By Christina Radish

We all have regrets, we’ve all made mistakes. Imagine if you could actually go back in time and fix them? Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk) can, and desperately needs to. She’s 32 years old and facing a premature mid-life crisis. With no boyfriend, no job and no prospects, her life is in shambles and she often blames her past mistakes for her current predicament.

That’s where Dr. Tom (Michael Riley) comes in. Part therapist, part mysterious rogue, he enters Erica’s life at a time when nothing seems to be going right for her and offers one simple proposition: Whatever she is unhappy about, he can fix it. He sends Erica back in time to excavate her past, relive her regrets and make different choices this time around.

Canadian actress and series star Erin Karpluk spoke with MediaBlvd Magazine about playing the lead role on the SoapNet dramedy Being Erica.

MediaBlvd Magazine> How did you get interested in acting? Did you just always know that you wanted to be a performer, or was there something that led to it?

Erin Karpluk> It was a secret dream. I remember saying to my best friend, “Doesn’t everybody want to be an actor?,” and she looked at me and was like, “No!” I grew up in a really small town, called Jasper National Park, in Alberta, Canada. It’s about 4,500 people. So, I didn’t grow up acting. We didn’t have a drama class in school. I played hockey and did sporting events. But, in Grade 11, they did a mock disaster, which is when they dispel the emergency response team, so we had to act like we were victims and we were given a simulated scenario that we had to act out, and we had make-up teams that came in and gave us injuries. Once we started the exercise, I just got into it and it felt like home. My guidance counselor, who was also a volunteer firefighter, did the exercise with me and then, the next day, he was like, “ Erin, you should be an actor. That was fantastic!” He was the first guy to open up the doors for thinking that it was something I might want to pursue. Then, I went to the University of Victoria and received a degree in fine arts, specializing in theater, and I moved to Vancouver and started doing television work right away. I was very fortunate, in that respect.

MediaBlvd> How did you originally get involved with Being Erica?

Erin> From my understanding, they had seen a previous show that I was on, called Godiva’s. I put the audition on tape in Vancouver, which I do a lot. They were interested, so they flew me out and we did a screen test, in front of all the producers and the heads of the CBC, and I worked opposite Michael Riley, who plays Dr. Tom. And then, I found out a week later that I got the part.

MediaBlvd> What was it about playing this role that interested you in the project?

Erin> I loved the character. I like her because she’s so entirely flawed and very complex and continuously evolving, which is really fun to play, as an artist. I like playing flawed people that are a bit awkward and insecure, but still try to play them with a bit of resiliency of overcoming things and trying to make the most of their life.                     

MediaBlvd> Were you nervous at all about playing the title character of the series?

Erin> The bigger the part I have, the less nervous I get because you’re trusted in telling the story. Once I’m given that permission, I’m happy to take the reins. Because she is such an exciting character to play, I wasn’t nervous. I was excited. I find it harder to play supporting parts because you’re jumping onto someone else’s machine and helping them row. I like holding the helm.

MediaBlvd> For those who might not have seen the show yet, how would you describe it, with all of its different elements?

Erin> The one thing I wouldn’t want to mislead people with is that, even though it is a time travel show, it’s not science fiction. It’s an hour-long comedy/drama, and the time travel element is more of a catalyst for Erica’s growth and development, and learning from past mistakes to make more informed decisions in the present that then enable her to, hopefully, pave a brighter future for herself. It’s a mix between so many different things. People think it’s My Name is Earl meets Peggy Sue Got Married meets Sex and the City, but it’s unique unto itself and it’s quite universal. People can certainly relate to regret.

MediaBlvd> How would you describe Erica, and what could you relate to most with her?

Erin> We’re roughly the same age, and I can certainly identify with her relationship struggles. We have a lot of freedom now, particularly as women in North America, as far as education goes. My mom always said that, when she was 19, you either became a nurse or a teacher, and you got married and had kids, and that was just the path that you went on. Right now, there are so many opportunities available to us that it can be overwhelming, for men and women alike. Even if you are educated, you get out into the workforce and you’re just like, “What do I want to do? Where do I want to do this?” The one thing about the show that I do like, in relation to Erica, is that unlike Sex and the City, that just deals with Carrie’s sexual relationships and her friendships, we explore Erica’s spirituality, her career, her sexual relationships and her family quite extensively, in the second part of the first season. It’s all those different spheres of life, which made it always interesting, dynamic and different to play.

MediaBlvd> Were you able to give any specific input into the development of the character, or was she enough on the page that you didn’t feel you needed to do that?

Erin> When I first got the part, I sat down with the creator, Jana Sinyor. The character is loosely based on Jana’s sister, so I just liked hearing her talk about her sister. I didn’t know where the season was going to be going, but from the information that I was given, I had a pretty good idea. The writers are really great. We work well together, and got more and more comfortable, as the season went on. And, they certainly have been great at allowing me to have artistic freedom during shooting, throwing in ad-libs. About 80% of the time, they were like, “Way to go Erin! Good one!” And then, 20% of the time, they’d be like, “Bring it back in and rewind.” It was fun. The character is always evolving. I got some of the future storylines, for a possible second season, out of our producers, and I’m excited about where Erica will go.

MediaBlvd> Did you have to do anything specific to get into the mind-set of being a teenager again, or was that easy to do?

Erin> For me, it was easier than the other actors because whenever Erica time travels, she’s still a 32-year-old woman on the inside. She has the life experience and the foresight of a 32-year-old, even when she’s being catapulted back in time, into her 16-year-old body. She’s the same person, whereas the other actors actually time travel. For Vinessa Antoine, who plays Judith, when we’re back being 16, she actually has to have the mentality of a 16-year-old. A lot of the humor and the comedy, and a lot of the struggle, comes from Erica going back in time and having to try to be this 16-year-old, when she’s really 32. There’s a certain amount of responsibility that she has to take, but it’s also fun. That’s where a lot of the humor in the series comes from.

MediaBlvd> Did you do anything to establish your on screen friendship with Vinessa?

Erin> She’s dope! We have so much fun together. The entire cast is really good. Sarah Gadon, who plays Katie, and Paula Brancati, who plays Jenny, and Vinessa and I are the core group of gals. Vinessa is older than me, in real life, and the other two girls are almost a decade younger than me, but we were always hanging out. Every time we’re in Toronto, we go out to dinner. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury in television to sit down and be able to explore chemistry with people. You just turn up on the set and do it. So, I was very lucky to work opposite Vinessa. We have a lot of fun.

MediaBlvd> You have a great chemistry with Tyron Leitso. Did that just happen?

Erin> He is the perfect example of just being thrown into something. He was a very last minute casting choice. Because it’s such a pivotal character in the series, the producers and the casting director did an extensive search, in Los Angeles and all across Canada, and he was plucked from obscurity, from a small island on the west coast of Canada, where he was building his solar-powered dream home. And then, he was thrown onto the other side of the county, into this television show that was already up and going. It was a lot for him, but he handled it really well and we were very lucky to have him on board.

MediaBlvd> What is Michael Riley like to work with and what does he bring to the project?

Erin> He’s a prolific actor in Canada. He’s a multiple Gemini Award winner, which is the Canadian equivalent to the Emmys. He’s had so much experience in acting, in theater and in the film and television world. When I did my screen test, I read opposite him and it just all fell into place. I wasn’t nervous, as soon as we started acting, because he gave me so much and he’s so supportive, respectful and generous, and that can’t help but bleed into the relationship with Erica and Dr. Tom. Even though it’s a tough love relationship that they have, he certainly respects Erica and wants the best for her. The crew loves it when Michael is working because we just hammer through dialogue, like no one else’s business. He’s fantastic! I can’t say enough good things about working with him.

MediaBlvd> How is it to spend time and shoot in Toronto? Did you get any time to hang out in the city, or were you on a pretty tight shooting schedule?

Erin> Because my character is in most every scene, I did 16-hour days, and there was a stint where I worked 28 days straight. It was pretty full-on. No complaints, though. I’m happy to do it. The most I saw of Toronto was actually through shooting because we shot in really beautiful locations. The producers really wanted to make a point of showcasing Toronto for what it is because a lot of times it will act as a different city, depending on the project. We used Toronto for Toronto, and they wanted to make it look sexy. A lot of my getting to know Toronto was just from being on location and seeing it firsthand.

MediaBlvd> Did you particularly enjoy any of the fashion, or was there anything that you just couldn’t believe that you had to wear?

Erin> What were we thinking in the 90's? Our hair, make-up and wardrobe people did an amazing job researching it. We had a lot of magazines from 90210 days, early Friends days and early Sex and the City days. I used to fight with the make-up lady, who’s lovely, because she would fill in my eyebrows a lot, when we’d go back in time, which looked so foreign. It looked like caterpillars on my face, but it actually made me look younger and it was suitable for the time frame. The hair was fun, too. When we were doing the pilot, I just said, “Let’s really go for it. I don’t think the audience will buy it, if she doesn’t look a certain way.” So, we went full-on with the Doc Marten’s, the swimsuit tops that tuck into your jeans, the plaid shirts from the grunge era. We had a lot of fun with it. The wardrobe people did a fantastic job of pinpointing different eras and different iconic looks that people can identify with.

MediaBlvd> Was part of the appeal of doing this show and possibly committing to something long-term the fact that, with the different eras, you almost get to be playing different characters all the time?

Erin> Absolutely! When I first read the pilot, I didn’t understand where the series could go. I was like, “How many regrets does this woman actually have?”And then, as they started writing the series and we developed it, I was floored by the amount of possibilities and the doors that were opened up with the time travel and with Erica’s evolution. It became increasingly exciting, as we were shooting. They didn’t paint us into a corner, as far as, “Where do we go from here?” It really blew the doors open. I’m really excited for a possible Season 2 because I know where it would go.

MediaBlvd> You get to experience so many different emotions and situations with this show. Was anything particularly fun or memorable, and was anything particularly challenging?

Erin> I really liked flashing back to the early family days with the brother and sister. There is one episode where we go to Centre Island, and we’re all quite young and eating cotton candy. I like the storylines with the family because I have an older brother and I really love my family, so I enjoyed that immensely. She’s trying to just let go and be a kid again. That’s a part of her learning as well. Her brother is actually dead in the present. In going back, the season-ender focuses on her regrets to do with that. That was very difficult, emotionally, to do. It was important, but it definitely wasn’t the comedic side of the season, and everyone could feel that on set. A lot of the crew had lost people as we were shooting, so it was really difficult, when that came around. Everyone was quite somber, supportive and professional. It was just one of those storylines that everyone can identify with because we all lose people.

MediaBlvd> In what ways do you think you’re like Erica and how are you different from her? What has playing her taught you about yourself?

Erin> What I’ve learned the most from this show is to just let things go, and not hang onto things or have guilt or regret, or worry about things because they’re really pointless emotions to have. From playing her and in shooting as fast as we did, and how intense the whole shooting process was, I just learned to let go of things and roll with the punches, and float downstream instead of trying to swim out. I’m similar to Erica, when it comes to relationships. I’m not so good on the love end of things, and I can identify with how difficult it is to date, nowadays. And, I can relate to her family life. My parents are divorced and her parents are divorced. But, we differ as far as our careers go. I’ve always been very focused and fortunate to have known what I wanted to do and pursued it, and I think that Erica has let things get in the way of her following her dreams.

MediaBlvd> In doing the show, have you given any thought to experiences in your life that you’d like to go back and erase or change, or do you feel like you’d rather keep everything the way that it’s been because it would otherwise alter who you are?

Erin> I’ve thought about it a lot. At the end of the day, because my family is healthy and happy, and I’ve got amazing friends and I love my job, I would be reluctant to change anything. Of course, I’ve made a billion mistakes. I don’t think you can get anywhere in life without making mistakes. But, it’s only a mistake if you keep making it and don’t learn from it. So, I would be reluctant to go back and change anything because I wouldn’t want to alter anything right now. That being said, there are a few things that would keep me up at night, if I gave them energy.

MediaBlvd> Do you get approached by fans often? Is there anything that you typically hear from them?

Erin> I get stopped in grocery stores. People will be like, “Oh, my God, I love the show!” Some people say, “I really identify with the show. I even found myself crying last night. I wasn’t planning on watching the show, but then it just sucked me in. I wish I would have done a few things differently.” From the feedback that I’m getting, I’ve learned that it really makes people think, which I couldn’t be more happy with because it makes me a part of something that makes people reflect, have an hour of escape, and maybe have a laugh or a cry. What’s surprising is the amount of men that are responding to the show. A lot of my guy friends are like, “I got sucked into watching this show because my girlfriend or my wife wanted me to, and I’m hooked now. What’s happening next week?” Regrets are universal. Regardless of your age, class, race or sex, everyone can relate to that. It’s been really positive.

MediaBlvd> You’ve done a lot of guest spots on various sci-fi shows, like Flash Gordon, Bionic Woman, Supernatural, The Dead Zone, Taken and Dark Angel. Is there something in that genre that you’re drawn to, or is it just a coincidence that you’ve worked on so many sci-fi shows?

Erin> Vancouver is the capital of sci-fi. The majority of the shows that shoot there are science fiction, so just being an actor, working in the city, I’ve tended to work on a lot of those shows because that’s what’s here. But, I love fantastical stuff. I’m not so good with the lingo on the spaceship shows. Normally, I’m really good with dialogue, but when it comes to spaceship stuff, it’s hard for me to get my mouth around the words, moreso than even playing doctors or lawyers. It makes sense to me, if you’re talking about biology or law. The space stuff is tricky, but I do enjoy it. And, I love doing horror films, just because they’re so fun and they’re usually very physical. I like to keep my career as versatile as I can, just to keep challenging myself and playing different things.

MediaBlvd> If you had your choice, are there types of roles or specific genres that you’d like to do, but haven’t gotten the chance to yet?

Erin> I would love to do a superhero action movie. I would love to do something very physically demanding. I tend to get cast as the girl-next-door type or the quirky type, in more comedic stuff, and I would love to someday just play a villain.