Ultimate Dallas - Hi
Audrey, we have some questions here for you from the fans at the Ultimate Dallas Site. We
have had so many questions for you, 100's , you are very popular.
Audrey - (laughs) I'm
glad to hear that
Ultimate Dallas -Russ
D'Angelo from NY asks Hi Audrey, My question to you is, when
you first started Dallas in the 3rd season, did you think you would be a regular or did
you think that maybe you would only be on for a few episodes? My wife and I are big fans
of yours and the show.
Audrey: when they were
originally casting for the part of Afton it was only supposed to be for two episodes and
so I went in and actually got the part over 100's and 100's of girls. For me it was
amazing because I wasn't that familiar with the show, I had seen it a few times and I
actually borrowed a dress of my sisters for good luck and I went in and did my best
reading. It was finally narrowed down to two different girls and I found out on my
birthday that I had gotten the part. Great birthday present, it was after I did the first
episode they asked if I would consider a contract role.
Ultimate Dallas - Gary2Ewing2001 from UK and Luis from Peru ask Which do you
consider your favorite episode/storyline?
Audrey - I always
enjoyed the parts where I sang, where they would write that the character would sing at a
club. I really didn't love the character much as the years went on, after she became a
nice girl. It was a lot more fun playing Afton as the bad girl character.
Ultimate Dallas -
Laura Wales from Washington asks When you returned to play Afton in JR Returns was it like
the old times again?
Audrey - Well there
was a lot of sentimentality and I was anxious to play it. But there were so many changes
and so few original characters in the Reunion Movie I had mixed feelings about it. Being
on the set was like being home again but there was a feeling that certain elements were
missing.
Ultimate Dallas - Scott
from Australia asks Hi Audrey... I'm a HUGE fan of Dallas, and feel in love with the city
Dallas when visiting several years back. Just wondering, if in JR Returns the
storyline between Afton and Cliff could have been extended, ?
Audrey - I was
disappointed that it didn't take off more than it did as a spin off with the younger
generation. I had a daughter on the show who was a teenager and JR's son was a teenager
and I thought it would be an interesting story to continue the Dallas group but with the
teens following in their parents footsteps. but it never did take off.
Ultimate Dallas- Many
people are ask: Larry Hagman said he has been approached for a Dallas the new Generation.
There is also a soap on the net written by fans called Dallas the Legacy with Afton, would
you be interested in reprising the role of Afton?
Audrey - Oh I would
love it in fact. I remember it was so funny when I met the girl who played my daughter,
she was a lovely lovely girl but very very tall, Ken Kercheval, who played her father, and
I, aren't particularly tall. There is one scene in the reunion that is particular humorous,
it was made laugh so much. At the end of the Reunion Movie where I come out of the Mental
Hospital , my daughter has rescued me and I run to her "oh my baby" and I'm
staring up at my `baby` . Eventually what they had to do as it did look really silly was
to make a ramp so I was taller.
Ultimate Dallas -James
from London asks I wonder if you ever got frustrated with your role on the
show, would you have liked a bigger slice of the action?
Audrey - It wasn't so
much a bigger slice but there were times when I did get frustrated as many of my fans did
because the writers wanted this evolution of the character, starting out as the bad girl
and finally maturing realizing Cliff was not the right man for her. They never really
carried that part through and Afton was really very wimpy you know? She didn't stand up
for herself , it was really aganist the type of character that had been developed for all
those years to stay with a man that was not good to her and then not have a strong
storyline as to why she's with him. Some of my fans, especially female fans could not
grasp why Afton stayed with him so as an Actor I had to try and rationalize it in my own
brain and I had to say `you know unfortunately there are many women who get stuck in bad
relationships`. So that was how I coped with her staying with a man that was so mean to
her.
Ultimate Dallas - Cheryle from the Great South asks Were you happy with your wardrobe on
Dallas?
Audrey - (laughs)
someone else chose them, they were great but not my choice.
Ultimate Dallas - ILUVDDALLAS
from Long Island asks If Afton was a real person would you get on with her?
Audrey -Oh yeah I
would, I would appreciate the fact that she made a life for herself and her daughter and I
can respect the fact that she had her faults but was able to overcome them and make a
better life for herself.
Ultimate Dallas - Curtis
from Canada asks You had a chance to work on two of the biggest phenonmenons on television,
Dallas and Charlie's Angels. Both characters were the ultimate bad girls What were
the differences behind the scenes on the two shows? Was the working atmosphere very
different between the two?
Audrey - On Charles
Angels she was truly an evil character , I have to think hard as that was quite a while
ago, I was 16 years old when I did that. I could not find one redeeming thing about her.
But it was so long ago
Ultimate Dallas - Gray
Thomas from the UK asks Do you keep in contact with any of the cast from Dallas?
Audrey - I do a little
bit but everyone has their own life and we all go our own separate ways. I keep in contact
with Ken Kercheval and Larry Hagman.
Ultimate Dallas - Pauline
from Scotland asks What was it like to work with Larry Hagman?
Thanks
Audrey - It was a
blast, it was a lot of fun. Very boisterous and he really enjoyed his character, he was a
lot of fun and always very professional to work with.
Ultimate Dallas - Mrs
Chambers asks Who was the better kisser, Larry Hagman or Ken Kercheval?
Audrey - (laughs)
That's a tough one, they are both very good kissers. That's like asking what do you like
better Italian or Chinese food. Variety is the spice of life (laughs)
Ultimate Dallas - Peter
from Germany asks I would like to ask Audrey
Landers, if leaving the show during the 7th season (1984/1985) was her own decision or had
she been written out?
I would like to know the reason for her departure in both cases. Thank you
Audrey - The first
time I left was when I got the opportunity to be in Chorus Line and I was fortunate that I
was able to talk it over with the producers and they were amenable to let me take a leave
of absence. That movie took over a year to make and it was at a time when Afton was at a
turning point so we were able to take advantage of that.
Ultimate Dallas- Do
you prefer working in movies, Dallas or singing?
Audrey - I think it
depends where you are in your life at that moment , I have always loved doing a
series. Right now I would probably enjoy a movie and I still keep up with some of my
singing but I have a wonderful family life and that kind of takes priority.
Ultimate Dallas - Robin
from the Netherlands asks I'd like to know if any song you have sung on 'Dallas' has ever
been released on CD. I bought your CD 'The Best of Audrey Landers' and I think you are a
wonderful singer!
Audrey - That is
interesting, I have never recorded any of the songs I wrote for Dallas, but I would be
curious to ask Robin where they got the best of Audrey Landers because I would like to see
what's on that (laughs). I don't recall making that , it could be retitled but I would be
curious to find out who chose my best (laughs).
Ultimate Dallas - Gerard from Spain asks Have you been recording a new album?
Audrey - I am working
now on another album. I spend a lot of time working on my childrens show that I have been
writing and producing. It's a television series that has been on here in the US for above
5 years.
Ultimate Dallas - Pamela
from London asks Can you tell us something no one else would know about Dallas or a
personal highlight from the series?
Audrey - A deep dark
secret? Gee if they were that deep and dark I don't know if I would tell anyone. Ok
something I haven't really talked about. Ok you know every regular character had their own
dressing room and my dressing room actually belonged to Jim Davis who played Jock Ewing.
When he passed away I had just become a regular on the show and they gave me his dressing
room. He had it decorated in the old Western Style , very heavy wood, like an old hunting
lodge and it really wasn't my personality and they gave me the choice of redecorating and
I thought to myself he was kind of a legend and I didn't feel like doing that. So even
though it was very far from my personality I left it the same way.
Ultimate Dallas - Terry
Chubaty from Winnipeg asks What were your impressions of Jim Davis?. Did he dominate the
Dallas set like his character did?
Audrey - When I joined
the series he was already ill and I didn't have the opportunity to really get to know him
well. Though I had spent some time with his wife who was a lovely woman and I didn't
really know him well but certainly his presence dominated the set.
Ultimate Dallas - Fergus from Ireland asks HOW DID YOU AND KEN (CLIFF) GET ON?
Audrey - Oh we got
along really well, as an actor he was interesting to work with because he was always quite
spontaneous. He was very talented.
Ultimate Dallas- Kay
asks It seemed that the character you portrayed and the one that Victoria Principal
portrayed were very close on Dallas almost like sisters, was that true when you two were
out of character?
Audrey - Victoria and
I were certainly friendly as were all the relationships between the women were very
nice on the show, contrary to what the press said. They were all very nice but I was a
very private person and focus on my work and not the type of person who socializes a lot.
Ultimate Dallas - Graeme
from New Zealand asks What do you think of the dream/shower season?
Audrey - (laughs) I
thought it was kind of a stretch and amazing the audience went for it.
Ultimate Dallas - jackie
from Uk asks Larry and Patrick are famous for the pranks they
played. Were you involved in any of these?
Audrey - On my first
day of shooting I had this scene where I had to crawl into bed with J.R and I was nervous
and to make me a little more uncomfortable he ice packs all over the bed. (laughs), So
when I got in and they said roll it, it was icy cold and filled with ice cubes.
Ultimate Dallas -Michael
Bowen from Jacksonville asks do people still notice you from playing on Dallas?
Audrey - People do
because the show was so popular and I think that is wonderful and its rerun so there is
another generation watching it. But people do recognize me for the character and I love
it.
Ultimate Dallas - OlJR
from Perth asks How did Dallas impact your life?
Audrey - It was a big
changing point in my career, I had been acting since I was 5 and had did many many years
on soaps operas so I was well known for that. I did things like Charlie's Angels and Love
Boat but when I got the role in Dallas it was like I had never done anything before
because the fame was so wide spread people said "wow she's brand new where did she
come from" It was an amazing time.
Ultimate Dallas - Mark
Arbouine from London asks The public closely associate you with being Afton Cooper, has
this been a help or hindrance to your career?
Audrey - I think as
opposed to some of the other characters on the show, there are good points and bad points
to be over exposed, one of the earlier questions was would I have liked a bigger role and
I think because my character was like a special icing on the cake, I don't think people
ever got tired of the character and that I left several times gave me the opportunity not
to be typecast.
Ultimate Dallas - Mary
Jankowski from NJ asks My husband misses you on Howard Stern and wants to
know when you'll be back?
Audrey - I was on that
show one time when it first started and he wasn't quite as nasty as he's become now. He's
a little bit too raunchy for my taste so I don't think I will be back on the show but he
was always very nice to me.
Ultimate Dallas - Frankie
from Baltimore asks The name Afton is one I've NEVER heard used anywhere before or after
Dallas. Did they create this name? What does it mean?
Audrey - I had asked
the writers this as well. The only answers I had were that Afton ,one, was named after a
city and a river.
Ultimate Dallas -Longhorn1
from The Emerald City asks Can you tell us about the childrens show you produce?
Audrey - Its a really
wonderful show, we have won many many awards its a musical educational series for
children. My sister and I both write it and my mom produces it , my sister and I are also
in the show along with children and some larger than life characters and our own children
have been in it as well. So its been a really wonderful rewarding time in our lives. Its
called the Huggabug Club. It was a web site at http://www.Huggabugclub.com
Ultimate Dallas - As
you work closely with your sister and your mother is it one big happy family? Any sibling
rivalry?
Audrey - It is one big
happy family but there are arguments and disagreements as there would be with any with any
kind of business partners. But we have worked together for so many years , my mom has been
our manager from where we were very young. So we are used to working together and we know
each of our strengths and we go to the person who has that area of expertise. By the way
the BBC are interviewing for a show "when shoulder pads ruled the world" it
sounds great.
Ultimate Dallas - yes
the Ultimate Dallas site was approached for that too (laughs)
Ultimate Dallas - Danny
James from the UK asks What do you do in your spare time?
Audrey - well I don't
have a whole lot of spare time But I have a husband and two little boys and I am very much
involved in being a mommy. I have also written a couple of screen plays and with my mother
and sister we are working on a new family adventure movie which we hope becomes a
series.
Ultimate Dallas - Zoe
Randel from CA asks What was the working day like on Dallas?
Audrey - It was
a long day, the women were usually called in around 5.15 in the morning and begin shooting
about 7.00am and we would finish at 7 in the evening.
Ultimate Dallas -
Lindy in Finland asks did you get on with Morgan Britanny in real life as your characters
despised each other?
Audrey - I wasn't
really friendly or unfriendly with her, we never socialized off the set. I don't really
know her too well.
Ultimate Dallas - Well
thank you very much Audrey.
Audrey - Your welcome
and I enjoyed talking to you. Please say Hi to all my fans for me and hopefully we will do
a reunion and I will back on your screens again.
Ultimate Dallas - Just
one more question quickly, many people have asked how they can get Dallas back for the Get
Dallas Back campaign which is about to launch at http://www.getdallasback.com?
What can fans do?
Audrey - well the last
time Larry was executive producer on it might be a good time to ask him. But don't forget
to tell him how important Afton was (laughs) ok ? Sometimes the older generation on the
show forget and that did happen for the second reunion they forgot (laughs)
Ultimate Dallas - yes
I have a question here from Danny James in the UK asking the same thing , where were you?
Audrey - That is a
very good question. I got many letters asking the same thing (laughs)
Ultimate Dallas - Well
hopefully for the 3rd you will be there.
Audrey - I hope so. So
if all these wonderful fans out there want to talk to Larry tell him how much they
loved Afton too. (laughs)
Special Thanks to Audrey Landers. It was an
absolute pleasure to speak to you.
Subscribe to the newsletter
to get the Latest Info.
