In the second of my Love In Design interviews, I am quite pleased to present to you yet another actor whose prolific acting career began at a somewhat nontraditional point in his life–Eric Pollins. More than likely, Hallmark fans will recognize him from his rather extensive association with the network in recent years, and on Saturday, September 15th, we will be privileged to watch him grace our screens yet again as the father of Danica McKellar’s character in this much-anticipated premiere. Earlier this summer, Eric and I enjoyed a rather comprehensive but engaging chat about his path to becoming a working actor. Moreover, we discussed a wide range of topics with a substantial concentration on Eric’s work with the Hallmark network.

RH: Eric, it’s so nice to have the opportunity to speak with you today. 

EP: Thank you for reaching out, Ruth. I have been reading your site off and on for a while now because you’ve interviewed some of the actors from A Dash Of Love and other productions. And just reading your social media posts and all, you seem like a really nice person.

{laughs} Well, that’s good. I try to remain positive. And I plan to continue to do that with you and everyone I interview. So, Eric, how did you get started in acting?

“One of my earliest roles was in a web series called Kingdoms of Grace, in which I played Cardinal Hernandez.”

{laughs} Do you really want the whole story? It’s a long one, but I’ll abbreviate it for you. If we go back to early childhood, when I was about three years old, my mother threw me out on the stage in a talent show. They dressed me up in a costume, and they had me sing “How Much Is That Doggy In the Window?” All these years later, there must be a reason I still remember this experience. I remember being terrified as I was walking out on this stage. These bright footlights were shining up in my face. I sang the song, and people started clapping and laughing. And from then on, I was never anxious about being on the stage and performing in front of people. It’s funny how one experience in early childhood can shape a person.

In school later on, my choir teacher was very good at giving me a little extra time and attention to help me get better. I got to do a lot of solo work back then. In fact, I was one of the kids who would get to sing the national anthem on a rotating basis. From eighth grade on, I started doing musical numbers in the Glee Club, and then I eventually was auditioning for musical theater roles with the local community theater. I booked a few leads and some fun supporting roles there. I started to get a sense of myself as someone who enjoyed performing.

Now, my father was rather insistent that I become a lawyer. He saw that I would be good in that profession, and due to his encouragement, I did that for a while. In fact, I was a lawyer for twenty-three years. I will be honest though that it was really not a satisfying career for me. I was open to trying it and I did my best with it, but I never really enjoyed it the way some people did.

While I was a lawyer, along the way, I was always looking for opportunities to perform. There were the amateur revue shows in law school called “The Law Revue.” Over time, I became very dissatisfied with life and law practice. My heart wasn’t in it. I often found myself fighting with people over things I had no desire to fight over. So I retired early from my law practice at the age of forty-three.

About a year and a half later, I moved to Vancouver and started taking acting classes again. And for the last twelve years, I’ve been gradually clawing my way up the ladder in acting and loving it. I don’t make the kind of money I made as a lawyer, but I have job satisfaction that I never had before. And I love auditioning. Even when I don’t book the job, I love going out and auditioning. I have a great time with the opportunities I get every week to give a little performance here and there.

And Hallmark has been really kind to me over the past couple years. I have had some terrific supporting roles. It’s been a dream come true. I would call my path unusual because at an early point in my life, I had a clear direction that my heart and soul wanted to go in, but I didn’t have the encouragement and support to pursue this as a career back when I was younger. But eventually, the heart finds a way.

“Kingdoms of Grace was an unusual project that combined live action with animated, so I was also rendered as an animated version of the Cardinal.”

First of all, I don’t find your story boring or too drawn out. To be honest, Eric, I’ve heard much longer stories. And you’re not the only one who has left a promising career to become an actor. I find your story quite interesting and inspiring. 

I honestly used to sit and dream about being a struggling actor when I was a lawyer. And now it’s actually happened.

Your story tells the real story of being a working actor. So many people like to think that all actors live the life of celebrities, and that is just not true.

Very true. But I admit I kind of like where I’m at in the scheme of things. I want this career just enough to have a great deal of satisfaction, which I do. When I’m out and about, people will say how I look familiar, but they don’t always know why. I did a Home Depot commercial a couple of years ago, and I got a lot of people thinking I looked familiar right afterwards. It was on TV around the time of the NFL playoffs. When I get those kinds of comments, I know I’ve reached an audience, but who wants their private life interrupted by gawkers or paparazzi? I feel bad for some of the stars who have to deal with that kind of harassment.

The sentiment you’re sharing is what I hear from so many Vancouver actors. They don’t’ have to give up their private lives, but they can still do what they love for a living. So you said that you moved up to Vancouver after having one career. Where were you born?

“Some of my favorite roles have actually been in animation. In this scene, I am Henry Meyers in the environmental awareness-raising comedy, Pixies, starring Christopher Plummer and Bill Paxton. I especially love doing animation because it liberates me from my physical appearance, and so I can be anything or anyone that my imagination can conceive!”

I was born in New York, but I went to high school in New Jersey. Then I moved to Boston at the age of seventeen for university, and even though I was not a theater major there, I was a sort of drama geek. I did a couple of productions with the school of fine arts. Most of my university career was devoted to history, political science and a little bit of dabbling in photography and other arts. I always needed something to do with my hands, and I still need that to this day.

Even when my children were growing up, I would do some things to express my artistic impulses while I was practicing law. We would start in June making elaborate Halloween props and sets. We would actually build a chamber of horrors inside the front door of our house. It was very plain-looking on the outside, but when you opened the door, there was a really cool-looking set-up with the usual things. Spider webs, cauldrons filled with “smoke,” all kinds of props we had collected over the years. Also, the costumes, and in my case, very often makeup, were elaborate. We started planning months and months ahead. I was always looking for ways to perform.

I was really not complete till I made this career change. From a strictly financial standpoint, there have been some very challenging years. There have been times–not recently thankfully–when I was just barely getting by. And if it were not for a wonderfully supportive partner with a steady job–my wife–I don’t know how I could have survived. She is a phenomenally supportive person. But despite these hardships, I’ve never known a day of unhappiness. And I’ve never looked back and regretted that I made this change.

So why did you choose to move up to Vancouver when you decided to make this career change?

I’ve had one foot in Canada since I was a young boy. When I was a child, my family had a lake house in Southern Ontario. So I’ve been part-Canadian in my heart ever since I was eight years old. When I was older, my father eventually sold that property, and I moved to the West coast. I went to law school in San Francisco, and I found myself missing Canada. So I started traveling up to Vancouver around the time of Expo in 1986. And along the way in my law practice, I got involved in the real estate development business in the state of Washington. In fact, for the twenty of the twenty-three years I was practicing law, I was closely affiliated with a company that was building and developing housing in Washington. My career had me traveling to rural areas in Washington, and when I had downtime, I visited Vancouver just because I liked it here. Eventually, I found myself dating a woman in Vancouver, and as the saying goes, the rest is history.

“Some years back, I briefly went through a bearded phase and played some interesting characters with that look. My favorite by far was Sergio, the scat-singing opera star who appeared in the Disney TV series Mr. Young.”

How did you get started in this acting career once moving up to Vancouver?

I started out in an introductory acting class here in town. I didn’t know too many people, so I looked up a resource called Vancouver Actor’s Guide. In taking these classes, it impressed upon me that there was still a lot that I could learn. So I started seeking out better training.

I started teaching business law at Vancouver Film School which was an ideal transition for me. I was able to use the skills I already had to get into an environment while nurturing and nourishing myself as an actor. At Vancouver Film School, I met Deborah Harry, who was a talent agent here in Vancouver. I told her about my background. I basically auditioned for her, and after five minutes, she agreed to take me on. Whatever I did, it must have been good enough to attract her as my first agent. Deborah opened up doors for me that made it possible to make me able to fast-track myself. She sent me out on a commercial audition within the first week, and I booked it. And that will always make an agent happy.

Under One Roof
With Flavor Flav

Then I went to audition for a show called Under One Roof. It was a day player role, but it was slated to be a recurring character. Under One Roof was an unusual production. It starred a rapper named Flavor Flav. At the time, I had never heard of him. I had no idea what I was walking into, but my kids had heard of him. They kind of pumped me up a little bit so that I at least had a vague idea. He was a flamboyant, outrageous personality. It was a sitcom, which was perfect with my background in musical theater. I walked into that audition, and I booked it. It was an unusual but fascinating experience working with Flavor Flav for five days. For better or worse, the series was not renewed for a second season, so I never did get to be a recurring character. But it was a network appearance, and I think I did a very good job with the role that I played. And it started giving me access to better auditions.

At the same time, the casting director that brought me in for Under One Roof introduced me to a very prominent acting coach named Andrew McIlroy. Andrew became the single most influential person on me as an actor. I have worked with some other really stellar coaches. I mean, Aaron Craven is another that comes to mind. But I studied with Andrew steadily for three or four years. I learned the core of my craft from Andrew. It took many years for that training to become second nature. At some point, maybe five or six years ago, I gradually started getting auditions for bigger roles. And in the past couple of years, that culminated in having six appearances in Hallmark films, two of which have been supporting roles. And it’s only been more recently that I’ve been signing myself as an actor and really enjoying it now more than ever before.

Eric, you are just so easy to interview! I love the stories that you’re sharing. So thank you for that. Now, your first Hallmark movie was Summer In the City, I believe.

“A couple of years ago I was at the Leo Awards accepting an award for the short film Dollar King (directed by my son, Drew Pollins), and renewed acquaintances with Vic Sarin, the director of Hallmark’s Summer In The City.”

Yes, Summer In the City with director Vic Sarin, who turned out to be one of the nicest people in the world. Vic gave me such incredible license to improvise, and I have found that to be true with most Hallmark directors I’ve worked with. The character I’m playing in this movie is so organic and real. And that’s because Vic gave me that license to really improvise that character. There was very little scripted for that character, and Vic said, more or less, “Do whatever you want. We like what you did in the audition. Just do more of that.” And even though my role was a relatively small part, I developed a really great relationship with Vic because of that. He is really one of the sweetest, nicest people I’ve ever worked with, and as far as I am concerned, he is perfect for directing Hallmark films.

Hallmark is more than just a channel or a brand. Let me put it like this. I grew up on the Hallmark Hall of Fame. Hallmark Hall of Fame was out there long before any of these other Hallmark Channels. It would bring Shakespeare and other classic works to television in a weekly format almost before any of these other movies of the week. They always seemed to center around the holidays. Hallmark is always about the values of love, kindness, treating others as you would want to be treated. And for me, I grew up with that and I internalized it. When I started as an actor appearing in these Hallmark films, for me, it was as natural as a duck stepping into water because these are the values that are important to me.

“Here I am with Deidre Hall behind the scenes while we were filming My Christmas Dream, also starring Danica McKellar.”

From there, I went to the next one, which was My Christmas Dream. It’s a very short appearance, but there’s one moment when I’m connecting with Deidre Hall’s character and relating to a moment in our history where I have this fond memory of her character. And that moment of familial love is what made that character believable to me. And also, in my opinion, what got me cast for that role since that scene was part of the audition for this character.

My next Hallmark movie was A Dash of Love. That was my first supporting role for Hallmark, and that one had a very extensive side story. It was the relationship between Brendan Penny’s character and me as his father. That was an entire microcosm of my entire relationship with my father as I was growing up. The tensions we had, the differences of opinion, my career path, and our eventual reconciliation many years later. These Hallmark films resonate so deeply with me because I grew up with the values that are represented by the values that Hallmark is.

“And of course, here I am behind the scenes with my darling screen wife Frances Flannigan, while filming A Dash of Love for Hallmark.”

Speaking of A Dash of Love, you got to work with one of my favorite directors, Christie Will.

Oh, I love Christie! She was so awesome! She is another person who has a really positive spin on life that pervades everything she does. And even before we started working together on A Dash of Love, I bumped into her when I was there for my wardrobe fitting. She took the time to call me aside and tell me how happy she was to have me in the production and how much she was looking forward to working together. She went the extra mile to really make me feel special. When we were on set, again, she was one of the most pleasant people in the world to work with.

I can imagine. I am consistently impressed with her. Oh, and Frances Flanagan played your wife. 

Yes, oh, she was terrific! We had a lot of fun together.

You were also in one of the Hallmark murder mystery films last year.

“From Garage Sale Mystery: Murder Most Medieval, with Lori Loughlin. Of all the characters I’ve played for Hallmark, Marcus Roth was one of my favorites because we is so intensely devoted to his work as a medieval armor expert.”

Yes, it was a nice role. Garage Sale Mystery: Murder Most Medieval with Lori Loughlin. Aside from the fact that Lori is such a delightful, humble person, my role was something I really enjoyed. It was a little nerdy, but that’s what I liked about it. Something outside of my usual type role. What made that role special for me was how much this guy loved his work. As far as Hallmark is concerned, no matter what the role may be, it always seems to come back to someone’s love for something or someone. It makes a Hallmark film special.

What made that film special for me was that my friend, Sebastian Spence, played Bill Wallace in that one. 

“As with all of the characters I’ve played in Hallmark films, Marcus is driven by love .. but in this case, it’s his love of medieval armor!😊 “

Oh yes, he and I had plenty of downtime together when we are on set. Great guy.

We also just saw you on the most recent Wedding March movie. 

Yes, I was. It was a small role towards the end. But I love the fact that people will tell me that they saw me in this or that, and I just keep popping up. I am very mindful of the fact that whether it’s a small role like the pastor on Wedding March 4 or a more extended role like the father on A Dash of Love, I am very mindful of the fact that I am there to support the lead. I don’t want to pull focus away from the lead. I want to make good use of my screen time, and that fulfills my vision to support the leads. But I’m really happy when people say, “Hey, I saw you in a bunch of different things.” Even if they don’t remember what, the fact that they remember me is nice. If I made that kind of impression, then I did my job. I showed up and brought my special whatever that was for that particular movie or episode, and I didn’t pull focus from the people I was there to support.

“And here .. with director Peter Deluise while filming Wedding March 4, also starring Andrew Walker from Love In Design.”

So I’m curious. Were you aware of Wedding March series of movies before getting cast in the fourth one?

Any time I go in for an audition, if I haven’t seen the previous ones…you know, when you receive a breakdown for something called Wedding March 4, that’s your first clue that there is more than one of these. So I went and researched what this series has done before. If it’s a television series, I’ll look for episodes directed by the same director. And if nothing else, it gives you a sense of the flavor of the series.

In the case of Wedding March 4, I was able to watch the first Wedding March. The role itself wasn’t particularly complicated. What made it special for me was allowing myself to become really swept up in the romance between this beautiful, young couple and having that authentic connection. As a pastor, to me, the pinnacle of my service is to be able to join two people in marriage. I know pastors have other duties, but certainly one of the most joyful things a pastor can do is a wedding or a christening. In that scene I was in, I found utter joy, and I hope that’s what came across on screen.

From what I saw, I think that’s exactly what came across, Eric. 

I’m glad it did. The great thing about Wedding March 4, for me at least, was meeting Andrew Walker. In the middle of filming Wedding March 4, I found out that I was going to be working with Andrew Walker again in Love In Design. And I also was going to be working with Danica McKellar for the second time.

So what can you tell me about your character and Love In Design?

“Behind-the-scenes with Jan Skene from Love In Design, taken by Danica McKellar, who taught me how to post on Instagram while we were shooting .. just like a real-life daughter would! 😊”

For one thing, this is another situation for me where the character that I play resonates so close with my own personal values. I enjoyed this role possibly more than anything else I’ve ever done because I feel…not that my character Frank is me, but his values are my values. So it was very natural for me to step in and be this guy. My interactions with Danica McKellar as my daughter and Jan Skene as my wife felt one hundred percent natural and organic to me. It was such an enjoyable experience because of that. Then adding onto that having worked with both Danica and Andrew previously, it felt very natural. In fact, Erica Goldstein, who was the director of photography in A Dash of Love, was also the DOP in  Love In Design. I felt like I was coming home to a family reunion. It made it so easy to just relax and settle into being Frank, Hannah’s father.

As far as Andrew goes, I don’t even know where to begin. I have only the nicest things to say about him. He’s got an incredibly diverse resume, and he’s got his fingers in so many interesting things outside of acting. He’s a delightfully complex and interesting human being. Not to mention that Danica McKellar is an out-and-out genius. I think most of the fans know that. To be around that combination of intelligence and creativity is the most artistically satisfying experience an actor can have. The two of them together have such amazing on-screen chemistry. I really can’t wait to see what it’s gonna be like in the final cut. That’s one I’m definitely going out of my way to watch.

Photo: Danica McKellar, Andrew Walker Credit: Copyright 2018 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Steven Ackerman

As far as the story, it’s a great one. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but a lot of the story action revolves around the conflict between historical preservation and modern design. Humorously enough, this is a constant topic of conversation for me at home. Surprisingly, my wife is the one who always takes the position that Andrew’s character takes. I am the one who is usually taking the position that Danica’s character takes. I was perfectly cast as her father. I’m not a devout modernist, but I understand the need for modernization and renovation of older structures as time goes by. At home, if it were up to my wife, we would never rebuild anything. I joke with her that if it were up to her, we’d all still be living in caves. {laughs}

Going back to Andrew, I love his diverse, outside interests. I’m sure he’s mentioned his juice company. And he’s a devoted father. Working back to back with him in two productions was just so much fun. And he brought his parents to set because he was celebrating his birthday. I got a chance to meet them–Joyce and Bruce. Really, really lovely people. And when you were able to see them all sitting at lunch together, you can see exactly where he gets it from.

Andrew is one who constantly impresses me. I can’t say enough good things about him. And the Hallmark community just loves him. And I find him to be a very insightful person every time I have the honor of chatting with him for an interview.

“Just before Wedding March 4, I was filming for the Netflix show, Travelers. This is a behind the scenes cast photo from Episode 3, featuring among others the show’s star, Eric McCormack, probably best known for Will & Grace.”

He’s a very smart guy and he’s very concerned about the human impact of everything that he’s doing. I admire that about him. He shared some stories about the growth of his juice company and how they dealt with their employees. He’s somebody who really cares about the people around him and goes the extra step to make sure that everybody is properly looked after.

I can definitely see how that would be just like Andrew. Speaking of Hallmark films, it’s amazing how fast the turnaround is on their films.

I know what you mean. We were still filming Wedding March 4 five weeks before it was due to be released.

So is there anything else you can mention that you have coming up?

Well, I will be in season three of Travelers as soon as that is released.  That is one of the productions I can’t say much about. For those who are familiar with the series, I can say this show is different from Hallmark, and my role is different from what you have seen me do in the past.

Yes, I know that Travelers is a little bit edgier, and it’s science fiction. But a lot of us Hallmark fans do enjoy watching a variety of shows.

“While filming Frankie and Alice with Halle Berry I was in the permanent cast of Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding, playing Nunzio, the groom’s father. During the shoot, Halle came to the show with her entourage and we had a terrific time entertaining her. “

I have very diverse taste in the entertainment that I choose to watch. But I will say that I don’t like things that are really heavy on violence. It’s been many years since I’ve watched a war movie. I’m perfectly okay with sci-fi, but realistic violence is just not something I can watch any more. It disturbs me and interferes with my sleep. Whereas with Hallmark, like I said before, those are the values I grew up with. That is the way I choose to live my life…with kindness, friendship, love being the core values that guide me.

I understand exactly what you’re saying, Eric. While I watch a variety of things, there is something comforting about sitting down and watching a Hallmark movie. I am not into a lot of realistic violence either. I can take some, but I prefer entertainment that is not violent or offensive and is instead uplifting and coincides with my values. And that is definitely Hallmark. But back to you, it’s wonderful that things worked out for you to do what you really were meant to do.

“Here, I am playing lawyer Darren Coffman in the hit CW TV series, Arrow.”

I feel that way. I honestly feel like this is my calling. It’s the only thing that I’ve truly ever loved doing. I’ve done lots of jobs because I’ve needed to make a living, but this is the only job that I’ve truly loved no matter how hard it’s gotten. Even during the hard times, I’ve never stopped loving what I’m doing. I might go a month between bookings, but I get to audition almost every week. Even when I audition, those times are incredibly fulfilling for me. For those five, ten, fifteen minutes, I get to go in and act and have an audience that appreciates my work. I have a bigger audience when I book a role. And I do enjoy the fact that there are people out there who are touched by my work. It does make me feel a great sense of satisfaction. When I’m preparing a role, I always try to keep in mind how it’s going to affect my audience. What are they going to see and how is it going to make them feel? I try to send them a little love in my work. That might sound kind of corny.

No, I don’t think that sounds corny at all. Those kinds of things resonate with the fans. There are actors I watch who are very good, but for whatever reason, their work doesn’t connect with me the same as other actors who really do try to connect with the fans and keep them in mind when playing a role. I think when someone has a true passion for the role, they really want to go beyond just entertaining the fans. They want to bring something to the fans to inspire them. I can almost always tell when that’s the case, and I know the fans can too. I have a similar outlook when I’m writing up an interview. It’s not just about regurgitating the details and promoting the work. It’s about genuinely showing off the person I’m interviewing to the fans and making a real connection. 

That’s great to hear, Ruth. I think Hallmark has a reach of thirty-four/thirty-five million. I think you and I both have a pretty large potential audience out there, and if we both keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll hopefully keep touching people through our work.

Many times, people will ask me about becoming an actor. They look at my life and wonder how I made the change in mid-life. Young actors especially like to ask me, “What did it take to succeed?” I almost always tell them, “The sure way to fail is by quitting. But if you’re patient and persistent and you’re determined to do this because you love doing it, you’ll be fine.” There are so many more things that go into being a successful actor than being good at your craft. But can you be a working actor who merely gets joy from doing your work? Sure, you can. Everyone can who has the patience and persistence. This is an industry in particular that rewards the patient and the persistent. It’s really easy to get discouraged and give up and quit. Only the ones who are truly devoted will ever discover what their true potential is.

I absolutely agree with you on that point, Eric. 

We all have ups and downs, but the only thing that can kill your dream is quitting.

Thank you so much, Eric, for sharing with me today about so many things. I know the fans and I can hardly wait to see you in Love In Design this weekend.

Thank you, Ruth, for taking so much time with me today and being willing to let me share my story. I’m honored to be able to work on so many great Hallmark projects, and I am excited to see how Love In Design turns out too.

Behind-the-Scenes
From Love In Design

One of my favorite things about interviewing actors and other industry professionals is listening to them relate stories from their vast experience. In the case of Eric Pollins, we chatted for over two hours and genuinely made a connection that was mutually gratifying and advantageous to us both. In sharing his story, Eric confirmed to me so many of the things I already knew about the business and introduced to me a couple different ways of thinking about the profession. While Eric is a virtual newcomer to the world of professional acting, his life experience has endowed him with skills that lifelong actors sometimes don’t possess. I believe there is no “correct” path to the attainment of an acting career, and while there are pros and cons to every approach, unconventional journeys always resonate with me since my story is one of those as well. Eric possesses the innate qualities to be a genuinely exemplary performer, and his pleasure and ecstasy at being a part of this world are sentiments that exude from his innermost being. He’s been a part of both worlds–acting and non-acting–and his affection for the fans and each part of the acting process is something that he never takes for granted. He knows that he is living the life he always envisioned, and what an honor it is to know that he was willing to share with me so candidly about his memories and current aspirations.

If you have not intended to watch Love In Design this Saturday (September 15th), please make plans right now to join everyone in the U.S. for a premiere that is sure to be another massive hit for the Hallmark Channel. Additionally, I invite everyone to visit all of Eric’s links below and consider following him on social media where you are able. He adores interacting with the fans, and I know that each heartfelt comment sent his way means more to him than most might realize. As far as I’m concerned, it is actors like Eric who unquestionably invigorate me with their commitment, positivity, and resourcefulness. Even though Eric got a later start than most, I am looking forward to being able to support his career for many more years to come as he continues to follow his sincere passion and ultimately accomplish what his indisputable purpose has invariably been upon this earth.

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