Erin Krakow is best known for her portrayal of Elizabeth Thornton on When Calls the Heart. You may also have seen her in Army Wives or Hallmark Channel movies. Fans constantly ask whether Erin Krakow is Daniel Lissing’s wife (she’s not), if there’s an Erin Krakow Instagram account (there is), or if she’s married (nope). But her life is more substantive than the trending clickbait questions.
Who is Erin Krakow?
Hi, my name is Erin Krakow. I first got involved in professional acting after graduating from The Juilliard School. Before that, I attended the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, and I definitely believe the education I received at Dreyfoos helped prepare me for college auditions.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without my education. I’m very grateful to my teachers and it’s an honor to get to play one on TV.
Was it hard to play a When Calls the Heart character that had been done before by Poppy Draton?
Truthfully I didn’t really spend any time thinking about that. I wasn’t concerned with putting a unique spin on Elizabeth OR trying to emulate Poppy Drayton’s beautiful performance.
I just approached the role in the way that felt right and truthful to me. And I feel fortunate that that was never really a discussion.
Luckily, those in power liked what I brought to the table and the rest is history.
I also think it helped that we were able to create our own kind of pilot episode out of Season 1 Episode 1 without relying entirely on the WCTH movie to set the tone for the series.
I’ll always feel connected to Poppy through Elizabeth. Hopefully we’ll get to work on something together soon. That would be special.
How did Erin Krakow and Catherine Bell both end up on the Hallmark Channel?
I LOVED working with Catherine Bell on ARMY WIVES. She was so kind to me and has become a dear friend! She’s also incredibly talented!
I don’t know the details of Catherine’s journey to Hallmark Channel, but I do know that I’m glad she’s a part of the family because it means we get to see each other at network events!
What does Erin Krakow most remember about her first day filming When Calls the Heart?
I remember the excitement and the smoke. Back in the early days of WCTH we were using a lot of atmospheric smoke, or haze.
The very first scene we shot was between Lori Loughlin and me. It was the scene where Elizabeth had spent the night at Abigail’s (after burning down the teacherage) and was getting up for her first day of school.
I just remember being so happy to be working on this new project – and to be working with Lori – and that we were struggling to see each other across the rowhouse because of all of the smoke!
Dan joined us for the next scene we shot, and it was clear even then that we all had something very special. It seems like years ago and just yesterday all at once.
Brian Bird said that “When Calls the Heart” almost didn’t happen because of financial challenges. In what ways does Brian’s persistence mirror challenges faced by characters within the show—and how is Brian perceived by cast members?
That’s such an interesting comparison, and one I’ve never heard made before. You’re right. Brian Bird, Michael Landon Jr., and Brad Krevoy really brought WCTH back to life after financial challenges stalled production on the movie.
I’m so glad they did because it’s led to the series that has been one of the great joys of my life.
Similarly, the characters in Hope Valley often find themselves in situations where through persistence and determination they’re able to overcome challenges.
Regarding our cast’s perception of Brian, he’s an integral part of the bedrock of our show. He’s one of the visionaries behind adapting Janette Oke’s books from page to screen.
He’s also been instrumental in his support of the Hearties fan base.
In short – we think he’s pretty great!
How has Erin Krakow evolved as an actor since the first season of “When Calls the Heart”?
I learn from every job I take and WCTH is no exception! Elizabeth has evolved too. We’ve seen her go from a fish out of water who could barely take care of herself, to a confident, independent, frontier, MARRIED woman, to a woman who has experienced a very painful loss.
And now we can look forward to a change for Elizabeth in Season 6 that will be very big and very small simultaneously!
See what I did there? 😉
What is Erin Krakow looking forward to about playing Elizabeth in a marriage dynamic—and what might she miss about playing her as a single woman?
As beautiful and anticipated as Jack and Elizabeth’s wedding was, their union doesn’t feel new. These two characters have always seemed destined to find each other. Their bond was felt from the start.
Elizabeth hasn’t really felt like a “single woman” for years! But as we know, things didn’t go as planned for Jack and Elizabeth, so sadly we won’t be seeing their marriage dynamic play out.
That being said, Elizabeth will never be alone. She has too many wonderful friends in Hope Valley to make sure of that.
And I’m sure someday she’ll open herself to love again.
What did Erin Krakow think of Alfonso Moreno when he came on board as the new When Calls the Heart showrunner?
Alfonso Moreno has done a fantastic job!
To be totally transparent, I felt protective and mildly concerned about someone new stepping in without much time to learn every detail of WCTH’s history. But those concerns were quickly put to rest. Alfonso, and the rest of our team of writers, have done such an outstanding job crafting Season 5.
Alfonso jump in with such passion for our show, and he worked tirelessly to deliver stellar story lines that jumped off the page and into our viewers’ heart.
He was also incredibly open and collaborative with us. I have several opportunities to sit down with him and discuss Elizabeth’s arc.
He was also so gracious to let Lori, Dan, and me contribute a few sentences of our own words to the wedding episode.
It’s been very harmonious and I’m so looking forward to seeing what he thinks up for Season 6.
What was Erin Krakow’s favorite scene to film in this season’s When Calls the Heart finale?
Between my struggle choosing favorite ANYTHINGS, and the fact that this episode was chock full of very emotional scenes, I’m not sure that I have a favorite per se.
But I am very happy that we ended such a heartbreaking episode with such beautiful news for Elizabeth.
Getting to play that scene with Lori where the two of them put the pieces together was the silver lining for me.
Is there a character from Little House on the Prairie you can envision being part of Hope Valley?
I don’t know that this will answer your question in the way you intended it, but I would have chosen Michael Landon. And that’s because I would have wanted that for Michael Landon Jr.
I wish I lived closer to and could work beside my family. I love my work, and our cast and crew have become like another family to me, but it would be so nice to get to spend more time with my family.
Kaycee Simpson from Pensacola Florida has a question for Erin Krakow.
This is such a creative question!! Thanks Kaycee!
Well, I’ll start by saying that Jack and Elizabeth probably wouldn’t make it past the first week because the lovely lady who plays Elizabeth – though kind and fun – is not much of a daredevil. That said, Dan/Jack might be able to make up for that! Winning team?
Abigail and Gowen. Abigail is one of the most determined characters on WCTH and Gowen wouldn’t be shy about playing dirty!
Florence and Dottie would certainly kill each other before the race was over. Did you SEE them try to decide on wedding flowers?
As for the team to hate? I’d have to say Bill and Frank because they’d spend the whole time trying to out-macho each other. Haha!
5 replies on “Who Is Erin Krakow from ‘When Calls the Heart’?”
Loved your interview today with our lovely Erin who plays Elizabeth on out beloved WCTH. She is a very talented actress with a loving kindness she shared so generously with the Hearties ❤️
Just wanted to know what was next for Erin Krakow? When you are not working on WCTH what other projects are next on the radar?
Was Erin wearing a wig in season 5 ?
I wondered the same thing.
I so wish there was no tragic ending for Elizabeth and Jack but could there be a wonderful continuation for Erin and Dan????