Josie Bissett: From Melrose Place to an Incredible Midlife

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EPISODE SUMMARY:

From starring on the hit television series Melrose place, to becoming an acclaimed children’s book author, Josie Bissett has made her mark in the entertainment industry as a talented and multifaceted entrepreneur. In part one of our podcast, we sat down with Josie to discuss the new Fantasy Island reboot, coping with being an empty nester, confidence in midlife, and her experience growing up on Melrose Place.

First, we asked Josie about her upcoming guest-starring role in the reboot of the television series Fantasy Island airing on Fox. She spoke about how the whole experience was interesting and introspective, for she not only had to deal with her character’s process as they turned 50 but also had to face her own journey with aging. She said that after hearing other women discussing aging negatively, she wants to change the narrative and embrace getting older. Through her role on Fantasy Island and her personal outlook on aging, she hopes to teach her daughters and the next generation of young women that embracing who you are at all ages is a beautiful thing. While talking about her daughters, Josie also delved into how she’s coping as a new empty nester. Initially, she thought that being an empty nester would be exciting, for it would give her space for new opportunities and ambitions. However, while she does feel the extra time allows her more room to grow, she’s found the transition to be difficult. To her, it feels like a loss. She’s gone from being a mom full-time to now having more free time than she knows what to do with. We also talked to Josie about being on the cover of Ask Us Beauty Magazine. She told us that the experience taught her a lesson in the importance of saying yes to new opportunities. After receiving the email asking if she’d like to be on the cover, Josie had no idea she’d end up being photographed in Times Square, an experience she’s grateful for.

We also talked about Josie’s views on midlife. Regarding her mindset, Josie has noticed that as she’s gotten older, she’s stopped caring what people think about her. It’s a liberating feeling, one that allows her to not be held back by other’s opinions and truly take care of her own wants. For midlife self-care, she acknowledged how hard it can be to figure out how to balance work, parenting and self-care as you age. It’s a balance she’s still learning to maintain, as we all are.

Since booking her role on Melrose Place, Josie told us that she has not auditioned for a project again, instead accepting work that is offered to her. Working on Melrose Place was a surreal experience for Josie. Having grown up on the set, she told us how strange it is to watch herself age on camera. While filming, she got married and grew as a person, experiences she felt were important for her to go thorough. Finally, we asked Josie why she thinks Melrose Place was so successful, and she told us that she believes it all comes down to timing and characters. Since the show aired after the success of 90210, audiences were ready to connect to the storyline and could feel the chemistry between the actors. At the time, recording and streaming services were not available, so people could also bond with one another by getting together each week to watch Melrose Place’s newest episode. Josie also revealed to us that by booking her role on Melrose Place, she had to turn down the chance to play Robert De Niro’s daughter in a project.

Josie Bissett

Josie Bissett is recognized internationally for her role as the popular ‘Jane Mancini’ on FOX-TV’s Melrose Place, which ended its successful seven-year run in May 1999. To date, she has graced over 50 magazine covers, including such publications as TV Guide, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Shape’s Fit Pregnancy, New Woman and FIRST For Women.

Josie starred opposite Jack Wagner in the highly-rated Hallmark Channel franchise movie The Wedding March as well as The Wedding March 2: Resorting to Love, which debuted in June 2017 and marks the network’s highest-rated and most-watched original June movie premiere among HH ratings and Total Viewer delivery. A third movie, Wedding March 3: Here Comes the Bride, aired in February 2018, the fourth movie, Wedding March 4: Something Old, Something New, aired in June 2018, and Wedding March 5: My Boyfriend’s Back aired in June 2019. She next stars in Sealed with a Kiss: Wedding March 6, which premiered August 14, 2021.

She had a recurring role of ‘A.J.’ opposite Jack Wagner in the Hallmark television series When Calls The Heart. Josie appeared for five seasons on ABC Family Channel’s hit breakout teen-pregnancy drama series The Secret Life of the American Teenager created and executive produced by Brenda Hampton (7^th Heaven). Josie played “Kathleen Bowman”, mother to good girl “Grace” (Megan Park).

She previously starred opposite James Brolin in Hallmark Movie Channels’ first-ever original holiday movie, Christmas with Tucker, which premiered as part of their “Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas” holiday initiative. Christmas with Tucker was the Most Watched Hallmark Movie Channel Original Premiere among HH’s and W25-54 in network history! Josie also starred opposite Matthew Settle in the original Christmas film Paper Angels, which premiered on UP TV. Additionally, she starred in the Lifetime original telefilms A Mother’s Instinct and Pregnant at 17.

Her first children’s book, Tickle Monster, became a national sensation which got kids and parents to laugh, laugh, laugh! Tickle Monster is an inspiring and beautifully illustrated storybook for kids, based on a treasured family tradition that Josie has continued with her own kids. Fuzzy ‘Tickle Monster’ mitts, an interactive companion piece to the book, are available and packaged in an adorable gift set. Parents can wear the gloves to tickle their children while reading along to the clever text.

Tickle Monster was awarded the PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Media Inc.’s Seal of Approval for excellence in parenting products. Tickle Monster earned the Publisher’s Choice Award from the Family Magazine Group. Josie was named Celebrity Mom of the Year by the Mom’s Choice Awards (MCA), an annual awards program that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, and parents for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products, and services.

Josie and her children were also featured on the cover of MCA’s Entro magazine. Josie’s ability to offer parenting advice and bring laughter in the lives of families, along with her mission to live life as a whole and balanced person, made her the perfect choice for the Mom’s Choice Team.

As a follow-up to the highly successful Tickle Monster, Josie wrote her second children’s book, Boogie Monster, and both titles are currently available in major bookstores. With a lovable new character from Planet Boogie whose only mission is to inspire kids to dance, dance, dance, Boogie Monster teaches kids that there’s no right or wrong way to dance. In the process, kids build confidence and have fun exercising. Also available is a complete dance kit (packaged in a colorful, reusable keepsake gift box with magnetic closure), which includes a Boogie Monster book, a pair of Boogie Monster Legs Leggings and a full-length music CD by Recess Monkey.

The Boogie Monster Dance Kit was the recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award, honoring excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services. In addition, the Dance Kit won the Moonbeam Gold Medal at the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

Josie’s first book, Little Bits of Wisdom, was inspired by the birth of her first child in 2001 and is now in its third printing. It is a heart-warming collection of parenting wisdom and child-rearing “tricks of the trade” gathered from more than 1,000 parents and grandparents throughout the world. Two years later, she completed a second book, Making Memories, which featured over 200 ways for parents to create rich family memories with their children that last a lifetime. Tens of thousands of parents have already embraced this magical book, the premise of which is so simple and powerful: The moments with our children pass so quickly, but the memories we create today will last forever.

The Seattle native began her career in front of the camera at the age of 12 as a model in print advertisements and television commercials. At 16, she left home and moved to Japan to further her career and at 17 headed to Hollywood to make her mark.

Josie soon landed the role of “Cara” on The Hogan Family, where she spent two seasons. Within two years of her arrival in Los Angeles, Josie was cast on Melrose Place and quickly became one of television’s most recognizable actors. In recent years, she has had the opportunity to explore many diverse and interesting characters in such projects as the ABC movies The Fire Above and Dare to Love, the FOX telefilm Deadly Vows, and the USA cable film Baby Monitor: Sound of Fear. She starred in the ABC Family Channel original film I Do, They Don’t, a romantic comedy about two widowed parents whose spontaneous marriage thrusts them into the position of having to blend two families into one. In addition, Josie starred in the Lifetime Television

original film The Other Woman based on the best-selling novel by Joy Fielding and directed by Jason Priestley. She has also made numerous guest-starring appearances including NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

On the big screen, she made her feature film debut in Oliver Stone’s The Doors in which she played the wife of Doors’s guitarist Robbie Krieger. Her subsequent films include the coming-of-age comedy Book of Love and the psychological thriller Mikey.

In addition to acting, Josie has hosted numerous shows. She co-hosted Lifetime Television’s morning talk show, The Balancing Act. She previously hosted Parenting Beyond, a show that offered parents creative solutions to everyday problems, so that they can have more quality time to enjoy their family and watch their children growing up. She also hosted the PBS educational special, “Teach More, Love More”, which

followed four families, each with a child in one of the four critical stages of early childhood development — newborn, infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool. As host, Josie guided viewers through the program which explores the joys, fears and a myriad of questions that accompany the beginning of life. “Teach More, Love More” included interviews with nationally renowned experts such as Dr. T. Berry Brazelton.

Josie has been the face of several national commercial campaigns, including Neutrogena’s skin care line and Dr. Scholl’s Pedicure Essentials, an entire line of 14 different products designed to pamper the feet. Additionally, she was a spokesperson for Murad Skin Care’s Resurgence® Regimen, the first comprehensive line of products formulated exclusively to help revitalize and rebuild hormonally aging skin.

She is currently working on her next children’s book series. Josie resides in Seattle with her husband, Thomas Doig, and her 17-year-old daughter Maya. Her 19-year-old son Mason is in his sophomore year in college.