A life of glitz and glamour can be tough. Just ask Ruth, Audrey and Judy Landers.
Before moving to Sarasota, the trio didn't know the wonder of Target. A trip to the grocery store meant wearing dark sunglasses to hide from the paparazzi's prying eye. And all of those red-carpet appearances and parties can just be exhausting.
So, in 1997 Judy left Tinseltown and moved to Prestancia. In 1998, her mother and sister followed. Ruth lives a few minutes away; Judy and Audrey live in The Oaks, also nearby.
You may remember Audrey as Afton Cooper on "Dallas" and Judy from "L.A. Law" and "The Love Boat." Ruth, their mother, is a manager, film producer, successful businesswoman and a grandmother four times over. Together, they own and operate Landers Productions.
The Landers stumbled on Sarasota when their hit PBS children's show, "The Huggabug Club," hit the road doing live performances. When the tour brought them to the Van Wezel, they fell in love with Sarasota.
"Audrey and Judy set foot on Siesta Key, at the beach, and were sold," Ruth said. "They said, 'Oh my God, we have to live here.' "
Instead of being tucked away in the Hollywood Hills, they now live along the fairways of Prestancia.
When they first moved to Sarasota, they had to swallow a heavy dose of reality, Judy said.
When they arrived, a Sarasota Starbucks was years away and the city was practically desolate during the summer.
But soon enough the pace of development quickened.
"It's changed drastically," Audrey said. "It's become much more sophisticated."
The city is exactly what the Landers were looking for: less turbulent and more tranquil.
"I think Sarasota lets kids grow up a little bit slower than in L.A.," said Judy. "It's a little gentler lifestyle."
Audrey has twin boys, age 12. She and one of her sons recorded an album together. It was released in Europe.
Judy has two teenage daughters, who both sing and perform together. All four of the grandchildren attend Pine View School.
The family recently produced "Circus Island," a made-for-TV movie. The film, which was shot in Sarasota, should hit the air sometime this spring. Judy and Audrey wrote the script and also starred in the film along with their children.
And in the Landers family, that's normal.
"In our family, we perform," Ruth said.
Despite their search for normalcy here, Hollywood still beckons. Just about everyday, Audrey said, they receive invitations to parties. One of the most recent invites was to a Grammys after-party.
But they decided against attending.
"This is real life," Judy said.
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Heather Allen is a Herald-Tribune reporter. She can be reached at heather.allen@heraldtribune.com.
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Who's in Town is a regular feature of H-T Sarasota South. The column is designed to highlight people who make-up this community. They include people who are known for their acts of kindness, people who have done something interesting, neighborhood icons and people who are famous. We welcome ideas and column submissions. Columns should be no more than 500 words. Send submissions by e-mail to Community News Editor Earle Kimel at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com.
Say goodbye to Hollywood and hello, Sarasota
