General Hospital alum Jack Wagner ponders the Melrose Place reboot

General Hospital fans still fondly remember Jack Wagner’s beloved character Frisco Jones, who started out as a singer, then became a cop, and then went on to become an agent for the WSB. Wagner has also been on several other TV shows, and the one he’s probably most remembered for after GH is Melrose Place. There, he played Dr. Peter Burns, who was the love interest for Amanda Woodward, played by Heather Locklear. The show ran from 1994 to 1999, and now there’s a reboot in the works, which Wagner gave his thoughts on.

It needs to be creative

General Hospital alum Jack Wagner was interviewed by Us Weekly, and explained that he and Locklear are still in touch with each other despite the fact they called off wedding plans in 2011. “Birthday things or stuff like that,” was what they usually talk about, he stated, adding, “We stay friendly.”

Locklear is among several original stars of Melrose Place that will be returning for the reboot, but the outlet stated that the current When Calls the Heart star, “has not heard much about it.” The report also explained that Wager was interested in reprising his role as Peter Burns, but felt that trying to once again capture the lightning in a bottle that was the original series would be difficult.

He remarked, “In my opinion, it takes real creativity. Let’s say you take the core cast of Melrose Place and now that we’re all 25 or 30 years older, what would be the actual core of the story?” The former General Hospital actor speculated on some of the possibilities, namely adding in a fresh cast of “young, new actors.”

He further noted, “It can’t be all about us [the original cast],” adding, “I don’t know what the longevity or interest in that would be. It would be more about a few of us probably starting the storylines out, letting them take place and then branching off into who their children are now or where they are.” Wagner reiterated that to recapture the magic of the original show would be a Herculean effort, noting, “It’s tough.”

He praised Locklear for having great on-screen chemistry with him and explained that when a lead actor and actress have that, the audience will invest in the characters. “They feel like they know us, and we feel like we know them,” he stated, remarking that as long as the viewers are rooting for characters and really love watching them, they’re going to want to know what’s happening in their lives.

You can watch new episodes of General Hospital on ABC and Hulu.