I have consistently declared my fondness for the Hallmark Network and their signature loyalty to the supporting cast of their myriad of films. When it comes to making the decisions about whom I should interview next, timing is of the essence. Sometimes, however, Hallmark almost makes that determination for me when they continue to feature supporting cast members in one network hit after another. In the case of Eric Gustafsson, that is entirely how our interview happened. This year, we have seen him in two favorite Hallmark movies, and we are about to see him in a third (the year is ONLY half over). More than likely, Hallmark viewers will recognize this young man, and I am ecstatic to share our recent chat with my readers today in anticipation of the June 15th (tonight!) premiere of Love, Take Two!
Photo by Louis Lay
RH: Eric, it is so very nice to chat with you today.
EG: Thank you for reaching out, Ruth, my pleasure.
I actually reached out because your name kept popping up in Hallmark movies, and I figured it was high time to interview you.
How very nice of you, Ruth.
So, Eric, how did you get started in acting?
Photo by Albert Nicholas
That’s a good question. Well, when I was a kid, sports was my outlet for everything. I was competing in sports on the local and national levels and then on to University sports. I was always looking for some kind of creative outlet. When I was a kid, I was in the family band. My mom was a choir instructor, and my dad always played guitar. So I was always a part of it as I was growing up. At University, I was still competing with sports, but I was always looking for different credits to fill my option credits at University. A friend of mine actually suggested I try the drama program. I didn’t know if I had time for that because I was already touring with music in my off-time, so there was always this back-and-forth. But I had this moment of thinking how when I’m on stage performing in a concert format, I always enjoyed the time in between the songs when I would just work off the audience. And that’s what led me to consider trying theater. I always had a love for musical theater and Broadway.
I took Intro To Dramatic Arts, and I instantly fell in love with it. That quickly spiraled into me adding a minor in performing arts to my degree. And that took me into doing theater work in Edmonton, Alberta and a little bit of modeling that I won’t go into. Then from there, I started thinking about what was next in this process, and I decided if I was going to make a career out of it, TV and film was next. So I made the move to Vancouver, and I’ve been out here for the last six years or so. I’ve been working now as a professional actor for the last five years or so, and I’ve been acting as a form of enjoyment for the last eight or nine years.
It is very interesting to hear about your sports and music background. Many actors I’ve talked to have a sports background or a music background. I find all that intriguing. In fact, I never made the connections between sports and art until I started doing all these interviews. I now can see a lot of parallels such as a team mindset and that kind of thing.
Photo by Bryn Creative Co
Yeah, the longer I’ve been in the industry and the more projects and bigger projects I’ve worked on, it’s become more apparent to me. It’s all about the physical connection and the work ethic. I find that anyone who has a competitive sports background, they’ve been taught that fundamental core of working hard for something because otherwise, you’re not going to make any ends meet. And you can even bring that over into the world of dance or singing. The theory of any sort of creation in the arts is that if you can’t show it, you dance it. If you can’t say it, you sing it. It’s the next evolution of performing, and it’s always interesting seeing someone come from the physical side of competing in sports or if they bring the emotional and physical side of singing into performing. It’s always interesting when I work on a movie because you instantly know who the theater kids are because they not only know their lines, but they know everybody’s else’s lines as well.
Once you made the decision to pursue film and television, what was your first professional role?
Autumn Dreams
Well, I did a few web series, but my first professional role was in 2015 for a movie called Autumn Dreams, a Hallmark movie with Jill Wagner and Colin Egglesfield, and it was…oh gosh, I was over the moon with that! It was the first piece of what was to come. I have had a different succession of bookings than what’s normal. I actually–to this date–still haven’t booked a professional commercial. Not to say I read for that many. Being part of the union out here in Western Canada, there’s not that many union commercials per se, so I maybe read for three to five a year. But that being said, my first booking was a large principal role. Then from a large principal to an actor role to a regular recurring role on a CBC show to other principal roles. And now I go back and forth between actor and principal roles. And while you can look through the progression of roles as an actor becomes a bigger name with more experience, still at the end of the day, it’s about the story. It’s about what fits and what role you can provide for the story. It’s not about me; it’s about what I’m doing to help the story.
So your first professional role was in a Hallmark movie. Now, did you know about Hallmark before booking that role?
Photo by Sarah Bryn
In my mind, I had always viewed Hallmark as doing Christmas movies. Before I became an actor, I wasn’t aware of the seasons of Hallmark…Easter and spring movies, summer movies, autumn and Thanksgiving…for me, Hallmark had always been Christmas. But then as I got more into acting, I was like, “Wait a second! They shoot those Christmas movies in the summer!”
Hallmark is such a wonderful first step in an actor’s professional career. They’re so warm and inviting on set, and the other actors you work with are so kind and generous. So I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better first professional project. I’m still very good friends with Matty Finochio and Matt Visser and Ivy Matheson, who are all wonderful actors themselves and have gone on to do wonderful things in their own careers. I will say it’s so nice to see Hallmark, who does so many projects every year, take chances on some of the younger actors that don’t have the same amount of credits that maybe everybody else does.
That is something I have also come to appreciate about Hallmark. They are so loyal to their supporting cast, and they are also willing to take chances on virtual unknowns. I often interview the supporting cast. Not that I don’t love the leads; I do. I interview them whenever I can. But I simply adore getting to interview and feature the supporting casts of these movies, and I love getting to see you guys featured in several films per year sometimes. It’s nice to see them giving chances to local Vancouver actors so they can get more experience. And what a wonderful experience it is!
I absolutely agree with you on that, Ruth.
So Autumn Dreams was also Jill Wagner’s first Hallmark movie, and that is a fan favorite. It gets replayed on Hallmark regularly here, and I have even seen fans requesting a sequel to it. So it’s a memorable one.
That is so wonderful to hear, Ruth. I wasn’t aware of that. I’m actually in the middle of directing a project with Ken Tremblett and Rachel Hayward right now. I still have very close ties to both of them to this day, so that Hallmark movie itself holds a very soft spot in my heart.
I believe your next movie was also for Hallmark. You had a small role in Ms. Matched.
Yeah, I was only on there one day for that movie. I played the best man of Shawn Roberts’ character. Shawn is one of the kindest humans. He played opposite Alexa PenaVega, who has now found her place in the Hallmark family.
Yes, that movie was her first Hallmark movie. I remember it quite well. After that, I believe you had a recurring role on Heartland. How did that role come about?
Amber Marshall, Alisha Newton, Eric Gustafsson
Well, 2016 was a very busy year for me. I was up for a good handful of roles during the casting process of Heartland. The casting director had me up for another role in the previous season of Heartland, but that ended up going elsewhere, which in hindsight, is a good thing. So I got the audition request for this role, and I sent in my taped audition. As a side note, I grew up in a rural area on a farm, and I was part of the rodeo circuit for as long as I could remember. I remember having friends who were a part of the rodeo scene, but I wasn’t taking part due to athletic scholarships and all. So I was familiar with horses and the farm, and it seemed to be the perfect fit to be a part of this show.
Heartland
After I sent my audition in, they were pretty quick to respond with interest. A few contract signings and negotiations later, and I found myself on set for all of season ten. Again, it was wonderful working with some fantastic actors. And really this time was much like Autumn Dreams in that at the time when I was on it, Heartland seemed to land right at the perfect time for me. You know, you can be as great an actor as you can be in class or doing auditions, but it’s a different type of acting when you’re on set in front of hundreds of crew members with millions of dollars in budget. So getting that experience up to that moment and from that moment have launched me into the next level of my career and me growing as an actor. It was an absolutely wonderful experience. That show is now going into its thirteenth season, and I tell you, it’s remarkable to watch and see the movements on set and how things are working. It was by far the smoothest-running set I’d ever been on.
Heartland
I can imagine. Now, your next movie was actually a Hallmark Christmas movie, if I’m reading your credits correctly. In fact, it was a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie called The Christmas Train.
Yeah, that was a fascinating film! I mean, Danny Glover, Dermot Mulroney, Joan Cusack…Anthony Konechny, one of the local actors here in Vancouver who’s now blowing up heavily. That film itself was so fascinating to watch. It was under the direction of Ron Oliver, who is an absolute peach himself. Now, I’m a Millennial–a 90s kid–so being on set with Dermot and Danny, I mean they were in one of the most iconic films I had grown up with, Angels In the Outfield. So for me, it was like one of those milestone checkmarks in the back of my mind. I grew up watching these two legends on screen, and now I’m working with them on a project. And playing Joan Cusack’s son…that was an absolute treat! She is hilarious, kind, and warm. It was an outstanding project for me.
With Joan Cusak
I’m so glad you had that experience, Eric, And you got to work with one of the best directors around.
Absolutely!
Now, I’m going to be honest, Eric. I don’t think I actually picked you out by name until this year when I saw you in Bottled With Love. That was a special movie for me because Andrew Walker and I have gotten close over the years. And that was a special movie for Hallmark as well. I know the executives all really liked it, and the network promoted it pretty heavily. What was your experience like on that film?
Well, Bottled With Love was another one of those moments for me where I got to work with somebody whose work I’d been a fan of for ages. When I was growing up in high school, one of the biggest shows–outside of Gossip Girl— was One Tree Hill. Bethany Joy Lenz was one of the main stars of One Tree Hill, and I watched her in all eight seasons.
behind-the-scenes
Bottled With Love
So when I got cast in Bottled With Love…gosh, I honestly didn’t know she was a part of it until my wardrobe fitting. When I was getting fitted, I was looking through the cast list, and I went, “Oh my gosh! Would you look at that?!” Not only is she an absolute sweetheart and a wonderful mom–I mean, her daughter is adorable–but she’s a wonderful human being. And Andrew is one of my favorite humans on the planet. Andrew and I still talk to this day.
What I remember distinctly was during one of our harder shooting days–my character’s wedding day in particular. It was two degrees{35.6 degrees Fahrenheit}, I think. We were by the water. It was supposed to be twenty degrees {68 degrees Fahrenheit} in the film. Not only were the extras on the day absolute troopers, but my fellow co-star, Kate Isaac, who is a wonderful professional, was a trouper right along with them. As hard as it was, that last scene we were all sharing while trying not to breathe too heavy so our breaths didn’t appear on screen was memorable and amazing.
Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Farah Nosh
The other day I had a friend comment on the IMDb rating for Bottled With Love. You know, Hallmark has average star ratings for many of the movies, but then with Bottled With Love, it’s got one and a half stars more than many of their other movies. So yes, this one seems like it was kind of a cut above many, I think. I really think it makes sense what you are saying about the network promoting it and everyone being really happy about it. I think that kind of thing can be transmitted to the viewers in many ways, and it looks like it worked for this wonderful movie of ours.
Your next Hallmark movie is another favorite. Sailing Into Love. This was the movie when I decided I just had to interview you.
Sailing Into Love
Yeah, well, that’s good to know. {laughs} I guess I’m forcing myself into your world.
{laughs} Well, when people keep popping up more than once in a relatively short period of time, I try to decide if now is the right time to reach out for an interview. And indeed, this time, it was. So what was your experience like filming Sailing Into Love?
Well, this one was an anomaly for me in terms of filming and fellow cast members and the whole process. Just like with Autumn Dreams, I auditioned for a different role in Sailing Into Love, but I was offered a separate role. Now, I’ve been a part of various projects for three or four weeks or as long as eight months, but I have never formed this kind of bond with the rest of the cast in such a short period of time. It was by far the most stunning location I’ve ever shot at. It was unbelievable. You know, Chris McNally and Leah Renee were spearheading the whole thing for us. I had known Chris for a long time, but we hadn’t actually crossed paths professionally until this filming. I had never met Leah, but oh my gosh! Again, we had some absolutely beautiful days on set, sunscreen needed. And then other days where we could not catch a break with wind and rain and cold weather.
Sailing Into Love
The leads of all these films set the tone for not only the crew but the supporting cast as well. So having somebody like Leah in particular…now Leah being the mother of two and having an eight-month-old baby at the time…I can’t fathom how she remained positive the entire time and so hard-working, never complaining. She always knew her lines. She was so kind to all the supporting cast and crew. It was remarkable. And then, of course, having Chris and his sensitive style in the background who was always lending a hand when needed. It was an absolute treat. And, of course, I’m very close friends with the rest of the cast. Not only getting to spend that amount of time in Victoria, B.C., which is a vacation in itself, but spending it with people you want to spend time with. You can’t ask for anything more.
With Teagen Vincze
We actually did have a director change for that film. The director who was attached to it had something else come up and they had to step aside. So Lee Friedlander stepped in, and my gosh! Lee is incredible to work with! It’s so great as an actor when you work with a director who understands that this is a team event. There are certain things we’re doing and certain things she’s doing, but she’s so good at understanding our side of things or where we might be coming from or whatever the situation calls for. And she is able to ask the little questions that pull things together. She’s the wizard of this whole situation. She was crafting everything together and pulling things together and putting people where they need to be. Having somebody so confident in all of us in our position was just amazing. She knew what questions to ask us, and she was able to get the feedback she needed and have a conversation that would ensure that we were giving the story the most authentic platform to be seen from. The anomaly was that certain things weren’t going as planned, but then all of a sudden, everything landed in the most perfect place! It was a wonderful project to be a part of.
Well, it would appear, Eric, that Hallmark likes you. Because not only do we have these two movies, but you have a new one coming up today!
Photo by Karolina Turek
Thank you, Ruth. Yes, Love, Take Two, with Heather Hemmens and Cornelius Smith, Jr. That was an interesting one. I was shooting that at the same time as Sailing Into Love. I was going back and forth between two sets for a week or so. I was running on very little sleep. But that one…Allan Harmon, who is an absolute legend, especially within the Hallmark world, what an incredible director! Just seeing someone with such confidence in everything that they were doing. And everything everybody else is doing is nice as well, especially coming off of a few hours sleep and a red-eye flight. It’s a nice atmosphere to walk into. And it was a treat working with Jessie Fraser, who was cast as my lovely fiancee in the film. There’s not enough time to talk about all the fantastic things about these people I was working with and this film. I’ve been in such a nice variety of these springtime/wedding movies that at this point, I could get married and know exactly what to do. Third time’s the charm, right?
How nice that you got to be in this movie, Eric, because this will be a movie that the Hallmark community will take notice of. Diversity is a major issue, and the leads are both African Americans, which is just great to see. I know that this is a hot topic, especially in relation to Hallmark. But something that the president of Hallmark, Bill Abbott, said is one thing I like to remember in this area. When asked about the lack of diversity in Hallmark a couple of years ago, he assured us all that he was committed to making movies with more diverse casts, but he was not going to sacrifice story in order to do it. And from what you said, this movie is continuing this trend. I like to think that the diversity is happening organically.
Eric Gustafsson, Jessie Fraser, Cornelius Smith Jr. Tara Erica Moore Credit: ©2019 Crown Media United States LLC/Photographer: Ricardo Hubbs
Yes, Ruth, I know that they have not sacrificed story at all. And the people involved with these movies continue to be just wonderful human beings. Within every film, there’s always a good core element to what your skills are for any character. My background is that my dad was on the national ballroom team dancing in Sweden. So my mom and dad have been ballroom instructors for the last thirty years. So I come from a dancing background. So when I have a day when I’m dancing on screen, it’s always exciting. But this is the first time that I’ve been on set, and I’ve been extremely showed up. Let me tell you. Cornelius Smith, Jr. can hold down a dance floor. I encourage everyone to watch the background, especially if there’s a scene where there’s a dance, just watch the background and see if you can see some dance moves.
Good to know. Another thing that has been criticized in these Hallmark movies is the dancing. My mom is one who has mentioned in years prior how no one seems to know how to dance in these movies. But that has been changing too and improving in more recent times.
Well, I will say that for every person that can dance, you’ll probably notice there is a good handful that cannot. At least in this movie.
Photo by Louis Lay
Well, that’s okay. We’re not expecting perfection. Not everyone can dance. But we’ll be watching out for those dance scenes. So, Eric, this is the third Hallmark movie you’ve been in this year. I think that speaks highly of you and Hallmark. They are loyal to their supporting cast, but I think it also means that they recognize that you are someone who fits in well with the network.
That’s very kind of you to say, Ruth. Thank you. That’s always nice and reassuring to hear.
Well, I know for a fact that they only consistently hire people who fit well with their network and are team players. When it comes to casting for Hallmark movies, they look at a lot more than just talent. There’s a certain climate they want on set, and they won’t keep hiring anyone who could potentially destroy that climate.
I agree with you on that, Ruth. They are extremely smart and know what they’re doing in the head office. You can see that on screen.
Well, I for one, Eric, am glad we’re getting to see so much of you with the network. I’m hoping we’ll continue to see you on the network even more in the future.
I could not agree more, Ruth, and I’m very appreciative of you saying that.
So now in addition to this Hallmark movie coming up, do you have anything else coming up you can mention?
As I mentioned earlier, I am in the middle of directing a film. We’re halfway through shooting it. We have a few more days. And then there’s the post-production process of course. So I just encourage everyone to stay tuned to any of my social media platforms because it will hopefully be coming out sometime this summer. Of course, I’m always auditioning, so anything could pop up at any point.
Is this movie you’re directing a short film or full-length feature?
It is a short film. It’s more or less of an idea teaser. I tend to shoot the majority of my films as short film concepts to begin with. Many of them are TV series or full-length features. But it’s always nice to give a flavor of something and see what sticks so that you’re not dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into projects that no one is interested in seeing. It’s nice to see what people like and pick the one with the best response, and then we go from there.
Have you directed other projects previously?
I did some directing with theater quite a long time ago. Now I’ve been moving into the film and TV world. I’ve been writing for quite a long time. I have a few TV series that have been shopped around and looked at by Amazon and elsewhere. But it’s not something that has caught fire yet. I just really enjoy doing it, and I direct when I can. Acting is the most prevalent pathway for me at the moment, but I enjoy directing as much as I enjoy everything else. I do not believe that people should do just one thing. Any time I’m speaking at a kid’s school or theater program, I always encourage people to pay attention to what they’re thinking about. I think that’s your body trying to tell you what you should be doing. I know it can be scary, but you can fail at something safe, so you might as do something that you want to do.
Sailing Into Love
Eric, that’s great that you’re pursuing so much. I often hear actors talk about wanting to write and direct, but they don’t make time for it. It’s easy to talk about doing stuff, but you’re actually jumping in and doing it. It demonstrates who you are. You are not just sitting around waiting for things to happen. You’re getting in and doing them.
Absolutely! I mean, I don’t know how much time I’ve got left on this earth to do these things that I want to do.
That’s a great mindset to have, Eric. I know so often that people don’t want to try something because they’re afraid they will make a mistake or fail.
Failing is the best form of learning. You don’t know if you want to do something until you do it. Talking is easy. Doing something’s much harder. I’m not one who enjoys going to meetings. I sometimes feel like meetings are a waste of time. I know you have to have them, but I don’t like to just sit around and talk about doing things. I much prefer just jumping in and doing something. You get better with experience and practice. You’ve got to do something, which is scary. But it’s also exhilarating.
Heartland
Eric, your perspective is just wonderful, and I’m so glad we talked about this. You’re getting in and doing these things and making the most of every experience. And I love your perspective on making mistakes and failing. Whenever I fail or make a mistake, I learn so much more than if everything were going really well.
Absolutely. There’s no art if it’s always going well. It’s a matter of finding those moments and just enjoying it. I understand there’s certain things you have to do because you have to do them and you may not enjoy them. But why are you doing them? Hopefully, you’re doing them for a purpose and a reason and you’re not just doing them to do them. If everyone did that, it would be an awfully bitter and boring place to be. It’s been a ride. I don’t know where things are gonna go, but you best believe I’m gonna have fun doing it.
Eric, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. You have thoroughly impressed me, more than I expected. And I hope that all my readers watch and enjoy the movie tonight. And here’s hoping for many, many more works from you in the future.
Ruth, I want to thank you for a wonderful interview. You are an incredible interviewer. And I hope that all the fans enjoy Love, Take Two tonight. I hope all the fans let me know what they think!
Sailing Into Love
I have to say I couldn’t be more impressed with Eric as an artist and as a human being. In fact, he completely exceeded my expectations in every way imaginable with his pragmatism, his outlook, his persona, his drive, and his spirit. So often, young people like him become increasingly jaded when things don’t go the way one intended or expected. It’s easy to become despondent and to merely coast through this life without making a genuine difference and leaving a footprint that has perpetual influence. While Eric has no idea what the future holds, he is committed to learning from every experience, no matter the size or scope, and while no one enjoys failing and making mistakes, he views them as stepping stones towards his ultimate goals and dreams. Eric is one who is not content with the status quo; he is consistently reaching out and attempting new things to discover what his true course and purpose is in this life. He doesn’t take anything for granted, and I only wish that more young people would follow his example.
I hope everyone tunes in to Love, Take Two on the Hallmark Channel tonight (June 15th)–I have it set to my DVR since I will be away tonight–and thankfully the W Network in Canada is premiering it tonight as well! Additionally, please consider visiting Eric’s links below and following him on your preferred social media platform so that you never miss an update from this phenomenal individual. Eric is not one of these young artists who is here today and gone tomorrow. He has proven that he is in this for the “long haul,” and I can hardly wait to see what the near and distant future holds for this talented, handsome, exceptional young man. It is an honor to support such a wide variety of dynamic and humble actors like Eric, and I hope that the Hallmark community will join me as we follow him on his invigorating journey to accomplish everything that he was intended to achieve on this planet!
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