FOUR ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS REUNITE

Ella (Katie Cassidy) discovers someone is embezzling from WPK and framing her for it. Panicked that she could go to jail, Ella investigates and starts with Jo (guest star Daphne Zuniga), who realizes Amanda (Heather Locklear) is up to her old tricks again. Meanwhile, Jonah (Michael Rady) decides to throw a party in the courtyard to celebrate his newfound success.

Jane (guest star Josie Bissett) shows up to confront Amanda for not firing Ella and runs into Michael (Thomas Calabro). Lauren (Stephanie Jacobsen) is shocked after Michael tells her he’ll reveal her secret if she doesn’t sleep with him, so she makes a harsh decision. Riley (Jessica Lucas) and Drew (Nick Zano) share a sweet date. Shaun Sipos also stars.

AMANDA IS BETRAYED

Ella (Katie Cassidy) is a little overwhelmed by Jonah’s (Michael Rady) constant attention and decides couplehood might not be for her. Lauren (Stephanie Jacobsen) succumbs to Dr. Mancini’s (Thomas Calabro) threats and David (Shaun Sipos) decides to buy Coal, but the price turns out to be a little higher than he thought.

Meanwhile, Drew (Nick Zano) moonlights in a band and Amanda catches Ben (guest star Billy Campbell) and Riley (Jessica Lucas) in a compromising position.

NICK ZANO (“COUGAR TOWN”) GUEST STARS AS THE NEW TENANT AT MELROSE PLACE

Sexy Drew Pragin (Nick Zano) moves into Auggie’s old apartment and immediately clashes with Lauren (Stephanie Jacobsen). She becomes even more upset when he shows up at the hospital as the newest resident.

Riley (Jessica Lucas) asks Ben (guest star Billy Campbell) for a job, which infuriates Amanda (Heather Locklear), and David (Shaun Sipos) receives life-changing news from an unexpected source.

Meanwhile, Ella (Katie Cassidy) makes an unrealistic demand of Jonah (Michael Rady) that backfires.

AMANDA’S BOYFRIEND COMES TO TOWN WHILE VIOLET AND AUGGIE PREPARE TO LEAVE

Violet (Ashlee Simpson-Wentz) asks Auggie (Colin Egglesfield) to leave town with her. Amanda (Heather Locklear) puts Ella (Katie Cassidy) in charge of a lavish party at her house to celebrate the arrival of her billionaire boyfriend Ben (guest star Billy Campbell).

However, after Amanda spies Ella and Ben together in a compromising position, she lashes out. Meanwhile, Riley (Jessica Lucas) asks Jonah (Michael Rady) if they can start over. Shaun Sipos and Stephanie Jacobsen also star.

Michael Rady makes a living as a nice guy - but maybe not for much longer.

The Philadelphia native plays aspiring filmmaker Jonah Miller on CW’s “Melrose Place” (tonight at 9 on WLVI [website], Ch. 56).

Amid the crimes, affairs and backstabbing, Jonah seems normal. He’s one of the few characters who is not a suspect in the murder of Sydney (Laura Leighton).

“New intrigues keep popping up. Motives for the murder keep popping up. But Jonah doesn’t have a motive. I don’t think Jonah will have a motive,” Rady said during a recent interview in Pasadena, Calif.

“He’s grounded. He’s commenting on all of this for the audience. Jonah comments on all the soap opera. He’s like, ‘What, are you insane?’ ”

Rady is used to playing nice guys. He played Kostas in both “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” movies and recently wrapped up a stint as Casey’s boyfriend Max on “Greek.” He thinks he wins these parts because nice is the quality that comes out the most during his auditions. But he would like Jonah to behave a little less than perfect.

“I want him to have more flaws, and I think we’re going to start making that happen,” he said. “Because we need to believe that he’s not perfect. I want him to reveal something about the human condition. I want him to struggle with something and make mistakes and to have the audience be like, ‘Wow, we don’t really like him right now. He needs to win us back right now.’ ”

The actor may get his wish. Producers are dropping co-stars Ashlee Simpson-Wentz and Colin Egglesfield and retooling the direction of the show.

(Story continues below)
Rady began his acting career when his mother took him to an audition when he was 15 years old. “I grew up watching musicals, ‘Camelot’ and ‘West Side Story,’ while all my friends were watching horror films. To this day, I’m terrified of my own shadow. I was always singing growing up, so my mom always knew I loved performing. But she dragged me kicking and screaming to an audition. I was paralyzed with fear the entire time.”

Nonetheless, he landed a part in the local production of “Anything Goes.”

“Once I got the part it was like, ‘Oh my God, this is the coolest thing ever.’ He studied theater at Temple University and, after graduating, decided to pursue acting full time. He was the first actor cast on “Melrose Place.”

“I didn’t really know anything about Jonah,” he said. “There was no script, I didn’t know anything about it. I just thought, ‘Sure, an awesome job that has a huge name behind it. Done.’ ”

Source: BostonHerald.com