Heather Locklear and Tom Cruise are two of the biggest names in Hollywood, but, back in the 1980s, they weren’t exactly a match made in Tinseltown heaven. Long before they became famous for their iconic roles – Locklear as the glamorous Sammy Jo on Dynasty (1981-89) and Cruise as the heartthrob “Maverick” in Top Gun (1986) – the two went on a date that didn’t quite blossom into romance.
Locklear shared the story on a panel, explaining why Cruise “didn’t quite cut it.”
Heather Locklear met Tom Cruise at an audition
Heather Locklear first crossed paths with Tom Cruise at an audition in the 1980s. Speaking during a 90s Con panel in Daytona Beach, Florida, the actor shared the humorous details of their encounter. Both were trying to land parts in the same movie, but neither managed to impress the casting directors.
She joked, “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m terrible. He’s even worse!'”
While they didn’t score the roles, the meeting was the start of a brief connection between the pair. However, while they certainly became friendly, Locklear, who is just a few months older than Cruise, admitted that she thought of him as a “little baby boy” at the time.
She recalled a time when Cruise and fellow actor Sean Penn had visited her at her house. “And they were just nice, but he was very, ‘yes ma’am’ to me, and I was like, ‘okay, sir,;” she laughed, remembering how polite the two were during their visit.
Politeness aside, there wasn’t much chemistry – at least not for Locklear.
Tom Cruise took Heather Locklear dancing, but ‘didn’t quite cut it’
Tom Cruise eventually asked Heather Locklear out on a date, which she accepted. The two hit up Club Lingerie, a popular spot in the 1980s. It was during this outing that Cruise decided to show off his dance moves – and not just any. He pulled out his famous dance from Risky Business (1983), likely hoping to impress Locklear on the dance floor.
“He was really cute,” she admitted during the panel. “He was very nice to me.”
While Cruise’s charisma might have worked on the big screen, his dance moves didn’t have the same effect on Locklear. She most definitely appreciated his effort, but there was something about his sense of style that didn’t quite align with the “rock ‘n’ roll girl” image she had at the time.
She joked that his overall look “didn’t quite cut it” for her, which is why things never progressed further between the two.
Heather Locklear’s rock ‘n’ roll romances
After her one and only date with Tom Cruise, Heather Locklear’s romantic life went in a different direction. She fell for rock stars, instead of actors, marrying Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in 1986. While their marriage eventually ended, she found love again with Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, marrying him in 1994. The couple welcomed their daughter, Ava, in 1996, but they divorced in 2007.
Over the years, Locklear has had a few other romances, including engagements to former co-star Jack Wagner and high school sweetheart-turned-motocross racer, Chris Heisser. Her relationship with the latter has stood the test of time and, in April 2020, he proposed.
Locklear, however, isn’t rushing to the altar.
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“I’m like, ‘You’re my man for the rest of my life, whether we get married or not,'” she explained. “A wedding is so not important. We’re together, and we love each other and support each other. And really that’s all that matters.”