Eric Johnson

Growing up in Canada, none of my family were performers or anything like that, but I was terrible at hockey, so they needed something for me to do on Saturdays for me to get out of the house. I signed up for theater school on Saturdays, and I'd go for four-and-a-half hours every Saturday morning and learn about theater.

I've played horrible people and done horrible things, and there were moments on 'The Knick' where it was super uncomfortable - some of the things I had to do and say.

At the end of the day, you're saying lines and playing pretend. All that varies from show to show is the level of the intensity and the terms of the expectations you place on yourself.

Sometimes it's tough as a supporting character: you are on the sidelines, and you don't get to be there for most of the fun stuff. You are hearing about all the great stuff that is going on, but you never get to be a part of it.

I realize I live in a bubble, and all the opportunities are there to me. And having done a number of popular TV series, I'm mildly famous in certain situations, and lots of doors open to me.

Actors are almost conditioned to get their director's approval. 'I just did my song and dance, boss. What did you think?' Actors are infantilized so much.

The best thing about doing those Hallmark movies is my dad loves them. My dad watches all of those Christmas movies, not just ones I'm in. He watches them all, so the first one I did, it was like my Christmas present to my dad.

When a lot of people watch these Victorian-era shows, they're in love with the costumes, the romance, the whole sweep of it all. But there is nothing nostalgic about 'The Knick' at all.

I did my first professional play at 11, and there was really nothing else I ever dreamed of doing. I felt so fortunate that I knew at the age of like, 12, like this is all I want to do for the rest of my life; that's the only play. There's no backup plan. My mom wanted me to go to school and have a backup plan. I'm like 'No, this is the only plan.'

You dream about getting to be a part of really solid projects.

One of things that drives me nuts is you rarely get bad guys who are written very well.

Movies are a big thing in our house. Every Friday, we do family pizza night, and we make pizza from scratch, and then we sit down and watch a movie.