Rena Sofer (ex-Lois, GENERAL HOSPITAL; ex-Rocky, LOVING) confirms that she has joined MELROSE PLACE and will begin airing in late fall/winter.
     I have been offered a role without having to audition, which I am excited about," Sofer beams. "I play a good friend of Amanda's from the past. We share a secret. At this point I know that I'll be working with Jack Wagner [Peter] and Heather Locklear [Amanda], but that's about all I know."
     Sofer is in the dark for good reason. "The funniest thing about this whole experience is that I have not talked to - nor have I met with - anybody from MELROSE PLACE except for [Executive Producer] Aaron Spelling. He liked what I did in the pilot [GLORY, GLORY] and if he likes you, he likes to use you. So, here I am!"
     At press time, Sofer was set to report to work on August 10, and she was not at all nervous about her first, big foray into prime-time. "First of all, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen [Valerie, BEVERLY HILLS, 90210] is one of my best friends," Sofer states. "I've been on the set of 90210 many times. I know Thomas Calabro [Michael, MP] - and Jack Wagner [ex-Frisco] from GH, obviously. Heather Locklear and I have a mutual friend, and she said, 'Just tell Rena that everyone hear is really nice.' So I am very excited about this. It could not have come at a better time."
     Sofer is actually a longtime MP fan... sort of. "When MELROSE first came out, I loved the show," she clarifies. "But the last couple of years, I haven't been able to watch - you know, motherhood and all that." (Sofer's daughter, Rosabel, with hubby Wallace Kurth, GH's Ned, is almost 2 years old.) She has talked to best pal Vanessa Marcil (soon-to-be ex-Brenda, GH) about the coincidence of both actresses joining Spelling shows this fall (Marcil is going to 90210). "I called Vanessa and she said, 'Well, I guess we're going to the [Spelling] Christmas party together!' I can't wait."