Interview (Being Erica): The Transformation of Erin Karpluk

The critically acclaimed and highly rated series “Being Erica” is finally back on SOAPnet for its third season. Erin Karpluk and cast are ready to start another round of time-traveling psychotherapy Jan. 26 on SOAPnet at 11 p.m. ET/PT. Erica has graduated to group therapy, which means the introduction of some new cast members (as well as a few visits from some familiar faces). I spoke with Erin recently to get the scoop on the new season.

Daytime Dial: Without giving too much away, what can fans expect for season three?

Erin Karpluk: It’s the same show, but we just went deeper into everything, into all of Erica’s different relationships and into her therapy. The new season is about transformations. There’s a character, Adam, that’s introduced, and Erica and Adam end up with a very strong connection to each other. There’s a new doctor, Dr. Arthur. We have characters that return: Kai returns; Cassidy returns; Erica’s sister, Sam, gets a boyfriend, Lenin. Barb (Erica’s mom) goes through some serious life changes. And there’s Erica’s budding business with Julianne. They’re trying to get 50/50 Press up and running, and it’s just the humps and bumps of being young entrepreneurs and starting a business.

DD: What is it like working with the new actors, especially in the group-therapy sessions?

EK: It was great. We have been very fortunate on the show that every actor that has come on board has been very professional and has had a really good grasp of their character. It’s interesting for Erica to have companions going through the same thing. I think it makes it more interesting than to just watch Erica grow and go at it alone; you have other people’s takes on it. We explore other characters’ pasts as well; it’s not just about Erica.

DD: What can you tell me about Adam and Erica’s relationship?

EK: They develop a very strong connection, and I don’t think that it’s what the audience might think it’s going to be. The relationship evolves throughout the season. With people who have watched it here (in Canada), they never really anticipate it. Adam Fergus, who plays Adam, is from a place just outside of Dublin, Ireland. He came on board, and within the first week of shooting, all the crew had his number and were inviting him to barbecues. He just has a super-good heart and gets along so well with the cast and crew, and there’s a lot of laughs on set with him. He also brings a certain masculine vibe to the show.

DD: What can you tell me about Kai’s return?

EK: I was only told to say that Kai does return — dot, dot, dot. It is lovely having Sebastian (Pigott) back. You know, when you work with an actor that intensely, when they come back, it’s just like riding a bike. It’s very nice to fall into that relationship again, certainly for Erica, because she doesn’t know if she’s ever going to see him again.

DD: What would you say to encourage new viewers to watch the show?

EK: The show has such a universal theme: regret. Regardless of where you are in the world — your age, your race, your class, your anything — everybody has regret. And I think that just that magical element of being able to go back and relive your regrets or try to fix them is enough of a hook that people would want to go in. Plus the nostalgia of the music of the ’90s and the clothes and the fashion whenever Erica time-travels — who doesn’t love that?