Laura Leighton: Daughters Find Her Melrose Place Role 'Awkward'

Debra L. Rothenberg/Startraks

Much has changed for Melrose Place star Laura Leighton between the show’s original run and its latest incarnation.

First and foremost? The four children she shares with Desperate Housewives’ (and Melrose alum) Doug Savant — Arianna, 17, Madeleine, 16, Jack, turning 9 this week and Lucy, 4. That the couple’s two eldest daughters are teenagers has introduced a certain “weirdness” at home, Laura recently revealed on The Bonnie Hunt Show.

“In my twenties, I didn’t have any kids and didn’t have any reason to think about it but now…they’re sort of the right age to be interested in watching the show,” Laura explains. “It’s like, ‘Oh God, my mom’s on this show.’” As for their reaction? Laura jokes,

“Their phrase — to quote them — is ‘Ah…ew…awkward.”

Laura, 41, had to endure an equally awkward moment recently with Jack, when he read a Melrose Place billboard with the slogan “Tuesday’s are a b-tch.” Conceding that “it was a hard one to explain,” Laura says she had “not ever thought about it” before.

“I told him that it used to be that on Mondays, at the start of a week sometimes people have a hard time going back to work. I skipped the double entendre. He said, ‘Oh I get it, it means it’s a hard time.’ I said, ‘Yeah!’”

Although the couple — married since 1998 — have made a solid living as actors Laura hopes her own children pursue a different career. “I would be completely horrified,” she adds.

“I think about it all the time, and we have done nothing but discourage our children from the very beginning. [We tell them] you will not go into this business! And so far they’re not interested (knocks on wood) so we are hoping that remains the case.”

Arianna and Madeleine are Doug’s daughters with ex-wife Dawn Savant.

Source: The Bonnie Hunt Show

– Missy

Comments

I’ve always thought she and Doug make a great couple.

- danda_lion on October 8th, 2009

well to be honest, i actually also kinda find her role in new melrose place awkward and quite bad acting (better then ashley simpson who constantly smiles there though, she makes me want to scream)

- nika on October 8th, 2009

um…ok, i thought madeleine and arianna were her daughters…the article makes it seem so, until the very end where they mention that the girls are doug’s. but she even said they say, “Oh, my mom’s on the show!” what’s up with that? I love Doug Savant – and Tom and Lynette!! Don’t watch Melrose Place as it doesn’t come here.

- lana on October 8th, 2009

um…ok, i thought madeleine and arianna were her daughters…the article makes it seem so, until the very end where they mention that the girls are doug’s. but she even said they say, “Oh, my mom’s on the show!” what’s up with that?
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IIRC, she and Doug have been together since they were on Melrose together so the girls would have been young. It’s not odd that they’d call their step-mother, who’s been in their life so long, “Mom”.

- danda_lion on October 9th, 2009

um…ok, i thought madeleine and arianna were her daughters…the article makes it seem so, until the very end where they mention that the girls are doug’s. but she even said they say, “Oh, my mom’s on the show!” what’s up with that?

I cant believe you just asked that…….c’mon, i think its a great thing that they see her as their MOM.

- QueenB on October 9th, 2009

Maybe she was just commenting on how the piece was written and not on the relationship with her daughters? I thought the same thing as Iana – I was really confused because first she said in her twenties she didnt have any kids but then it says that their kids are 17, 16, 9 and 4 and that she is 21.
It is an oddly worded article.

- stan on October 9th, 2009

I thought Doug Savant left his wife for her back in the original Melrose Place days. Either that or they got together pretty quickly after he was separated/divorced. Whatever! Sounds like they have a good relationship.

- Seraphina on October 9th, 2009

I wonder how those girls felt about there dad in the speedo on Desperate Housewives. lol. that had to be FAR worse then Laura’s Melrose make out scenes. lol.

- Rye on October 9th, 2009

stan- It says Laura’s 41, not 21. It also says she and Doug married in 1998. That was 11 years ago, which would have made Laura 30 when they got married. Hence, she is correct when she says she didn’t have kids in her 20s.

- CelebBabyLover on October 10th, 2009

Actually, Doug’s wife left him for het fitness or yoga teachter. After a periode of being really upset, he began dating Laura who had broken up with Grant Show. Those kids really found each other!

- sarah on October 10th, 2009