Audrey Landers AOL Chat Transcript
Thanks to M.Ferrante@juno.com for posting this to alt.tv.dallas 1998/04/24
OnlineHost:Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc.
OnlineHost: Good evening! The WB Virtual Lot Presents: Cybertalk! Tonight's guest is"Dallas" star Audrey Landers. She's here tonight to talk about her roles on "Dallas" and the upcoming CBS telefilm, "Dallas: J.R. Returns." Welcome, Audrey Landers!
WB Online7: The first question comes from TARutter....
Question: Hi! How many cast members agreed to do the reunion?
AudreyLand:Of the original adult cast members, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Ken Kerchaval, myself , Linda Gray and several of the children from the show who are now all grown up.
WB Online7:From ElMasser....
Question:What projects are you currently working on...? Any possible film spots...?
AudreyLand:Well, my sister ,mom and I write produce and star in a childen's musical, educational series. It's currently airing on PBS. If we're not on your local PBS station, please holler at them and ask for it. And of course the Dallas Reunion. And a feature film called "Last Chance Love." But my main focus is the children's show "Huggabug Club" because I'm very involved in every aspect of it.
WB Online7:From KinkDog90....
Question: How was working with Larry Hagman?
AudreyLand:It was certainly a lot of fun as it always was and it was really heartwaming to see him doing so well healthwise.
WB Online7:From Chrisghb.....
Question:I would like to ask Audrey if there is a fierce competition between Judy and herself. Is it difficult with two sisters in showbiz? Who are they married to and what projects are upcoming?
AudreyLand:First, no there is NO competition between us. We're partners in our new production . We write together and act together. We live within a mile of each other. We have a very good relationship. Of course, we do argue once in a while, but that's healthy. But we are really best friends.Judy is married to a former Dodger, Tom Niedenfuer.And she also has two little girls, ages 5 & 7, who are in the Huggabug Club. And I'm married to a businessman who lives on the East Coast and we have twin boys age 3. I'm very involved with the musical educational series Huggabug club that was mentioned earlier. Which I hope is on your local PBS station.
WB Online7:Another question from ElMasser.....
Question: Were there any people in the Dallas cast that were "difficult" to work with?
AudreyLand:In this reunion I have a daughter who was very, very sweet and very very tall. And although I'm average height, I had to stand on boxes for all our scenes together. So please don't confuse me with Charlene. :)
WB Online7:BeenDare asks......
Question:What exactly was "Ghost Writer"
AudreyLand:Ghost Writer was a movie that we produced as a family, my mother, sister and I. It was a adventure film and Judy played the ghost and I played the writer and we tried to uncover the mystery of her murder. Now it's out on video stores. It also runs on cable stations like USA and Lifetime. We also wrote all the music for it.
WB Online7:TMascio asks....
Question:Do you still keep in contact with any of the poeple from the Dallas cast...?
AudreyLand:Well, the only person I keep in most contact with was our producer Leonard Katzman who just passed away. So it's been very tragic. Of course, that was a very sad moment. On a happier note, I keep in touch with Ken KErchaval and Larry, of course. But it's funny how people go their separate ways. It's funny how you develop a close relationship working with everyone every day. And you always think you're going to stay in touch and stay best friends. But, somehow you're lives tend to go in different directions. So it's difficult.
WB Online7:Jirsan asks...
Question:I remember you many years ago on a soap opera. I think that it was Somerset. Was it? I really liked it.
AudreyLand:First of all, Thank You! It was Somerset. I was a teenager when I did that. It was a great experience for me and to this day people still remember me as "Heather." ANd there were a lot of good actors who came from that soap. Ted Danson, Bibi Besch, Sigourney Weaver, Jameson Parker and JoBeth Williams. It was in NY and we all ended up in LA moving on to exciting things.
WB Online7:Gryzbl asks......
Question:Were you a dancer before "A Chorus Line," or did you have to learn for the part?
AudreyLand:Good question. I was what they call "I moved well" I was not a trained dancer. When I stepped into the role of Val, not only had I joined the cast after the rest had been there 4 weeks, but I also wasn't a dancer. I had a lot of catching up to do. And Richard Attenborough always said "I wore out two coaches and I was so focused that if your dropped a bomb next to me I wouldn't flinch."
WB Online7:NancyRD62 asks....
Question:Hi Audrey, I have been a fan of yours since your days on the soap, Somerset and of course Dallas. How was it getting together with the cast after so many years?
AudreyLand:It was a stressful six months. When I stepped of the plane in Dallas, it was like time had stood still and it was just a flood of memories just breathing that hot air. It was great!!
WB Online7:Adhonees asks...
Question:Love your music... do you compose as well?
AudreyLand:Thank you! Yes, I do compose. I wrote my first song when I was about 12 years old. Which I recorded a year after and it became a little country hit record when I was 13 years old. It was called "The Apple Don't Talk Far From The Tree" Music is my first love and I was very lucky on Dallas that I played a singer, they wrote that in when they discovered my talent. Now that I have children, I've been able to focus all my writing energies to children's music. I've had 13 Gold Recors and 6 Platinum ALbums in Europe. And I've written all my hits. So now, doing the Huggabug club is very exciting because the message in the music is directed towards children, yet all the compositions and arrangements are very adult-friendly.
WB Online7: SIT 1912 asks...
Question:Hi Audrey....Enjoyed your presentation in DALLAS. I know that you're a recording artist....have been searching for YEARS for your CD's, but can't locate....How can I locate your recordings???. Am searching under Audrey Landers. Thanks...
AudreyLand:We have audio and video cassetes from the Huggabug Club available in stores now also.I feel so sad. But my pop records were never released in this country. They were released in Germany under Polydor and Warner Bros. and we're hoping to have a release now in this country now that Dallas is running.But, if you have any children, the Huggabug Club tapes are out and I do sing on those as well as compose.
WB Online7:And now a comment from Alien 700...
Comment:You are not only beautiful you are extremley beautiful!
AudreyLand:Wow! Thank you! THank you Thank you!
WB Online7:Bmegkel asks....
Question:Which character did you play in Dallas?
AudreyLand:The name of the charachter is Aston Cooper and she started out as the bad girl and she mended her ways. Though nobody quite believe that she has.
WB Online7: StevenWN asks....
Question: Will you continue to work with your sister on public TV for kids?
AudreyLand:Right now, Huggabug is on public television and we've done 47 half hours of the show. and we're currently writing the next bactch of them. We hope it continues for a long time.
WB Online7:MnLtKnigh asks......
Question:Hi, Audrey! Didn't you play "Betty" in a TV pilot based on the "Archie" comics during the late 70's? Do you remember who else was in the cast?
AudreyLand:Whoa! Yes, but you have a better memory than I have. I can't remember the names of all the other cast members. BUt let me tell you a bit of trivia here. There's an well-known actor named David Caruso who was originally cast as Archie. He was cast but somebody else took over. He did do all the rehearsals with us. That was my introduction to Hollywood. I was living in NY at the time, where I grew up and they flew me to LA to do Archie.
WB Online7: BraCha1 asks....
Question: Audrey, just to tell you how much I've admired your work, and think one of my favorites was in Chorus Line... I have the video and of course think the favorite was "Ten"..... Is your sister a dancer too? Is there anything you DONT do?
AudreyLand:Wow, you're great for my ego! Judy moves well, but is not a trained dancer.
WB Online7: Yoshi Shn asks...
Question: What is it like to be a star?
AudreyLand:Hmmmmm....it's a lot of hard work and you never think you are one. It's a very etherial type of thing being a star and I think that celebrities are more stars in other people's eyes than they are in their own eyes. The hard work I was referring to was constantly improving one's craft and choosing/dev of myself as a star. Just someone who loves being creative in the entertainment industry.
WB Online7:One last question from CarL0703.....
Question: What has been your favorite role?
AudreyLand:Let's see...usually whatever project I'm involved in is my favorite. Aston has been a terrific character because she has so many facets to her. And she sings the songs I write. Dallas has been one of most fun projects I've worked on. Although it's very different from the Huggabug Club where I actually play myself..Miss AUdrey. But Aston has been a lot of fun also.
WB Online7:We want to thank "Dallas" star Audrey Landers for joining us this evening on The Virtual Lot. Stayed tuned to Keyword WBLot for many exciting new events! Quick Time Virtual Reality! The New Fall Season! Exclusive Lois and Clark Wedding Album Photos! Don't miss the upcoming CBS "Dallas J.R. Returns! And Audrey, do you have a last comment?
AudreyLand:Thanks everyone for being my fans and it was fun to hear from you like this. I was really kind of surprised some of you remember the older projects. That's very nice. Thanks for bringing back the memories!
WB Online7:Thanks everybody and don't miss CyberTalk(tm) every week on the Virtual Lot! Next week...."Dallas" star Kimberly Foster!