Erica Durance has been as busy as ever. She has become a mother on-screen and off-screen, she is the lead actor and producer on her show ‘Saving Hope’, and now she’s about to add another title to her résumé: director.
We talked to Erica about Season 4 of Saving Hope, the challenges of being the lead actor and producer of the show, a possible Season 5 and her future as a director.
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As Saving Hope Season 4 unfolds, currently is in its 7th episode, we can admittedly notice it has a different dynamic to it. Old faces have left, new faces have arrived and the focus is not only on Alex Reid and Charlie Harris. “This season, fans get to know more about the cast. It’s more of an ensemble this year,” Erica admits. “It has been challenging. Every season is the same, yet different.”
Erica, who’s also a producer on the show, understands now what the challenges are of being both the producer and the lead actor of your own show. “What’s different from a producer’s perspective is the pressure of coming up with new scripts, you realize it’s not easy to come up with stories every season that are compelling and again as actors, it’s easy to take that for granted.” She continues, “As a lead actor and producer it’s important to maintain a balance between your expectations, a sense of respect for what everyone does on the show and be willing to compromise at times. It’s easy to complain and deflect responsibility onto someone else instead of working out a solution,” she says while pointing out the importance of the team as whole. “There is the same amazing crew keeping the show going day in and day out and performing their jobs with professionalism. It’s easy for actors to dismiss them or take them for granted because they are behind the camera. They are the backbone of the show and its important to always keep that into account.”
For years, Erica Durance has been considering on taking her turn in the director’s chair. So finally, she decided to officially add the title to her résumé. But, she dismisses being called director – at least for now, “Getting to direct an episode is a great opportunity but in no way is it an indication I’m a director now!” she laughs off.
The woman behind Dr. Alex Reid will make her directorial debut with Episode 16 of Season 4 “Torn and Frayed” and she’s excited about the challenge, “I’m excited about the prospect of directing. It gives you another perspective into the production and it requires a lot of preparation outside of being a lead actor.”
Erica’s having a wonderful moment both in her personal and professional lives that it ultimately seemed the right time to take this next step on Saving Hope. “It’s a safe environment to test my skills as a director because I know the show, the crew, the cast and the expectations of what each episode demands.”
And that could be just the first of many times she will step into the role of director. “I think it’s important to challenge myself in this business because there are not enough woman directors and woman in positions of authority. No, that doesn’t mean I’m a feminist! I’m an equal opportunist!” she says with a laugh.
“It’s a reality in show business that there are more opportunities for men, so if I can create future opportunities to compete and be a positive role model for other women, then so be it. I think I have a responsibility to myself to do it. Show business is a medium where you are judged as a woman on how you look, more so than what you know, so it’s important to expand my experience beyond acting,” she explains.
After four successful seasons, Saving Hope really delivers compelling and heartfelt stories to the fans and strong numbers to the network; and there’s more to come. “Yes, there’s talk about season 5,” Erica reveals to us. “When Ilana Frank and David Wellington approached me for the pilot years ago, I had no idea I’d be looking at a possible season 5! Crazy!” she laughs.
“Lochlan is a gift from heaven. Everyday is a blessing with him.” That’s how Erica Durance starts out our chat about her son Lochlan, who has just turned 9 months old three days ago, and balancing motherhood with set life.
Lochlan is too young to understand it now but he played an important role in mommy’s show Saving Hope. Erica got pregnant before the start of the filming of Season 3, which led the producers and writers to decide whether to write her pregnancy into the show or make use of the famous close-ups tricks. “I’ve given them something interesting to deal with. I’ve left an interesting dilemma, I sat that at their feet, I don’t think it’s a dilemma, I think it’s an interesting story point.” Erica has said in previous interviews.
In Season 3, Dr. Alex Reid, played by Erica, ends up pregnant and gives birth to baby Luke but there’s a twist… she is not sure who’s the father: Charlie or Joel.
If last year Erica had to balance her filming schedule with her pregnancy, this June, when production started for Season 4, she had a new challenge ahead: balancing motherhood and work, “It’s always a challenge to balance motherhood and work being on set, but it’s something I cherish doing because it brings the best out of me.” she says, “Even more so, when you are told it couldn’t be done. Granted it takes a lot of patience.The key is to be organized and to have a strong family support system in place that can take the pressure off trying to do everything myself. It’s normal to assume, being a mother of an infant, you are expected to do everything, and anything less makes you a bad mother, which is something as a woman you have to adjust because in my opinion, its absolutely untrue.” she continues, “It’s important to surround baby Lochlan with continual positive energy and if that means I have to give into my exhaustion and let my husband, David take over, I’m going to do that, especially at 3 am when Lochlan is wide awake. I’m very fortunate because my husband is a great husband and father whose very involved in every aspect of raising children, so that’s a blessing for me.”
Although Lochlan spends a good amount of time on the set, Erica and David make sure it’s only for a good reason as they find it important their son enjoy a ‘normal’ infant life as well. “He spends a far amount of time on set but only within reason because I think it’s important he has a normal home existence as well. Plus he already loves to go for walks in the park and be around other children. It’s wonderful to observe how spirited a personality he has as early as 9 months.” she gushes.
Having an infant in the family doesn’t mean you are new at parenting; Erica and David have a a 16 year old son, Lazslo, and are quite experienced with the challenges of raising a kid, “In fact, everybody assumes when you have an infant, you need advice about everything and I’m open to it, within reason,” she says with a smile, “What people don’t realize or forget is that we have a 16 year old, so we are already acquainted with challenges of raising children. Granted every child is different and Lochlan places a new set of spirited demands on us, necessitating an adjustment in expectations, life style and that’s the beauty of having children, they are all different.”
As we conclude our conversation, the proud mommy gushes over her son, “We are very fortunate because he’s a healthy, happy, inquisitive boy who has such an infectious spirit.”
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