SCHOOL OF ROCK'S Eric Petersen Encourages Looking to Spots Where Your Voice Can Be Heard
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet the talented Eric Peterson. Eric is an actor who has been seen on Broadway in Shrek as Papa Ogre/Shrek u/s (a show he later headlined on the National Tour in the title role of Shrek), Peter and the Starcatcher (Ted), School of Rock - The Musical (Dewey), and Escape to Margaritaville (Brick). He has also been seen in the National Tours of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (William Barfee), Elf (Buddy), and Escape to Margaritaville (Brick). He has appeared in shows such as Kirstie, CSI, The Big Bang Theory, Law and Order, and Law and Order: SVU, just to name a few!
Eric will also be starring as Kevin in the upcoming TV Series Kevin Can F*** Himself. Eric is an actor that is hard to forget once you've seen him perform. His presence on the stage is just as inspirational as his journey in this business. It is so wonderful to interview artists such as Eric during this pandemic, for I feel he has a lot of solid advice to give aspiring artists!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to have a career in the arts?
I was always a funny kid and enjoyed making people laugh with physical comedy and impressions, but I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor till high school. I started doing theatre my freshman year, and eventually realized that was where I belonged. Then I went to college (Bradley University) for acting and it all took off from there.
Where did you study? Are there any people and or mentors who helped you on your journey?
As I said I went to Bradley University in Peoria, IL, and got my degree in Acting. I loved going to school there, and the slightly smaller department afforded me many big opportunities to star in a variety of shows. I really think that experience prepared me for the bigger moments in my career. I had many teachers who really pushed and taught me to find the real artist and performer inside myself. My high school Drama Teacher, Charles Berglund, instilled a love of the theatre in me. He always treated us as adults and expected excellence from us even at a Hugh school level. Once in college, I had a lot of great teachers, but 2 in particular really pushed me to be my best. Frank Trezza and Susan Robinson both had a major influence on me. They saw that I had raw talent, but they instilled a work ethic and leadership traits in me that I still think about today. Once I was in the professional world I had a few mentors who became colleagues and friends. I learned so much from amazing artists like Bill Damaschke, Sutton Foster, Kirstie Alley, Michael Richards, and many more.
We are all living in a very unprecedented time. How have these times been for you and what is your daily routine like now?
It really is a crazy time, isn’t it!?!? I have loved getting all this time at home with my family, but the seriousness of the moment is not lost on me. I try to balance myself by staying creative. I’ve been doing online song covers and concerts, I’ve started learning how to make hats, and my wife Lisa and I made an at-home DIY Family Musical. My wife wrote a short musical based on the kids book “Dragons Love Tacos” and we filmed and edited it all at home with our kids starring in it as well.
Your career has been pretty amazing! From Shrek to School of Rock you have had the opportunity to play some larger than life roles on Broadway. Is there a character or a show that sticks out that will always be near and dear to your heart?
I have been lucky enough to play some really great big over the top roles (Shrek, Dewey in School of Rock, Buddy in Elf, Barfeé in …Spelling Bee). I love those types of roles! My first favorite musical was Phantom of The Opera, so I’d, of course, love the play the Phantom someday! I am also super excited to start shooting my next project (as soon as quarantine ends)!! I’ll be playing Kevin in the upcoming AMC sitcom “Kevin Can F*** Himself” staring opposite Annie Murphy who played Alexis on Schitt’s Creek. It’s gonna be an amazing fun show, and trust that character is also big and over the top!
What advice would you give any aspiring artist during these crazy times?
Be creative. Look to spots where your voice can be heard. Think about what message or story YOU’D want to hear right now, and chances are someone else out there ALSO would want to hear that message/story, so MAKE IT! Everyone is on an even playing field right now. We all are stuck at home with our minds and our phones. Make something!! Try to look at this societal shift as an opportunity to get your voice out there. Break a leg!
To learn more about this talented artist make sure you visit his official website at - www.ericpetersenonline.com