Melinda Culea TELLS ALL About Her Exit from ‘The A-Team’
We pity the fool that didn’t grow up loving The A-Team, which ran on NBC for five seasons beginning in 1983. The show followed the adventures of a group of wrongly convicted and imprisoned former U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers; after escaping, the soldiers used their military expertise to help those in need, while also constantly evading capture by the military police.
The team was led by the charismatic Hannibal Smith, played by the equally charismatic George Peppard. The team also included Dirk Benedict‘s smooth-talking Faceman; eccentric pilot “Howling Mad” Murdock, portrayed by Dwight Schultz; and of course, the tough and loyal B.A. Baracus, brought to life by the toughest actor of them all, Mr. T. With every mission, they faced dangerous adversaries, showcased incredible teamwork, and always found a way to escape their pursuers.
Oh, and did I mention that during the first 24 episodes of that series, the fellers were aided and abetted by journalist Amy Amanda Allen, better known as “Triple A,” played by the very talented Melinda Culea? From the outside looking in, things seemed fine. But I remember at the time hearing stories about Melinda — or, more specifically, about how Melinda wasn’t exactly satisfied with how her character’s development was being handled.
So, what was it? Was it Melinda? Well, from everything that I’ve read, it really seems like a primary reason that Melinda departed from the series so quickly was, simply, George Peppard. He reportedly felt there was no need for a female character in this testosterone-heavy television show.
In a 1985 interview with journalist Ian Harmer, George said, “As the show developed, it became apparent that a girl, any girl, was out of place. We were a combat group and there’s only so many times that a girl can hide under the desk or wait in the car while we stage one of our big action endings.”
And maybe he was right, because after she left, Marla Heasley was brought in to fill the void, but lasted only 10 episodes. And after that, there was talk amongst the creative team about bringing Tia Carrere on board. Tia, who would later make a big splash in Mike Myers‘ comedy classic Wayne’s World, did finally show up for just one episode during the fourth season, but her planned longer plot arc never appeared.
After that, it was just George and the boys. And maybe he was right: a show about mercenaries for hire really isn’t any place for a lady, is it? Who am I kidding — George was completely wrong. Dead wrong. The creative team got it right the first time with Melinda and her character. Yep. Amy Amanda Allen was awesome. And the show just wasn’t the same after she left.
You know, it’s too darn bad Melinda herself couldn’t weigh in on the situation.
Oh wait, she posted a comment on one of my A-Team videos where she shares her side of the story? Well, holy Mr. T cereal, Batman! We should probably check it out.
Here are just a few of the things that Melinda said in that comment:
“Hi, Melinda here. From the beginning, he (George Peppard) told me that I was not wanted or needed on the show. When he would come to the set in the morning with lines edited out of scenes, many of them were mine. So, there I was often just standing around in the scene with nothing to do.”
“At the end of the day, writing for women was not their strong point. Plus, they had a hit on their hands, and it certainly was not because of my character. They didn’t want to address it, and I didn’t want to only have small moments in each show with no character development. So, our relationship mutually ended.”
“What was not cool was that the producers, actors, writers allowed rumors to evolve that I was a troublemaker on the set. Never. I was always on set on time knowing my lines and ready to work.”
Towards the end of her comment, Melinda acknowledges that after leaving The A-Team, she initially had a difficult time finding work. However, you cannot keep a lady as talented as she is down for long. Sure, her series Glitter with David Birney and Morgan Brittany, which she co-starred in right after The A-Team, went nowhere, but she did land a recurring role in the CBS nighttime soap opera Knots Landing, and she also found time to guest star on great shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation.
©CBS / courtesy Everett Collection
And in the mid-nineties, Melinda again found steady work, this time on the sitcom Brotherly Love, which starred all of the Lawrence brothers. Alas, she was once again surrounded by guys. Poor Melinda! Well, at least they weren’t a bunch of mercenaries.
More recently, Melinda has begun a second career as a novelist and illustrator. Her first novel, Wondago, released in 2016, has received rave reviews and appears to be a clever and innovative first outing from this actress-turned-author.
While her chapter with the The A-Team may have concluded sooner than many would have liked, fans undoubtedly still wish she had somehow been able to stick around just a little bit longer. But what the heck? At least we got a season and a half to appreciate the unique energy and character Amy Amanda Allen brought to the team.
Remind 
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