Catching Up With Eric & Sainty Nelsen

Fort Worth Digital Diary thought it was high time we caught up with one famous, local couple. Eric and Sainty Nelsen have a lot going on this spring, from movie shoots and premieres to launching their popular podcast (now in its third season), plus a new clothing line, highlighting way more than just a fashion trend. Bonified movie stars and Emmy and Tony Award-winners,  Eric and Sainty Nelsen, are wearing a few more hats these days ― ever since they decided to call Fort Worth home.

Eric Nelsen says he owes the beginnings of his career to his mother, who took a chance and moved the family from West Palm Beach, Florida, to New York City when he was 16, so Eric could take his first role on Broadway. Yes, his first role was on Broadway, and New York is also where he met Sainty, who was there chasing her own dream. They were just kids ― he was 19, she was 21. After New York, they lived in Los Angeles as well, to be close to the epicenter of the movie-making industry.

But, after living in LA for five years, they decided to move to Fort Worth in February of 2020, just before the world shut down for a lengthy quarantine. The move was so they could be closer to family. Plus, they were starting their own family, and Fort Worth is where Sainty grew up.  Now the Nelsens have two children, and Eric’s two brothers and his sister have all moved to town as well.

“I’ve never felt as at home anywhere I’ve lived,” Eric Nelsen tells Fort Worth Digital Diary.

Like many of their friends, Eric and Sainty Nelsen are busy raising their young family. That, plus a career, is a lot to juggle for anyone. But, for this couple, their chosen career adds some special curveballs that most of us never had to consider. When your job includes jetting to New York and Los Angeles, or being on location for extended periods of filming and promoting movies, your life can easily become fodder for a podcast all its own. More on that later.  

Working In The Movie Biz While Living in Fort Worth

“After Covid, the majority of my work has been filmed in the South, so I can be home on the weekends,” Eric Nelsen says. This working actor has been in high demand since his breakout role as Ennis in Taylor Sheridan’s smash hit 1883. “They didn’t even know that I was living in Fort Worth when I got that role, and of course it was filmed in and around town.”

Eric has been filming in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma as of late, with three movies releasing back to back this spring. Crossroads, which was shot in Houston, was released in late March. It is streaming on multiple platforms, including Prime Video. Shakey Grounds will be available on Apple TV on May 23. And, a new western Trail of Vengeance will be in theaters and on digital the same day, May 23, co-starring Rumer Willis.

Sainty, meanwhile, enjoys a bit more anonymity as a voice-over actor. People are less likely to stop her on the street asking for a selfie. But her role playing Pillow Cat on the smash Netflix series Gabby’s Dollhouse (by DreamWorks) is coming to theaters on September 26 ― so that could all change. Sainty has been voicing the role of Pillow Cat since the inception of Gabby’s Dollhouse, and the movie version adds mega-stars like Gloria Estefan and Kristen Wiig to the cast. She was also the voice of Nova Swift on the animated series Trolls: The Beat Goes On!

They have seven Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards between them.

Eric and Sainty say that they can manage their busy careers thanks to two things that living in Fort Worth affords them. First, they can travel anywhere easily thanks to DFW Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the world, making it a major hub with plenty of non-stop flights. Plus, they have their entire family support system here in Fort Worth.

“When we can’t be there, it’s so comforting to know that we have grandparents, aunts, and uncles who can fill in for us,” Sainty Nelsen says. “Making our children feel safe and cared for.”

Eric & Sainty Nelsen Keep It Real On The Glamour & Grit Podcast

The couple launched their podcast called Glamour & Grit in 2024. It was such a hit that they are about to begin taping season three.

“It’s our conversation and everybody gets to listen in,” Sainty says.

The podcast website defines it this way: “She’s vivacious pop culture, he’s stoic Americana.” But when we met for coffee recently, Sainty and Eric disagreed at times about who represented the glamour in their relationship and who represented the grit. To be fair, they admit those roles have overlapped at times, especially when Eric was away from home, filming, and their son was being treated at Cook Children’s for a serious health issue. In that case, Sainty was pure grit.

Personal issues like that, as well as the hilarious banter between these best friends, are taken on in equal measure in their podcast. And, while Eric might appear to be the more reserved of the two in person, he says he comes alive when the microphone is turned on.

“Glamour and Grit is about our life and the industry,” Eric says. “We share our ups and downs and our struggles. We wanted to show reality, and the podcast gave us that outlet.”

Launching Stockyard Supply Co.

As if all that were not enough, Eric and Sainty thought, why not launch a clothing company? So, Eric Nelsen co-founded Stockyard Supply Co. in 2024 along with Ryan Dukes. The lifestyle brand capitalizes on time-tested Fort Worth style with quality Western performance wear. This casual and utilitarian ranch style has also become all the rage on recent runways and in fashion magazines alike.

Western fashion is having a moment, but it’s been stylish in Fort Worth for generations, as ranching communities as well as equestrian and rodeo culture have always been at home here. The Stockyards district represents the center of Western culture and fashion after all.

Eric can now add fashion model to his lengthy resume. He’s the face of the Stockyard Supply Co. brand. You’ll see him sporting pearl snap shirts crafted from performance fabrics, as well as quilted vests and trucker hats. So, be on the lookout for the new and expanding clothing line.

While I set out to simply “catch up” with Eric and Sainty Nelsen, following our interview, I found myself simply trying to catch my breath. You can see why. It’s great to see them both so proud of calling Fort Worth home and advancing our growing entertainment industry here, right from the comfort of their home base.