Catholic convent for children with her aunt as her guardian.
Ryan hid her existence from close friends and even his brother, Kyle. After proposing to Megan, he visits his daughter at a Catholic School and a convent for children in New York.
After Ryan and Megan marry, Sarah comes to L.A. to live with them. Unfortunately, her aunt gets jealous and tries to kidnap her, resulting in another car wreck.
44) David Patterson
David is Jake’s son, whom Jake conceived with David’s mother, Colleen. Though David doesn’t know who his father is, he finds out later from his mom. As Jake grows older, he starts dreaming about a family.
When David’s stepfather leaves Colleen, Jake steps in to raise David. They decide to move to Ojai, where Jake opens a diner and restaurant. We never hear from David or Jake again after the Season 5 finale.
45) Constance Fielding
Constance is Matt Fielding’s mother and Chealsea’s grandmother. In the early seasons, she seems to accept Matt’s “lifestyle” but proves to be homophobic later.
Mrs. Fielding discourages Matt from adopting his niece Chelsea because of his sexual orientation. After Matt’s untimely death, she gives Amanda a journal with secrets from many Melrose Place residents.
Matt was a person many people talked to in confidence because of his loyalty. As a result, many of his neighbors felt comfortable sharing secrets.
46) Kelly Taylor
Kelly is best known for Beverly Hills 90210 but served as the primary transitional character for its spinoff, Melrose Place. After Jake performs construction work for Jackie (Kelly’s mother), Kelly grows fond of him.
Jake’s age and bad boy reputation appeal to her immature high school senses. As a result, Kelly does everything possible to lure Jake into a relationship, but he ultimately rejects her.
After Jake rejects Kelly for the final time during Season 1, we never again see her in Melrose Place. However, she references Melrose Place during Season 4 of Beverly Hills 90210 when helping David find an apartment.
47) Chris Marchette
Chris Marchette is one of Jane’s first design partners. He both invests in her designs and pursues her romantically. However, after proposing to Jane, Chris reveals himself as a sexual predator who targets Sydney.
Several characters noticed red flags with Chris, including Jake, who Chris mistook for a messenger at the boutique. Chris quipped something about taking Sydney’s debts out in trade, not realizing Jake knew both Sydney and Jane.
Despite rejecting his advances, Chris kidnaps Sydney and takes her to Las Vegas. Since he spoils her with gifts, Sydney starts enjoying the kidnapping. Jake and Jane get wind of the scheme and end it, at which point Chris leaves the show.
48) Stanley Levin
Dr. Levin is one of the original Chiefs of Staff at Wilshere Memorial Hospital. Levin is ready to name his successor when Michael learns of his infidelities with a well-known prostitute.
Since Michael has access to the woman through Sydney’s connections, he brings the escort to a get-together at the Levin household and introduces her to Levin’s wife.
Michael’s powerplay forces Dr. Levin to name Michael Chief of Staff, much to the audience’s surprise.
49) Nick Reardon
Nick served in the Gulf War with Kyle McBride, and the pair remained close ever since. However, while both suffered from PTSD, Nick’s case was worse. Furthermore, Nick was a more violent and temperamental person who regularly threatened violence against civilians.
He ultimately kills his girlfriend (who’s pretending to be Kyle’s ex-lover) as part of a vendetta inspired by Taylor McBride.
50) Carter Gallavan
Carter is a young millionaire who develops computer software renowned by the public. He hates the limelight but enjoys the fruits of his labor. Carter bids on one of Sam’s paintings, introducing him to Sydney.
Sydney and Carter have a brief relationship before Carter realizes she doesn’t care about him. Instead, Sydney has eyes for Kyle McBride, who’s still married to Taylor at the time. Furthermore, Carter overhears Sydney admitting her preference for Kyle.
51) Lauren Ethridge
Lauren is the madame of a prostitution ring in Hollywood. She recruits Sydney as a prostitute before going to prison. While incarcerated, Sydney strikes a deal to operate the service until Lauren is released.
After serving her sentence, Lauren returns to punish Sydney, who had attempted to replace her as madame. Instead, Lauren cuts Sydney out of the operation and threatens her life.
52) Dan Hathaway
Dan runs a drug rehab center in California and meets Matt when he enters for treatment after his drug addiction spirals. Initially, Dr. Hathaway seems like a great person. Soon, he shows a romantic interest in Matt but insists the two can’t date while Matt is a patient.
Once Matt recovers, they date for several episodes. However, Dan Hathaway, a controlling, abusive, and violent partner, physically assaults Matt more than once. As a result, matt eventually breaks it off.
53) Connie Rexroth
Connie is Sam’s best friend from college and the maid of honor at Billy and Sam’s wedding. However, Billy quickly learns that Connie wants to sabotage the wedding.
Her motivation is love for Sam. And not just love as friends, but romantic love. Connie is gay but never tells Sam until after the wedding. Then, after confessing to Sam, she moves back to New York.
54) Mario
Mario is Kyle’s right-hand chef at Kyle’s Restaurant. Both Kyle and Taylor rely on Mario to run the restaurant on multiple occasions and deliver personal favors.
Sometimes Mario finds himself witness to untenable situations. For example, the chef witnesses Amanda punch Taylor and reveals the incident to his friend Kyle.
55) Nurse Amy
Nurse Amy is one of the most consistent nurses at Wilshire Memorial Hospital. She appears throughout multiple seasons as a funny and sarcastic employee.
Nurse Amy takes on a more prominent role when she assists Michael at the uninsured clinic. But, of course, Michael’s tenure across town doesn’t last too long.
56) Rory Blake
At first glance, Rory Blake might look a lot like Mr. Turner from Boy Meets World. But, on Melrose Place, he meets Amanda Woodward through his friend, Lexi. So Rory schemes to scam her out of millions and kill her.
Rory works his charm and convinces Amanda to elope in the Dominican Republic, where Rory reserves an island to poison his bride. Luckily, Kyle comes to the rescue and kills Rory before bringing Amanda home.
57) Hayley Armstrong
Hayley, Brooke’s father, is a successful businessman with a strange past. His first wife died years prior, and he preserves a shrine of her memory in his mansion.
Hayley grows fond of Alison when they work together on his advertising campaign. He later marries her before drowning in the ocean after attempting to flee due to tax evasion.
58) Hillary Michaels
Hillary is Amanda Woodward’s mother and Models Inc. owner, a talent agency for young and attractive models. She goes on to star in the spinoff series of the same name, which aired for one season.
During her Melrose Place tenure, Hillary is engaged to a younger man, Chaz, whom she encourages her daughter to hire at D&D Advertising. However, his character is disgraced after he sexually harrases Amanda.
59) Harry Dean
Harry is a slimebag personal injury lawyer who schemes with clients to extort money from other people and businesses. Initially, he represents a woman who exaggerated her injuries at Jane and Sydney’s boutique.
Later, he devises Sydney’s plan to sue D&D Advertising by staging Sydney’s fall from the office stairs. However, Sydney drops the suit after Craig proposes marriage.
60) Martin Abbott
Martin is a cult leader who lures Sydney to his campground with the help of one of his wives, Rikkie — who befriends Sydney. Initially, Martin seems cultured and inspiring but soon reveals his evilness.
Martin corrupts his worshipers’ minds with cult-like ideals. For example, he encourages Sydney to murder Jake and her sister Jane when they attempt to rescue Sydney from the compound.
Martin typifies cult leaders of the ’90s with polygamist tendencies and an affinity for younger women. He charms them with his looks and wit, only to destroy the fabric of their being. Sydney ultimately escapes.
61) Marion Shaw
Marion is Kimberly Shaw’s mother and one of Michael’s fiercest critics. Marion lives in Cleveland, where she cares for Kimberly after the car accident. Mrs. Shaw returns to L.A. when Kimberly falls ill and watches her die.
In Season 6, she returns to L.A. once again, and this time to kill Michael. She almost succeeds by sneaking into the operating room, but Megan stops her before she can go through with it.
62) Katya Petrova
Dr. Katya works with Matt and Michael at Wilshire Memorial. After authorities fail to renew her visa, she convinces Matt to marry her so she can stay in the United States. Matt agrees but learns that a fake marriage has consequences. Katya eventually moves back to her homeland, where her daughter follows.
63) Shelly Hanson
Shelly is Jake’s brother’s ex-wife though it doesn’t stop her from pursuing Jake after Jess’s death. While she seems nice initially, her ulterior motives become clear. Jo senses them early while noticing her behavior around Jake. Once Jake understands what’s happening, he breaks it off.
64) Paul Graham
Paul joins Micheal and Matt at Wilshire Memorial during Season 3. As a small-town doctor, Paul is shocked to learn of Matt’s open homosexuality. As it turns out, Paul is also gay but married to a woman. When Paul pursues Matt, things get weird. Matt demands that he tell his wife of the affair, but Paul kills her.
Worse yet, he frames Matt for the murder. Paul dies after a shootout with police but confesses to his framing before losing consciousness.
65) Matt Fielding Sr.
Matt’s father is a conservative man who largely disapproves of Matt’s “lifestyle.” Despite his qualms, he maintains a civil relationship with his son. He dies of a heart attack during Season 4.
66) Nancy Donner
Nancy hires Billy Campbell for his first official writing position at an L.A.-based magazine. Billy is thrilled with the new job until he learns that Nancy only wants to promote him in exchange for sex. The two eventually agree to remain professional, and Billy keeps his regular position.
Things take a turn for the worst when Billy collects confidential business information for Amanda, and Nancy fires him on the spot.
67) Steve McMillan
Steve runs a multi-million dollar computer company and seeks D&D Advertising to represent his marketing campaign. He works closely with Alison, who he grows obsessed with after many conversations. Despite her relationship with Billy, Alison plays along with Steve’s advances.
Finally, Billy asks her to choose, and she dumps Steve. Steve briefly dates Jo Reynolds as a placeholder for Alison. It doesn’t work out.
68) Dave Erickson
Dave joins the hospital staff during Season 4, where he takes a liking to Matt Fielding. Both are gay, but Matt rejects Dave’s advances. The legendary character Matt was already dating another man whom Dave disapproved of for various reasons. We no longer hear from Dave after the fourth Season.
69) Katherine Andrews
Katherine is Jane and Sydney’s mother. We learn later that she adopted Jane and Sydney is her only birth child. The Andrews’ initially believed they couldn’t have children, which is why they chose to adopt. Katherine is considered a loving and caring mother to both of her daughters.
70) Terry Parsons
Terry was an NFL player who met Alison in rehab. Like Alison, Terry was a recovering alcoholic but had an additional problem of sexual compulsion. The pair develop a relationship as each helps the other stay sober and sexually responsible (for a while).
Alison leaves him when she finds him in bed with a fan. Alison later relapses on alcohol.
71) Colleen Patterson
Collen is the mother of Jake’s child, David. Jake first learns of his child years after his birth when Collen visits L.A. on business during Season 1. Jake attempts to form a relationship with his son, but Collen discourages his efforts.
Her husband (at the time) had embraced David as his own, and Colleen felt David should look at him as his father. She returns in Season 5 after her husband leaves her and her now adolescent son. Jake decides to step in and raise David along with Coleen in Ojai.
72) Jeff Baylor
Jeff is a hot-shot minor league baseball player who agrees to an ad spot for one of Amanda Woodward Advertising’s top clients. Billy initially refers to him as “Tiger Woods of the minor leagues,” which is inexplicable for numerous reasons.
First, if Baylor were a true prodigy, he wouldn’t be stuck playing AAA baseball while the Major League affiliate fielded inferior players. Outside of service time manipulation (which delves too far into professional baseball nuance), there is no sensical reason Baylor would play AAA baseball.
Aside from his nonsensical athletic profile, he lures Billy’s wife, Samantha, into an affair and later marries her.
73) Terry O’Brien
Terry is Ryan’s former sister and law and Sarah’s legal guardian. She initially hates Ryan but later develops a crush on him. Her most infamous moment comes when she kidnaps Sarah before crashing into a telephone pole. Luckily, no one is seriously injured.
74) Christine Denton
Christine served in the Gulf War with Kyle and Nick. She is Kyle’s most profound and most real love but was presumed dead in the Gulf. Nick and Taylor trick Kyle into believing she’s still alive by having one of Nick’s girlfriends pose as Christine. Their goal is to break up Kyle’s engagement with Amanda.
75) Ricky G.
Ricky is a New York-based band manager and drug dealer. He meets Kyle at a club in New York while Mr. McBride is “scouting bands.” Kyle’s primary reason to visit New York is to avoid Amanda and get wasted.
Ricky hits it off with Kyle and sells him pills and other drugs. He even agrees to let his band headline at Kyle’s Upstairs club in Los Angeles.
76) Susan Madsen
Susan is one of Alison’s oldest friends and her college roommate. She decides to move out to L.A. and work as a chef. Things seem fine until Billy and Susan begin dating. Alison is horrified by their relationship and starts drinking excessively. Billy ultimately dumps Susan when she starts sabotaging Alison’s rehab.
77) Jack Parezi
Jack is Amanda’s first husband and a mob-affiliated business associate. Unlike his brother Bobby, Jack is an abusive and violent man. When Jack visits L.A. to threaten Amanda, she evades him as he falls off the balcony. Much like his brother’s death, Jack charged at a woman who sidestepped him to his death.
In this case, however, Amanda did intend to kill him. Though Jack doesn’t die from the injuries, he expires later in the hospital.
78) Dominick O’Malley
Dominick is most famous for taking Jo away from Melrose Place. He works as a pediatrician and child abuse expert at Wilshere Memorial before landing a job in Bosnia. Jo decides, inexplicably, to go with him despite having met him shortly prior.
Additionally, Jo mostly hates him and rejects his advances for most of their brief relationship. Dr. O’Malley even insults Jo for being an overconcerned citizen, traumatized by her own child’s abandonment. Still, Jo moves out of the country with him.
79) Audrey Williams
Audrey is a young nurse at Wilshire Memorial who conspires with Micheal to win settlement money for a staged sexual harassment claim. Her role was to file a sexual harassment claim against Michael and then later admit she lied.
Because the hospital acted swiftly by firing Dr. Mancini, Michael could then file a countersuit for damages to his reputation and career. Everything works great until Audrey decides she wants a more significant cut. She then films Michael in bed with her and sends the tape to Jane.
80) Eric Baines
Eric is Amanda Woodward’s former boss in New York. After the fall of D&D Advertising, Amanda agrees to work for Eric once again. She reneges after becoming involved with Kyle McBride back in L.A. Eric gets jealous and flies to L.A.
He tries to ruin Kyles’s businesses and refuses to let up until Amanda sleeps with him. She refuses, and Kyle beats him up.
81) Mrs. Parker
Alison’s mother never reveals her first name, but she does show that she’s a monster. After allowing her husband to molest their daughters as children, she disowns them when they press charges against their father. Alison had suppressed memories for most of her life but passed them through her consciousness after therapy and reoccurring dreams.
82) Robert Wilson
Robert Wilson serves as Jane’s divorce lawyer after her first divorce from Micheal. He wins significant money and decides to pursue a relationship with his client, Jane. Everything seems great until Micheal and Sydney hire a prostitute to lure him into infidelity during a business trip.
The woman records everything and sends the tape to Jane with no return address. After seeing the videotape, Jane kicks him out of her apartment and ends the relationship.
83) Rikki Abbott
Rikki works as a waitress at a run-down diner, where she meets Sydney. The two hit it off and become roommates. Rikki seems familiar initially, but Sydney soon learns she’s in a cult. Rikki trashes Shooters in a Manson-Esque tirade and lures Sydney to a cult fellowship to meet her husband, Martin.
As a polygamist, Martin has multiple wives and attempts to convince Sydney to be his newest.
84) Chas Russell
Chas dates Amanda’s mother, Hillary, the catalyst for the Melrose Place spinoff Models Inc. Despite their relationship, Chas comes onto Amanda, mainly after hiring him to work at D&D Advertising. Hillary is naive to his motives for their involvement since Chas is much younger.
Still, Hillary remains in denial until overhearing Chas disgrace her in front of Amanda.
85 Denise Fielding
Denise is Matt’s sister-in-law who tries to regain custody of her daughter Chelsea. Matt’s niece, who lives with him after her father dies, is torn between her mother and uncle. Matt’s late brother requested Chealsea live with him rather than her mother.
The courts plan to reward Chealsea to Denise until Chelsea reveals that a strange man came to her in the hotel. Denise has a drug problem and is generally too irresponsible to raise a child.
86) Arthur Field
Arthur owns a majority share of D&D Advertising and often threatens his top executive Amanda Woodward. He brings his son Craig to the agency in an attempt to undermine Amanda’s stronghold. He fails to anticipate his son turning on him because of a family secret.
Arthur had killed Craig’s grandfather years prior, and Craig never forgot about it. Arthur dies before Craig can go to the authorities.
87) Sherry Doucette
Sherry is Jane’s biological mother. Jane tracks her down after learning about her adoption. Sherry performed as an actress in L.A. but had battled alcoholism and other mental health issues since. She gave Jane up for adoption after sleeping with a producer for an acting gig.
Though Jane tries to establish a connection with her birth mother, Sydney and Jane’s mother remain skeptical of the arrangement. They lose touch after Jane decides to move back home with her adopted parents to Chicago.
88) Carrie Fellows
Carrie briefly moves in with Rhonda after Sandy moves to New York. Rhonda grows annoyed with her neurotic behaviors and obsessive compulsions. Carrie is both a neat freak and a stickler for detail, which helps her job (personal organizer) but hinders her personal life.
Things become more heated when Carrie pursues Rhonda’s fiance, Terrance.
89) Calvin Hobbs
Calvin Hobbs is among many Chiefs of Staff at the Wilshere Memorial Merry-Go-Round. He orders each doctor to a psychiatric session, much to the dismay of Kimberly Shaw. Executives soon fire Dr. Hobbs when his homophobia and bigotry become public knowledge.
90) David Silver
Most viewers know David Silver as one of the essential Beverly Hills 90210 characters, but his appearance on Melrose Place represented the Spelling universe’s fluidity. David only appears in three episodes (all during season one), but he is memorable for discouraging Jake from dating Kelly (along with Steve and Donna).
91) Donna Martin
Yes, Donna Martin appears on two episodes of Melrose Place. As Kelly Taylor’s best friend, it’s logical why she’d show up. However, like David and Steve, she discourages her friend from dating Jake. The trio feels that Jake’s reputation as a bad boy and his age are significant deterrents to a healthy relationship.
92) Steve Sanders
Like David, Steve appears in three episodes during Season one. His most memorable moment came when he invited Sandy to a high school party. Though Sandy never appears on the sister show Beverly Hills 90210, the idea of her agreeing to date him was comical. Sandy rejects his advances, but Steve’s ego remained intact.
93) John Rawlings
Rawlings served as an LAPD detective, albeit a corrupt and vindictive one. As a gay man, he took exception to gay-bashing and similar hate crimes to the point of assaulting any suspect accused of it. He took a particular interest in Matt Fielding’s assault case because of the nature of the crime.
However, the detective’s violent streak expanded beyond known bashers, as Rawlings had a history of beating up unarmed Latino men. Jo captures one of his tirades on camera, at which point John Rawlings goes ballistic and tries to kill her. Luckily Jo wrestles his gun away and forces him to submit.
94) Zack Phillips
Zack is a record company executive and is primarily responsible for Alison’s alcohol problems. He urged Alison to blow off work and important meetings in favor of partying. He even contributes to her drug-induced appearance at Jo’s custody hearing.
Alison breaks off the relationship after realizing his terrible influence.
95) Alex Bastian
Alex Bastian is a renowned clothing designer who targets Jane romantically. Jane and Alex have been friends since college and slept together the night before Jane’s first wedding to Michael. When Amanda targets Alex as a client, she sends Jane to close the deal.
Alex comes on to Jane repeatedly as Michael reconciles the chasm between himself and Jane.
96) John Parker
John is a sick human being who molests his two daughters, Alison and Meridith. Alison represses the torture for most of her adult life until dreams and therapy brought memories back to the surface. When she confronts her father, John threatens to kill her.
He returns home, where his sheriff and judge buddies protect him from the law. Alison gets some closure after forcing him to admit to his crimes at a neighborhood barbeque.
97) Tony Marlin
Tony is a big-shot business owner whom Amanda targets as a client for her ad agency. As an older, wealthy man, Tony prefers to exchange business for sexual favors. He sets his sights on Eve, whom Amanda encourages to sleep with Tony despite her marriage to Peter.
Eve rejects his advances, which allows Lexi to step in and take over the account. Tony takes several performance-enhancing sex pills before sleeping with Lexi. He dies during intercourse. Lexi and Michael decide to transport his dead body back to his office instead of calling the authorities.
Michael puts his corpse in a shopping cart and wheels him out to the car. They set him in his office chair, where he’s later found dead.
98) Jim Reilly
Jim is Samantha’s convict father, who seems stuck in the ’50s. He dresses like Elvis and talks with a non-regional accent. Worse yet, he kills our #1 ranked character after hijacking his daughter’s car and struggling with her over the steering wheel.
In fairness to Jim, the manslaughter was unintentional and took his life as well. His presence at Melrose starts after he escapes from prison and shows up on Sam and Billy’s doorstep. Sam initially believes he’s out on good behavior, but Billy suspects something amiss.
The FBI gets involved and arrests Samantha for aiding and abetting. The nightmare ends on Sydney’s wedding day though it costs multiple lives.