At press time, Rena Sofer (ex-Lois, GENERAL HOSPITAL) was in negotiations with MELROSE PLACE about a contract role for the fall season. A source close to Sofer says that the character would come to L.A. tied to Amanda (Heather Locklear), and would then become involved in a love triangle.
     "I can't talk about it because we don't have a deal," said Sofer at press time. The actress worked with MP Executive Producer Aaron Spelling on a pilot earlier this year called GLORY, GLORY which was not picked up for the fall season. "He knows me from that," she pointed out, adding, 'I'll call you if - or when - we sign a deal."
     If Sofer does clinch the role, she'll be part of a recent wave of soap stars to head to MP or Spelling's other prime-time sudser, BEVERLY HILLS, 90210. Among them: Steve Wilder (ex-Jack, DAYS OF OUR LIVES), who joins MP in the fall, and Vanessa Marcil (soon-to-be ex-Brenda, GH) and Daniel Cosgrove (ex-Scott, ALL MY CHLDREN), who are headed to 90210.
     Spelling has a long history of mining soaps for talent. And he acknowledges that this practice sometimes draws flak. "Every time I mention to producer friends of mine that we're bringing a daytime actor to a prime-time show, they say, 'You are?' I don't understand that," Spelling muses. "I can't imagine MELROSE PLACE without Jack Wagner [Peter; ex-Frisco, GH; ex-Warren, SANTA BARBARA]." Spelling has high praise for some of his latest additions. He calls Marcil "fantastic" and says he wanted her after viewing a week's worth of her GH tapes. Of Cosgrove, he raves, "I was just stunned by him.... He's adorable and nice."
     As far as the snooty 'tude toward daytime stars, Spelling pronounces, "It's this close to bigotry: If you're on daytime, you shouldn't be on prime-time. Everybody we have used from daytime has been marvelous."