A showbiz couple gave up their lives in crime-ridden Los Angeles to give their children a “normal” upbringing in Texas – and say they are delighted with the decision.
Sainty and Eric Nelsen recently told KHOU11 about their decision to return to Sainty’s hometown after years in California for the sake of their children.
The couple met in New York while they were pursuing their respective successful careers on stage and in film.
They soon married and moved to Los Angeles, where they cemented their success in Hollywood – the couple have two Tony Awards and seven Emmy Awards between them.
But after the birth of their daughter, they decided that Texas could offer something that Los Angeles couldn’t: a “normal, amazing education with a good foundation.”
Sainty (left) and Eric (right) Nelsen, and their two children, moved from the Hollywood Hills in recent years to Fort Worth, Texas.
Despite their mainstream success, Eric says he always knew he wanted to settle down in his wife’s down-to-earth hometown.
“I knew that one day I wanted to live here. I just didn’t know when it would be possible. So we had our daughter and I finally said, OK, maybe this is the time,” he said.
“Let’s get her out of Los Angeles, let’s go see her family.” Let’s leave her with a normal, amazing education, with good foundations. So we took the plunge! »
After swapping the exorbitantly priced, homeless encampment-filled streets of Los Angeles for Fort Worth, Nelsen received career news that seemingly confirmed the wisdom of the family’s move.
He received a call from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, who told him he had been cast in the series’ prequel, “1883,” set in Fort Worth.
“I was like, wait a minute, we live in Fort Worth, Texas!” Eric says that was his response when he got the call.
Since “1883” began filming in the Nelsens’ new backyard, they haven’t regretted their decision to make the city their new home.
Sainty said the couple and their children have “really embraced the whole cowboy/cowgirl culture.”
“We are completely immersed in this world,” she said, which also means the launch of a podcast, “Glamour and Grit,” by the couple, married for a decade.
The couple has now settled into their new hometown, where Sainty grew up and where they look forward to raising their children.
The decision, made about four years ago, coincided with the ongoing collapse of Los Angeles, into a place where children may or may not be safe on streets populated by homeless encampments.
The two met more than a decade ago in New York, where they were both pursuing careers in the performing arts.
The couple recently launched a podcast, Glamor and Grit, about their married life and their home in Fort Worth, where Sainty grew up.
Once settled into their new lives, they wanted to make sure they found ways to give back to their community, which for Sainty means partnering with local organizations, and for Eric, that means getting involved with local businesses.
Eric previously partnered with Bucking Bull Bourbon and also became a member of the local horse cutting community.
Horse cutting is a modern equestrian competitive event, which requires a horse and its rider to separate a single cow from a herd of cattle and prevent it from returning to the group.
Sainty has also been recognized by the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame with an award given to adults who promote Western heritage in the community through education and volunteer work.
Both men were able to continue their careers in the entertainment industry from their new home.
Both also engaged in local activities, including horseback riding competitions for Eric and the Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame for Sainty.
In addition to their extracurricular activities, the couple had no problem maintaining their professional lives in the South.
Eric travels frequently for work, but Sainty – a sought-after voice actress – is able to record voiceovers in her home studio for hit children’s television programs, including “Minions” and the TV show “Trolls.”
The two are so in love with their now permanent home that they say they can’t wait to recruit industry friends to join them.
“As soon as they get here, they all don’t want to leave,” Eric said. The friendliness and “camaraderie” of the community specifically is something “you don’t get elsewhere,” he added.
“I have never been so content and so happy in my entire life. This community has been so good to us and we want to do everything we can for it too because it has changed our lives,” Sainty said.
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