Erin Krakow Dishes on ‘When Calls the Heart’ Season 11, Elizabeth & Nathan, and Her Newest Hallmark Movie (EXCLUSIVE)
Plus, what's on the horizon for Elizabeth and Nathan!
We’ve seen her bring to life Elizabeth Thatcher in When Calls the Heart for a decade now — and it’s safe to say that Erin Krakow is booked and busy. With the eleventh season of the hit Hallmark series premiering on Sunday, April 7 at 9/8c, and her latest Hallmark film, Blind Date Book Club, premiering on April 6 at 8/7c, we caught up with the 39-year-old actress to chat all things Hallmark!
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Erin Krakow talks bringing Elizabeth to life
Inspired by the books by Jeanette Oke, When Calls the Heart chronicles the story of Erin Krakow’s Elizabeth, a schoolteacher who arrives in a quaint mining town to teach. As she spends more time there, she experiences love, friendship, motherhood and loss.
With 10 seasons already under her belt, Erin Krakow dishes to Woman’s World what it’s like bringing her character to life year after year.
“I feel really grateful and very proud and happy and excited to share it with the world,” Krakow says. “I feel like we are apart of an exclusive club because not many shows get to enjoy this kind of longevity, and it’s a club that I’m very grateful to be apart of, not only because I really love my work, but also because I really, really love the people that I work with and because we have such an incredible fan base who seem to really appreciate the stories we’re telling.”
Erin Krakow dishes on season 11 and Nathan
**Spoilers ahead** Perhaps the most critical plot point of Season 10 as a whole was the conclusion of Elizabeth and Lucas Bouchard’s (Chris McNally) relationship.
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While some were left picking up the pieces of their hearts after the duo called it quits, others were celebrating the seemingly inevitable: Nathan (Kevin McGarry) and Elizabeth finally coming together.
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“It’s happening folks,” she revealed to Woman’s World. “It’s on.”
“But, it’s a slow burn and it’s a dance while they figure out when the timing is right and too, if the other still has feelings. I think neither one wants to jump to any conclusions or make any assumptions.”
Krakow continued, “Nathan doesn’t want to assume that just because Elizabeth is single that she’s interested. And Elizabeth doesn’t want to assume that just because Nathan once confessed his love to her that he is still in love with her. So, they really take their time and I think it’s a very grown-up love story and though it is a slow burn and kind of a gentle approach, it’s pretty fiery and passionate.”
We sure can’t wait!
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The actress gives the ‘Hearties’ some love
When it comes to loyal fans, Hallmark has no shortage of them — especially those who enjoy When Calls the Heart, lovingly known as “Hearties.” Rest assured, the love and passion that the fans have doesn’t go unnoticed by the cast themselves.
“They’re such great people and they come from all walks of life. It’s been especially fun to see the friendships that have developed. We find that Hearties create little communities for themselves within their areas of the globe, and then there’s obviously the larger Heartie community where they all kind of chat together online and share theories and thoughts on episodes,” said Krakow.
“We’ve also seen Hearties fall in love and get married. We’ve seen babies get named after characters from When Calls the Heart. So, our fans are nothing if not passionate. We’re really lucky to have this incredible fanbase,” she gushed.
For Erin, despite When Calls the Heart taking place in a setting far beyond that of today, giving viewers the opportunity to connect with the characters on their screen is still of great importance.
“We offer a show with stories that are family friendly, so you can watch as a family. It just sort of hearkens back to a simpler time, while telling stories that are still relatable and accessible to a modern audience,” she told WW.
Erin Krakow beyond When Calls the Heart
Outside of Hope Valley, Krakow has made a name for herself on Hallmark as a leading lady in numerous films as well, including A Summer Romance (2019) alongside Ryan Paevey, It Was Always You (2021) alongside Tyler Hynes, Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen (2019) with Luke Macfarlane and many more.
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Her latest venture on the network aside from When Calls the Heart season 11 is Blind Date Book Club with co-star Robert Buckley.
Krakow stars as Meg, a woman who runs a bookshop that hosts a club surrounding the concept of “blind date with a book.” Readers receive a book wrapped in brown paper with a short description written on it. They then read the book and join together to discuss it.
Graham (Robert Buckley) is a well-known author whose next book is slightly outside of his wheelhouse. When he hears about Meg’s program, he wishes to get involved under a pseudonym to get some honest feedback on his latest work.
“It’s got some twists and turns, it’s light-hearted and funny, it’s a cozy, feel-good movie,” dishes Krakow.
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The actress wears many hats
On top of being an accomplished actress, Erin Krakow has also had the opportunity to show her skills off behind the camera as an executive producer on the hit series When Calls the Heart.
For Krakow, that looks like staying involved with creative direction, some casting decisions, scripts and stories. However, she’s quick to acknowledge that it’s a group effort.
“It’s really a true hive mind and we have a lot of people who are involved in decisions like this. But it’s been a really wonderful experience for me to get to kind of take more ownership of a show that is really meaningful to me and obviously has been a big part of my life for over a decade now,” she says.
How Erin Krakow juggles it all
Despite acting in a widely popular television series, having an executive producer role and showing her stuff in various films across the network throughout the year, Erin Krakow somehow makes it look easy.
And while juggling a million different roles in no easy task, it’s something we’re all familiar with. Her advice to other women?
“Just follow your joy and be kind and work hard and be prepared, as it applies to careers anyway,” she says. “That’s advice that I try to follow.”
Don’t miss Erin Krakow starring in Blind Date Book Club, premiering on April 6 at 8/7c, and in the new season of When Calls the Heart, premiering on Sunday, April 7 at 9/8c, with new episodes airing on Sundays.
