Eric Johnson. Photo Credit: Tim Leyes
Canadian actor Eric Johnson chatted about starring in “The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy” on Lifetime.
This film is based on a true story, and this two-part movie event will premiere on May 31st and June 1st on Lifetime. Michael Nankin directed from a screenplay by Anne-Marie Hess.
The synopsis is: Rena (played by Felicity Huffman as present day and Olga Petsa as young Rena) is thrust back into her dark past when a violent massacre, tied to the cult she was formerly part of, makes headlines.
Johnson on his new Lifetime movie
On his new Lifetime movie, Johnson said, “It was great. It was a bit of a whirlwind. I find out officially that I was doing them on a Friday afternoon, and I was shooting them on a Monday morning.”
“It was an amazing experience,” he admitted. “I had an incredible time working with the director Michael Nankin.”
Working with Olga Petsa as young Rena
On working with rising actress Olga Petsa, Johnson said, “Olga Petsa is an incredible up-and-coming talent. We are going to be seeing a lot of her. She is so professional and so good so early in her career. The sky is the limit for her.”
“It was an amazing cast, and we all came together as a big family, which was fitting for the movie. It was wonderful,” he added.
Working with Felicity Huffman as adult Rena
Johnson had great words about Academy Award nominee Felicity Huffman, who plays present day Rena. “Watching Felicity Huffman work was like watching a masterclass,” he admitted. “Felicity was just so inspiring. She was a joy to watch.”
“This movie was very dark and heavy, so it was a big challenge but something I embraced,” he added.
Playing Ervil in ‘The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy’
On playing his ominous character Ervil, he said, “It is based on a true story and real events. The challenging thing was finding the edge.”
“It was about finding the line of being challenging and dark enough but also understanding why people would follow this guy to a degree. For me, it was all about finding that balance of understanding why people would be there,” he explained.
“This role offered a really unique challenge and I am thankful that we had two movies to do it in. We got a longer arc for everybody and it allowed for the story to be told properly,” he said.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, Johnson remarked, “One of the first bigger jobs I did was ‘Smallville,’ and the Internet fan forums were just coming up and they were really just becoming a big thing. Fans had a big voice in the entertainment industry, and it became fan focused.”
“I love interacting with fans in the fan forums. Sometimes, the digital age offers different challenges but like anything, it is 99 percent great,” he added.
‘Fifty Shades’ trilogy
In the “Fifty Shades” trilogy, Johnson plays the nefarious Jack Hyde.
“That was great. That was big. Speaking of this digital age, ‘Fifty Shades’ opened me up to a whole new fan-base,” he said. “It is such a huge franchise, massive books, and I really had a great time doing those movies.”
“Despite the dark subject matter of what I was doing, we kept it light on set and we had laughs. We got to go shoot in France, which was great. We also shot it in Vancouver where I used to live, so that was a lot of fun too,” he elaborated.
“Also, I never knew I had that many fans in Brazil, so that was a lot of fun,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Johnson revealed, “I am falling in love all over again with my job.”
“I love this, and I am finding new reasons of why I love this industry and why I love what I do. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I am finding new reasons and challenges to love it, and new ways to approach them,” he elaborated.
“I am really enjoying myself right now, and I really look forward to showing up on set and doing it still, which is pretty great 35 years later,” he added.
‘A Christmas Less Traveled’ holiday film
Johnson spoke about doing the Great American Family holiday film “A Christmas Less Traveled” with Candace Cameron Bure.
“It was great and super fun working the Queen of Christmas herself, Candace Cameron Bure,” Johnson said. “What more can you ask for? We actually filmed that Christmas movie in the same place where we filmed these Lifetime films.”
“I never shot there before, so getting to go there last year with Candace’s film was great. This year, I already knew some of the crew and I was very familiar with the place, and it was very fun,” he added.
“Candace is a dream to work with. She treats everybody so kindly,” he noted.
Johnson praised Masey McLain and Taylor Kalupa, who wrote the holiday movie “A Christmas Less Traveled.” “Masey and Taylor were great,” he said. “It was an awesome experience working with them.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Johnson stated, “Going to bed at night with my cup full. That can be for so many different reasons but if I am going to bed at night and I am feeling full that means I’ve had great connections with other people, I’ve had purpose, and I am excited for the next day.”
“If I can live like that, that is a pretty successful day,” he admitted.
Closing thoughts on ‘The 13th Wife: Escaping Polygamy’
For fans and viewers, he expressed, “I really hope the audience enjoys these performances and I can really empathize with the people who went through this.”
“It’s a very harrowing story and I am glad we got two movies to tell Rena’s story,” Johnson concluded.
To learn more about Canadian actor Eric Johnson, follow him on Instagram.
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