Audrey & Judy Landers
A Double Dose of Beauty and Health
Heads turn whenever Audrey and Judy Landers are seen together. These stunning actress sisters, who admit to being each other's best friend as well, are both enjoying outstanding success this year. Audrey keeps busy with her role on "Dallas," while Judy is a new regular on "B.J. and the Bear." They may go their separate ways while filming each of their series, but their healthy beauty is something they work at together.
A quick first glance at Audrey and Judy might make you think you're seeing double. A closer look, however, reveals that despite their striking similarities, each has a look and style all her own. Equally successful actresses, Audrey, 22, and Judy, 21, seem never to have heard of sibling rivalry, Sitting in the living room of the spacious West Hollywood apartment they share, both smile at the suggestion of competition between them. “We never compete,” they explain. “We're a team.” When it comes to work, they completely support one another, even on the rare occasions when they're up for the same part. Surprisingly, that seldom happens, because their acting styles are so individual. “In the eyes of a casting director,” says Audrey, “we're totally different types.”
Audrey and Judy moved to Los Angeles from upstate New York nearly two and a half years ago. Mrs. Landers serves as manager for both girls, so their parents spend a week each month with them. During that time, they make career decisions and find plenty of time just to visit.
Since their arrival in L.A., Audrey and Judy have been working steadily- doing commercials, films, TV specials, TV movies and guest-starring roles on numerous shows. Last summer, both won their regular series roles. Audrey is a new addition to the "Dallas" cast as the sister of actor Leigh McCloskey, who plays Lucy Ewing's boyfriend. Meanwhile, Judy is seen weekly as a capable and feminine lady trucker on “B.J. and the Bear.”
Working on a number of different projects, as Audrey and Judy have done in the past, means having a constantly changing schedule. One of the nicest things about working on a series, the sisters say, “is having a regulated work schedule.” Explains Judy, “I love the discipline of a series. The regular hours allow you to plan ahead and set routines for yourself.”
The first routine both girls set up when they began their series work was a regular exercise program. Exercise is especially important to them, says Audrey, “because being in a series is like being an athlete in training-you have to make a concentrated effort to stay in shape and take good care of yourself. In acting, there's so much of you involved. Your appearance is important and so is your health, The long work hours are very taxing and you have to be in good shape to handle it. Also, I think when you're physically in good shape, you're mentally in good shape too.”
Because of the long, tiring work hours, Audrey and Judy planned a workday exercise plan they knew they could stick to. “We have a gym in our apartment building,” says Audrey, “so we go down each morning and do stretching exercises.” Adds Judy, “Of course, that's something you can do anywhere, like when you're sitting and watching TV.” They always exercise together, which makes it easier on the days when one or the other is tempted to skip it. “I'd hate having to exercise alone,” says Judy. “Exercising with someone else makes it fun.”
When they get home from work, the two sisters go out for an hour's walk. “We used to run four miles a day,” Audrey explains, “but now, instead of running, we walk at a brisk pace. Our mother got us started. The first time we went out with her, we wound up jogging just to keep up with her walking pace! Walking four miles really doesn't take much longer than jogging that distance. It takes about nine minutes to cover a mile at an easy-paced jog. It takes 12 minutes to walk that same mile and get most of the same benefits.” Both agree the biggest advantage of walking over jogging is having that hour to talk, as well. It gives them a chance to catch up on what happened to each other during the day. “When our mother visits,” laughs Audrey, “the three of us will walk for two or three hours and never stop talking!”
On weekends and days off, Audrey and Judy follow a more rigorous exercise schedule. “Usually,” Judy says, “we'll get up early and do laps in the pool. Then we'll go for a long walk and stop at the park to do 100-yard dashes. Whenever there's time, we like to go horseback riding, bicycling or roller skating.”
In addition to exercise, both girls watch their diets. They generally prepare and eat their meals together. Luckily, their tastes are similar so menu-planning is easy. Primarily vegetarians, they eat mainly fruits and vegetables. Judy occasionally eats shellfish and Audrey eats limited amounts of chicken and fish, plus a very rare bite of red meat. Explaining their vegetarian diets, Audrey says, “Judy is a strict vegetarian because she doesn't like to eat any kind of animal, but my reasons aren't quite as humanitarian. I just feel better when I eat lighter meals of vegetables and fruits. Meats make me feel sluggish. Although I'm not morally against eating meat, I do think Americans overindulge in meat diets, making it necessary to kill more animals than we need to.”
The diet and exercise program Audrey and Judy follow has very visible rewards-their healthy-looking skin and hair, But L.A.'s pollution and the hot California sun require that they take extra precautions to keep that healthy look. A trip to the beach means wearing a sun-block on their faces and keeping their hair covered with a hat or scarf. But even though they can avoid the sun, they can't avoid using blowdryers and hot curlers, which could also damage their tresses. Their solution is to use a moisturizing conditioner whenever they shampoo and a protein treatment once a month.
The girls combat the drying effects of California weather on their skin by using moisturizers every day. “The dirt in the air can make your skin break out,” says Audrey, “so I try to keep my face as clean as possible. After I've washed it, I'll use an astringent and then a moisturizer. Since neither of us uses a base makeup during the day, the moisturizer provides a protective layer between our skin and the air.”
Audrey and Judy are very alike in their use of makeup, possibly because they've always followed their mother's beauty advice. Explains Audrey, “Our mother is a lovely woman who has great taste. When it comes to grooming, we've always trusted her judgment.” During the day, says Judy, “we go easy on the makeup. We usually just wear blush, mascara and lip gloss. For nighttime, I wear base makeup and eyeshadows in shades of brown.” Adds Audrey, “We both match eyeshadow to our coloring rather than to what we're wearing. I use mauve shades and sometimes add a light touch of glitter. You have to be careful with that, though, because it's so easy to overdo.”
The sisters may agree on makeup, but they go in different directions when it comes to clothes. Audrey loves dresses, while Judy prefers pants and soft sweaters. “I love soft, flowing fabrics,” says Audrey, “and clothes that are either very romantic or in a '40s style. I wear jeans and T-shirts too, but when I get dressed up I like dresses or skirts and silk shirts.”
Angora sweaters are a favorite of Judy's. “I collect them,” she says, “and always wear them with pants. Even when I get dressed up, I generally wear pants, and if it's too hot for a sweater, I like camisole tops.”
Both girls agree that it took them a while to develop their own fashion style-to determine what kinds of clothes they looked and felt best in and which fit their personalities. In fact, neither really developed a fashion style until last year. “in high school,” says Judy, “I just wore jeans and shirts like everyone else.” Audrey recalls, “I had a stronger sense of my fashion self when I was in high school than I did immediately after. In school I was a strong individualist, wearing dresses and coordinated outfits, while other girls wore jeans. After that, I experimented for a while before finding the style that was right for me. Both of us choose timeless styles, so we're not influenced by what's 'in' each year. I'm still wearing a little velvet jacket I've had since I was fifteen.”
Since they're so close in size, the girls can exchange clothes, but, says Audrey, “There are some things we just don't like each other to borrow, because they're our very special, favorite things.” Sometimes, however, sisterly love leads to sharing even their most prized possessions. Audrey wore Judy's favorite white dress for her “Dallas” audition. “I wasn't sure if I wanted to lend it,” admits Judy, “but I had a good feeling about her wearing that dress Finally, I told her, 'Wear this and you'll get the part.'” Needless to say, she was right.
But a lot more than a “lucky charm” accounts for Audrey and Judy's current success. In addition to their talent and the support they give one another, they've put a lot of work into looking as good and staying as healthy as they can. It's obviously paid off!