It was supposed to be the next big thing. Aaron Spelling, the king of primetime soaps, decided in 1994 that Melrose Place needed a sister show. He gave us Models Inc., a glitzy, backstabbing drama set in the cutthroat world of a Los Angeles modeling agency.
The hype was unreal. Fox was riding high on the success of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose, so a spin-off about supermodels seemed like a slam dunk.
It wasn't.
The show lasted exactly one season—29 episodes of catfights, murder mysteries, and questionable fashion choices. While the show itself fizzled out by 1995, the Models Inc. tv show cast turned out to be an absolute goldmine of future talent. Seriously, looking back at this roster is like looking at a "before they were famous" time capsule.
The Matrix Connection and the Rise of Carrie-Anne Moss
If you only recognize one person from the old promo photos, it’s probably Carrie-Anne Moss. Long before she was Trinity kicking agents in the face in The Matrix, she was playing Carrie Spencer.
Honestly, her character was a bit of a tragic mess. Carrie was the "older" model (in Hollywood years, which means she was probably 26) struggling to keep her career alive while dealing with a toxic past. Moss has been pretty vocal in interviews since then, basically saying that before The Matrix came along in 1999, she didn't really have a career to speak of. Models Inc. was just a job that paid the bills.
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It’s wild to think that the same woman who became a sci-fi icon and a powerhouse in Marvel’s Jessica Jones (shoutout to Jeri Hogarth) started out navigating the soapy waters of an Aaron Spelling production. She’s the ultimate proof that a "failed" show doesn't mean a failed career.
From Runway to Real Housewives: Garcelle Beauvais
Then there’s Garcelle Beauvais. She played Cynthia Nichols, a model who actually had some of the more grounded (well, for a soap) storylines regarding race and industry standards.
Beauvais didn't let the show's cancellation slow her down for a second. She jumped straight into The Jamie Foxx Show as "Fancy," which made her a household name for a completely different audience. From there, she hit NYPD Blue and eventually became a staple on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
She’s basically the queen of the pivot. Whether she's acting in Coming 2 America or executive producing Lifetime movies, Beauvais has stayed more relevant than almost anyone else in the original lineup.
The Legend Herself: Linda Gray as Hillary Michaels
You can’t talk about this show without mentioning the anchor. Linda Gray.
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Fresh off her iconic run as Sue Ellen Ewing on Dallas, Gray was brought in to play Hillary Michaels. The hook? She was the mother of Amanda Woodward (Melrose Place’s resident villain played by Heather Locklear). Spelling wanted that crossover magic.
Gray was, as always, a pro. She brought a level of class to a show that was often... not classy. Even though Hillary was supposed to be the ruthless CEO, she felt more like a den mother to a group of chaotic 20-somethings. After the show folded, Gray did exactly what legends do: she kept working. She returned for the Dallas reboot in 2012 and has spent years doing theater in London and on Broadway.
The "Villain" Hail Mary: Emma Samms
Halfway through the first season, the ratings were tanking. The producers panicked. They did what any 90s soap producer did: they brought in a British villain.
Enter Emma Samms as Grayson Louder.
Samms was already soap royalty from General Hospital and Dynasty. They marketed her as the "Heather Locklear" of Models Inc., hoping she’d save the sinking ship. It didn't work, but she played the hell out of the role. Today, she’s still very much a part of the soap world, making regular returns to General Hospital as Holly Sutton. Interestingly, she's also become a major advocate for Long COVID awareness after her own struggle with the virus.
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Where Are the Others Now?
The rest of the cast is a mixed bag of "hey, I know that guy!" and total disappearances.
- Cassidy Rae (Sarah Owens): She was the "innocent" girl from Iowa. She had a decent run in TV movies for a while but eventually walked away from Hollywood. She’s reportedly retired and focused on her family now.
- Cameron Daddo (Brian Peterson): The Aussie photographer. He’s had a massive career back in Australia as a musician, actor, and radio host. He’s one of those guys who is always working, even if you don't see him on US screens every day.
- Stephanie Romanov (Teri Spencer/Monique Duran): She played two different characters (classic soap trope). She later found cult fame as Lilah Morgan on Angel.
- Kylie Travis (Julie Dante): The resident "bad girl." She was incredible in the role, but like many 90s starlets, she eventually faded from the spotlight after a few more film roles like Retroactive.
Why Did Models Inc. Actually Fail?
Most people think it was just a bad show, but it was more complicated. It was a victim of its own franchise. By 1994, the audience was already getting "Spelling burnout." We had the high school drama of 90210 and the apartment drama of Melrose. Adding an agency drama felt redundant.
Also, the show struggled with its tone. It tried to be dark and edgy (one of the main characters is murdered in the first episode), but it still had that glossy, campy Spelling vibe that felt a little dated compared to the rising "grunge" aesthetic of the mid-90s.
Actionable Insights for Retro TV Fans
If you're looking to revisit this era of television, don't just look for the DVD sets (which are surprisingly hard to find).
- Check the Crossovers: To get the full story, you actually have to watch the final episodes of Melrose Place Season 2. That’s where Linda Gray is introduced and the "Models Inc." agency is first established.
- Follow the Careers, Not the Show: If you want to see the best of this cast, skip the show and watch The Matrix for Moss, The Jamie Foxx Show for Beauvais, or the 2012 Dallas for Gray.
- YouTube is Your Friend: Because of licensing issues with the music, Models Inc. is rarely on major streaming platforms like Netflix or Hulu. However, fans often upload episodes to YouTube in various states of quality.
The legacy of the Models Inc. tv show cast isn't the show itself—it's the massive careers that launched from its wreckage. It was a "failure" that accidentally trained some of the biggest stars of the next two decades.