Interview (Being Erica): Things Heat Up for Adam

“Being Erica” is well into its third season on SOAPnet, with Erica getting acclimated to her new business as well as group therapy. Adam Fergus, who plays patient Adam Fitzpatrick on the show, stands out as a man whose been on the wrong path in life who’s trying to make amends and make it right. Beginning Wednesday (11 p.m. ET/PT), things for Adam really start heating up, as we learn more about his past, and where that will take him in the future. When I spoke with Adam recently, he shared with me his experiences of being the new guy on a hit show.

Daytime Dial: You were a new cast member coming into the third season. “Being Erica” was already established, with its vocal fan base in place. Were you ever nervous about fitting in or if your character would be embraced by the fans?

Adam Fergus: I’ve always been the kind of person who is pretty easygoing. The Canadians are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life — I was so welcomed. So, as a person, I had absolutely no problems fitting in. I got along with the cast and the crew and everybody involved. But in terms of my character, yeah, I was worried that my character was going to be pulled by the network after a couple of episodes because they didn’t like him. But after a couple of episodes, everyone was coming up to me and saying how happy they were with the character. But you don’t really know how it’s going to be perceived until the audience critiques the character, so, I was pretty nervous when we were filming it.

DD: How were you able to assimilate into the time-traveling world of “Being Erica”?

AF: You have to give credit to Erin (Karpluk, who plays Erica) first and foremost. She’s so good, and she’s such a technically brilliant and gifted actress. She remembers everything that’s happened in any of the episodes in any of the previous two seasons. She keeps us on our toes.

DD: When I spoke with Erin a few months back, she said you bring a kind of masculinity to the show that had been lacking before. What do YOU think you bring to the show?

AF: Well, that (masculinity) is first and foremost what the team of all four executive producers wanted to bring to the show. Initially, the part wasn’t for an Irish guy at all. It was sort of added to the story and changed as the season went on. But initially we hadn’t really decided whether I was going to play it in a Canadian or Irish accent. There was going to be a Canadian character and an Irish character. Everyone was of the opinion that they liked the Irish character better. Toronto is such a multicultural city, and Canada seems like a nation that embraces everybody.

DD: Aside from being the heart and soul of the show, what do you think Erin brings to “Being Erica”?

AF: You know, it’s funny — the character of Erica is such a wonderful character. I love the fact that she is such a flawed person and easy to relate to — and not just for women, but for anybody. Some of the situations that Erica has been in, I had been in during my life. And I think that’s the thing, that it transcends those kind of barriers, and the fact that she’s not the perfect supermodel. And then what Erin has brought to that character — she has amazes us.

DD: As we all know, Adam rejected Erica’s advances in episode six, which really could have put you in the doghouse with the female viewers. And yet we just can’t stay mad at you. How do you do it?

AF: That was obviously a worry I had. But it comes down to Jana’s (Sinyor) and Aaron’s (Martin) writing and the whole writing team. The whole show really creates such well-balanced characters and well-written dialogue. To be able to say the words they write and play the character that they’ve written is a great opportunity.

DD: I think it also has to do with the accent. I don’t know about Canadian women, but I know we American women are suckers for a man with an accent.

AF: Yes. I’m never losing it. I’m going to try to be like Sean Connery and always have it about me my entire career. He seems to have gotten away with it very easily. On second thought, I don’t know if I will. I’m no Sean Connery anyway.

DD: What do you enjoy about playing the character of Adam?

AF: Adam has a dark and dangerous past with an abusive family. Not that anybody craves that, but it’s an interesting thing to try to play, to get to these places where it’s believable for an audience and they embrace you as a character as well. And the fact that he has sort of detached emotionally from the real world, and as you find out later on in the season why that is, it’s a maternal issue he has. That is why people can relate to him. You can see that he struggles with it and he doesn’t know why he struggles with it. He doesn’t understand that you can actually be friends with and have a relationship with the girl that you are sleeping with. And it actually works better that way.

DD: Tell me about Adam’s journey as it relates to the next few episodes.

AF: It’s a subtle journey that he goes on. It’s all about the discoveries that he makes. I did some of the most emotional stuff I’ve ever played as an actor in some of the scenes in (the coming episode). If you can get to those emotional places and make it believable as an actor, you achieve your goal. Michael Riley (who plays Dr. Tom) sent me a text after reading the script for this episode that said: “This is a great one for you.” Michael was a great help and a great influence on all of us the entire season. He was very supportive, especially in those big scenes I have to do coming up.

DD: Adam wants so badly to be a good person. How much is that a driving force for him?

AF: I think he struggles. I think he wants to be this ideal person that doesn’t really exist. It’s because of Erica and group therapy and Dr. Tom that he discovers that it’s OK to be able to give yourself a second chance. You don’t have to beat yourself up for the rest of your life just because you made some bad choices. We see from the beginning that he’s already made some big steps with Dr. Tom, and he really is trying, but I don’t think he’s figured out how to do it yet. It’s through Erica and through Dr. Tom that he finds his path.

DD: We recently got word that “Being Erica” has been renewed for a fourth season. What do you hope for Adam’s future?

AF: I think there is going to be an interesting dynamic between Adam and Erica. I’d like to see him grow up a little bit more. I’d definitely like to learn a little bit more about his relationship with his brother and see if they can develop that in any way. Hopefully he continues to grow and achieve his goal. He is kind of halfway there already.

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?

Being Erica Season Finale

Don't miss the shocking season finale of Being Erica, "The Importance of Being Erica."

Erica's perfect life is turned upside down when she finally makes some big decisions: Will she and Ethan stay together or will she choose Kai? And will she take a big leap with her career?

Plus, Dr. Tom adds a major twist to her therapy that opens up a world of possibilities. The season finale of Being Erica, airs WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m., ET/PT) on SOAPnet.

Trust me — you don't want to miss this!

Interview (Being Erica): Sebastian Pigott: From Canadian Idol Finalist to Being Erica Star

Sebastian Pigott, who plays Kai Booker on SOAPnet’s “Being Erica,” is not a household name in the U.S. like he is in his native Canada — yet. Sebastian, who made it to the finals of “Canadian Idol” in 2008, is a singer, songwriter and actor who is well on his way to capturing the hearts of American viewers. This week especially is an important week for his alter ego, Kai, as we learn more about his past when Erica travels into the future (at a time that is actually Kai’s past — confusing on paper, but it all makes sense on the screen).

But let’s back up a few years to “Canadian Idol.” Sebastian describes the experience as “really surreal, and an intense kind of experience — a real baptism by fire. It was a crash course; you can’t buy that kind of experience. It actually took me a while to recover from.”

He is grateful for everything the show gave him and taught him. “A great thing about ‘Canadian Idol’ is it really made me get my ass in gear and take (singing and songwriting) seriously and really work at it. If you want to do something well as a professional, you have to have discipline and work hard.

“I was acting in earnest for a good three or four years before I did ‘Canadian Idol.’
That’s another thing you have to give credit to the show for, because since then, I’ve been working solidly.”

Sebastian got his musical start pretty early in life. He explains: “My mother is kind of a Bohemian. My father passed away when I was 7, so she decided to up and move us to Portugal. We lived there for about five years, and that’s where my brother and I started playing. That’s when we got our first guitars and keyboard.

“I remember I was 8 years old, and by the time I was 10, we got gigs playing up and down the tourist spots along the coast — these two little Canadian boys. As an artist, it helps to have unique things like this in your past, it helps to give you a different perspective.”

Playing a tortured artist like Kai has also given Sebastian a different perspective. Kai has returned to his past, which is Erica’s present day, to try to fix a huge regret. “He is really messed up. I get the impression he is really decent dude, and he’s got a lot going on, but he is just really messed up. He is going through something that others can only imagine.

“It must be an insane experience. He’s reunited with his friend (who is Kai’s present day has committed suicide). To me, Kai’s whole story line is a love story, the love he has for his friend. Even just to fantasized about what it must be like to be reunited with someone you had lost, I just think his head is spinning. He is in a freefall and he is just grabbing for branches.”

As Erica had to do at the end of the first season, Kai is wrestling with the fact that he can’t change the past. It’s difficult, as Sebastian explains, because “he’s there with his best friend again, he’s alive, and he doesn’t care about the rules or what’s right and wrong. He wants to do it his way.”

This season marks a “first” for Erica, because she finally gets to meet someone who is experiencing the same kind of unique therapy that she is going through. “Erica has become a part of Kai’s therapy. She is certainly helping him through it. Kai’s effect on her life is a little less intangible; he shows her that there is other stuff out there. She sees a kindred spirit in Kai, and she digs it.”

Don’t forget to watch “Being Erica” on SOAPnet every Wednesday night at 10 p.m., and see if you dig it too.

Interview (Being Erica): Erin Karpluk Continues Righting Past Wrongs

The time-travel dramedy “Being Erica” is back on SOAPnet for its second season beginning tonight, and no one could be happier than the series’ star, Erin Karpluk. “I am over the moon” that SOAPnet picked it up for Season Two, Erin tells me. While “Being Erica” already is a popular show in its native Canada — the show was nominated for seven Geminis (equivalent to our Emmy Awards), with Erin winning the Best Actress Gemini — the show is steadily picking up steam here in America.

For those unfamiliar with the show, “Being Erica” is a quirky and inventive drama (with many comedic moments) where the show’s protagonist, Erica Strange, is going through a unique kind of psychiatric therapy: Each show brings a new situation where Erica gets to travel back in time to one of her past regrets, and she gets to do things differently to try to make things right.

Last season, Erica did a lot of learning and self-evaluating. “This season,” Erin tells me, “Erica uses what she has been learning and applies it in her own life, and also uses it to try to help others. The show is sexier and edgier, and it is more forward-thinking. We are also pushing the boundaries of time travel.”

Part of this boundary-pushing is the introduction of a new character, Kai Booker, whom Erica soon learns is undergoing the same type of time-travel therapy that she is. Hence the idea of Erica using what she is learning to try to help others.

Kai is played by Sebastian Pigott, a top-10 finalist from Season Six’s “Canadian Idol.” Erin was very impressed by her new co-star. “He is so talented, such a great singer and performer. He even sings one of his own songs on the show, ‘Alien.’ You’ll be very impressed.”

Season Two started with a bang: After Dr. Tom dropped Erica for violating his trust at the end of the previous season, this first episode focused on what made Dr. Tom who he is today and why he reacted to Erica in such a severe way. Erin tells me: “Michael (Riley) is a fantastic actor. It was great to see more of Dr. Tom — to see him being vulnerable and adding more layers onto his character. We also answered the questions posed in the cliffhanger, while blasting open even more questions for the rest of the season.”

While Erica is exploring life and love, much will take place at her workplace, River Rock Publishing. This season will see a change in allegiances, as Brent (played by Morgan Kelly) angles for more responsibility and a possible promotion. As this happens, his friendship with Erica becomes threatened.

“As actors, Morgan and I were devastated, because we love working together and sharing the office camaraderie, but we know that there has to be conflict. The writers have to throw in some hooks and mix it up.”

On the flip side, we’ll see the blossoming of Erica’s relationship with her snarky boss, Julianne, played by the wonderful Reagan Pasternak. “Reagan is a riot; she is so great,” Erin reveals. “Erica’s relationship with Julianne continues to grow. We’ll get to see more shades of Julianne’s character without her losing her edge.”

Erin was also excited to explore Erica’s relationship with Ethan, her longtime best friend who became her boyfriend at the end of last season. “Erica learns a lot about herself by being in a relationship with Ethan. She is learning and growing. She is not just the girl filled with regrets.”

Would Erin like to have a “do-over” in her own life, if one were offered to her? Her answer sounds very Dr. Tom-esque: “Sure, there are some things I’d like to do over. But I also feel it is important to make mistakes in life, and learn from them. They make you who you are.”

You can catch “Being Erica” every Wednesday on SOAPnet at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).

Catch Up on Being Erica

Season 2 of Being Erica premieres January 20 on SOAPnet. But for those of you who missed Season 1 of the show, now's your chance to catch up. Believe me, you don't want to miss this smart, funny and touching comedy/drama.

Start by reading my interview with star Erin Karpluk. Then, catch up on encores of the show on SOAPnet, which will begin airing Saturdays beginning Oct. 17 at 5PM/4c and Sundays at 11PM/10c.

SOAPnet.com is also airing Being Erica webisodes. Every weekday leading to the 17th, you can catch two installments of the Web series here.

Interview: Erin Karpluk Tries to Fix Past Mistakes

A few weeks back, SOAPnet premiered its new original series, Being Erica, which follows the life of 32-year-old Erica Strange, who is given the chance to revisit various events from her past that caused regret so she can attempt to fix them. The show has been met with rave reviews, and its talented star, Erin Karpluk, deserves most of the credit.

Erin explains what drew her to the character of Erica: “I loved the character, because she is just an average gal, but she’s so flawed and awkward. And yet she is resilient in overcoming all of the adversity that has been thrown at her in life. She is very candid and funny. It is the opportunity of a lifetime to get a chance to go back in time with the foresight, the life experiences and past mistakes, and trying to overcome them. The stakes are always really high in playing this character, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Being Erica has the honesty and humor of My So-Called Life and the time-travel/fantasy aspect of Quantum Leap. And, like the latter, Erica realizes that “when she does go back in time, she has a very big responsibility, and she knows that what she does in the past really affects those around her. The things that she learns isn’t ‘paint-by-numbers,’ it’s messy, just like life.”

And, just like life, Erica has her flaws. “The appeal of the show and the character is that everyone has regrets, and we all make mistakes in life,” Erin says. “We all fall down in our career and life, and we pick ourselves up and push on. I can really identify with her. She’s a relatable gal.”

Unlike many nighttime dramas, Being Erica appeals to men and women alike. Erin explains: “It’s a comedy/drama, and some of the themes are very awkward, like losing your virginity. We cover all the different spheres in life, like spirituality, friendships, romantic relationships, career, family — everyone can relate to that because those are our different spheres in life.”

Another aspect that many of us can relate to is the throwback to the late-’80s/ early ’90s fashions during the time-travel sequences. Erin and her cast mates had a lot of fun relieving the fashion, and fashion blunders, of the time.

“The cast of (the original) 90210, that was our go-to template for fashion during the flashbacks — Shannen Doherty with the bangs and the really white foundation and the thick eyebrows. We had so much fun with the Doc Martens and all the wardrobe. But the hyper-color shirts and the Mom jeans, I could do without those.

“And the music is the best. Music is one of those things for sense memory that can flip you right back to that grade 9 dance when you are slow-dancing to Guns N’ Roses ‘November Rain.’ It takes you right back to that time and place.”

Even if you might have missed the first few episodes, you should still tune in and catch yourself up. Erin says: “Every episode takes on an entirely different feel. As I watch them now, I am finding that they are all like mini movies. But they’re not all tied up with a cute little bow at the end of every episode, with Erica learning her lesson for the week. Sometimes when she goes back to fix the regret, she realizes that it wasn’t really a regret at all. It was just a hard lesson to learn.”

Being Erica airs on SOAPnet Thursday nights at 10 ET/PT.

Must See TV: SOAPnet's Being Erica

If you haven't been watching SOAPnet's newest original series, Being Erica, then you need to remedy that, quick!

For those who don't know about it, here is the show's description:

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

Enter Dr. Tom, part therapist, part mysterious rogue. He comes into 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. And with that they begin their extraordinary journey together, as he sends Erica back in time to excavate her past, to relive her regrets, and to make different choices this time around.

We've all, at different points, had the feeling that our lives would be much better if only we'd made wiser decisions in the past. In a world of big dreams and even bigger expectations, we're quick to label ourselves 'failures' when we fall short of achieving these goals.

In Being Erica, we empathize with some of these universal regrets through the eyes of our 32-year-old heroine, Erica Strange. Her experiences and insights are comical, sometimes whimsical, and always poignant. In each episode Erica discovers if what could have been should have been.

I had the chance recently to talk with the show's star, Erin Karpluk, and here is a portion of that interview:

Erin explains what drew her to the character of Erica: “I loved the character, because she is just an average gal, but she’s so flawed and awkward. And yet she is resilient in overcoming all of the adversity that has been thrown at her in life. She is very candid and funny. It is the opportunity of a lifetime to get a chance to go back in time with the foresight, the life experiences and past mistakes, and try to overcome them. The stakes are always really high in playing this character, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Being Erica has the honesty and humor of My So-Called Life and the time-travel/fantasy aspect of Quantum Leap. And, like the latter, Erica realizes that “when she does go back in time, she has a very big responsibility, and she knows that what she does in the past really affects those around her. The things that she learns isn’t ‘paint-by-numbers,’ it’s messy, just like life.”

And, just like life, Erica has her flaws. “The appeal of the show and the character is that everyone has regrets, and we all make mistakes in life,” Erin says. “We all fall down in our career and life, and we pick ourselves up and push on. I can really identify with her. She’s a relatable gal.”

I have seen the first six episodes of Being Erica, and each one just gets better and better. Tune into SOAPnet on Thursday nights at 10 ET/PT, and see what all the hubbub is about. You won't be disappointed.

Erica returns to the early '90s to fix a mistake made at her high-school dance.