Dr. Kimberly Shaw, played by Marcia Cross, was responsible for one of the most notable transformations on the classic television show Melrose Place. She had the arc of changing from an initially optimistic, selfless internist to probably the most capricious, erratic figure in the ensemble over five seasons. She came in as the earnest nurse on staff at Wilshire Memorial Hospital. A combination of shocking circumstances brought about an abrupt transformation in her personality that kept viewers — and spinoffs — spellbound.
When Dr. Kimberly Shaw joined the cast of Melrose Place, she came in as a serious young doctor. Her first image was that of a compassionate physician intent on healing not just her patients but her co-workers. It took a heartbreaking fatal car crash to become the tipping point that made her do a 180. At the scene, authorities declared Dr. Shaw had been killed in the accident. This deadly accident ushered in her period of frantic madness.
When she came back to the franchise, Dr. Kimberly Shaw was a whole new woman. The sweetness that once characterized her earlier cameos disappeared as well. In its stead, she developed into a hatefully ignorant, obsessive and psychotic figure, hellbent on destroying everyone in her orbit. This move not only rattled up the audience but offered an incredible amount of narrative capital for the series’ arc.
As seen during her tumultuous run, Dr. Shaw found herself caught up in some of the most infamous story arcs. She took memorable scenes with her fellow castmate Pete Burns, played by Jack Wagner. Their chemistry brought a lot of interesting facets to the relationship, showing off an intense push-pull dynamic between them.
Dr. Shaw’s descent into madness leading to callous actions that shocked the world. He performed an unauthorized lobotomy on another character and kidnapped a baby. Perhaps the most dramatic moment came when she set bombs on the Melrose Place apartment building. This move increased the stakes of the series and really emphasized her volatile mental condition.
Actor Jack Wagner, who played Pete Burns, later reminisced on their shared partnership on such an explosive storyline. He described Marcia Cross’s commitment to portraying her character’s insanity as pivotal to their performances.
“When Marcia was in the insane asylum,” – Jack Wagner
Wagner went on to shower Cross with praise for her commitment to the role, especially as it affected his own performance.
“It was great, because we really worked well together in terms of the thespian part of it. She was so committed to being insane, and therefore I was so committed, too,” – Jack Wagner
These actions ultimately landed Dr. Kimberly Shaw in an institution. During her time there, she had the constant attention of Dr. Pete Burns. This unexpected event really rounded out her character’s journey. It deepened the story’s complexity, accentuating aspects of mental health and redemption.
