Erin Krakow

OF ‘WHEN CALLS THE HEART’ ON HALLMARK CHANNEL

Though you’ve appeared on such other shows as “NCIS,” Hallmark Channel has been your main television home, thanks to “When Calls the Heart” and movies you’ve done. Is it safe to assume you’re still happy in that comfort zone?

I‘m incredibly comfortable there, because they’re so loving and supportive. It really does feel like a family, especially with “When Calls the Heart.” On my hiatus, I do look for things outside the Hallmark world, just to keep things fresh for me in different roles on different styles of shows, but I hope my relationship with Hallmark continues for years to come.

How has the experience of making “When Calls the Heart” during the coronavirus pandemic been for you?

Everyone is wearing masks as much as possible. The actors leave them on until the last minute. We’re all very grateful that we’re able to get back to work, and because of that, we feel a real responsibility to each other to stay as safe as possible in our lives outside of work so that we don’t disrupt the safety on the set.

If you look at the current “When Calls the Heart” episodes years from now, do you think you’ll reflect on the conditions under which they were made?

We could have really lined things up quite well with (dramatizing) the Spanish Flu of 1918, but we went in the other direction. We’re trying to provide our viewers with an escape from the stress of the pandemic. One of the things I think people love about Hallmark Channel is that they know they’re going to see something that is heartwarming and feel-good, and we wanted to continue to offer that.