Courtney Thorne-Smith Enforced 'No Tongue' Rule in Kissing Scenes withMelrose PlaceCostar Andrew Shue After Breakup

Mar. 15, 2025

Courtney Thorne-Smith (left) and Andrew Shue.Photo:Rachel Luna/Getty, Jason Mendez/Getty

Rachel Luna/Getty, Jason Mendez/Getty

AfterCourtney Thorne-SmithandAndrew Shueparted ways, she laid out professional boundaries for the two of them to follow onMelrose Place.

During the Aug. 5 episode of theStill The Placepodcast, Thorne-Smith recalled filming the 90s teen drama with Shue after their breakup. Thorne-Smith, 58, said that the experience was “shockingly not weird” while Shue, 57, agreed, but added “there was a little bit of time where it was tough.”

Though the couple parted ways in real life, their characters, Allison Parker and Billy Campbell, began dating on the show and Thorne-Smith laid down a few ground rules about how they would proceed with their work.

Andrew Shue and Courtney Thorne-Smith on ‘Melrose Place’.Snap/Shutterstock

Snap/Shutterstock

“Do you remember me having to talk with you because the characters were still dating and you and I weren’t dating?” she recalled. “So we’d been broken up for two months and then we had to kiss. You remember me saying, ‘Okay, now we’re professionals, no tongue?'”

“Because we were dating before we were dating on the show, then we were dating on the show after we broke up in real life," she continued. “But you and I segued into friendship really well. I don’t remember a lot of tension.”

Shue corroborated her sentiments and opened up about how the two continued to support each other despite their breakup.

“Yeah, our relationship, we helped carry each other through a very intense time,” he explained. “The show got a lot of attention. I know you had already been fairly well known, but we were dealing with a lot of, we’ll call it Fox celebrity craziness.”

“And I remember just feeling safe knowing we were together guiding each other through it,” he added.

Melrose Place, which ran for seven seasons from 1992 to 1999, starred Thorne-Smith, Shue,Heather Locklear, Grant Show,Doug Savant,Jack Wagnerand more.

The cast of ‘Melrose Place’.mikel roberts/Sygma via Getty

mikel roberts/Sygma via Getty

While speaking to PEOPLE in July, Thorne-Smith opened up about meeting Shue for the first time when they shot the pilot episode.

“I [do] remember shooting with Andrew for the first time," she recalled before referring to a scene where her character catches Shue’s Billy dancing in their apartment alone. “When he’s dancing — you can actually see it in my face — how charmed I am.”

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source: people.com