Actor Erik Fellows of ‘Days of our Lives’: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist
…You have to find that special something in yourself that makes you stand out. It is a very competitive business and a very oversaturated business. Especially since social media and reality shows came into play, as an actor, you’re already amongst the hundreds of thousands that are already out there. It’s finding that one thing that gives you the edge over the next person, and sometimes that can be a very difficult thing when you’re first getting into the biz.
As a part of our series about “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Artist” I had the pleasure of interviewing Erik Fellows.
Erik Fellows is an actor most known for his role as Troy Winston in the long-running NBC’s daytime soap opera “Days of our Lives.” He’s also had lead roles in movies such as 2019’s “Being Rose,” “Texas Heart,” “American Cowslip,” “Jonnys Sweet Revenge,” “Break Even.” And he is part of the long-time running television series “CSI NY” and “NCIS Los Angeles,” and his recurring roles in the multiple Emmy award-winning series “The Bay” as Damian Blackwell and his award-worthy role as Bobby in the hit series Purgatory on Popstar!TV.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you! I was born in Silver Spring, Maryland as an only child in an Italian/ Swedish / English household. I was a pretty active kid and loved athletics. At age eight, I gained a huge passion for basketball and my idol Michael Jordan! The love and passion I had for it eventually paid off, and I earned a starting point guard position on the Varsity High School basketball team. I played until going into my senior year when a severe injury to my ankle put a hold on my basketball career. At the time, I was being scouted by an international pro-club team from Italy, and it was a very promising deal for me at the age of seventeen. But with the injury, my basketball career came to an end, and I was unable to continue, which led to finding another passion, acting!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I was babysitting a six-year boy for a friend with my girlfriend at the time. The boy’s mother came to pick up her son as I was leaving and stopped and asked me if I ever thought about modeling and acting. Her young son was into acting and did a lot of kid/youth modeling for big companies. She asked if I was interested in trying it out because she thought I had a great look and an outgoing personality. I told her I hated drama class in high school and only had an interest in basketball. I never thought modeling would be good, as my friends would probably tease me. She explained they wouldn’t be teasing me if I made a great living as a model and/or TV/movie star. I wasn’t sure that was a possibility, but she introduced me to a modeling agency in Georgetown, DC, in case I wanted to consider it a career backup plan.
I did end up signing a contract and began work as a local model. Even though it wasn’t my first dream, it helped me pay the bills and make some extra cash while I figured out my next life goals. As I became more interested in the field, I relocated to New York City and decided to pursue a full modeling and acting career.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Well, it’s hard just to pick one, but since I have to pick just one, I would have to say the time I got to work opposite to Mr. Val Kilmer in a dark comedy film called “American Cowslip.” The story goes like this: the way I got the role was very interesting; my manager at the time was sent an offer for Val Kilmer to play one of the main roles in the film, and my manager at the time used to be Val Kilmer’s life coach and publicist, which is already interesting in itself. But my manager made a deal where, he said to them, “I’ll get Val to do the movie if you put my client Erik in your film.” Initially, after the director looked at my picture, he asked, “isn’t Erik just a model? I mean, can he be funny?” My manager said, “don’t judge a book by its cover. Just meet with him for coffee or lunch.” So, I met with the director, and his name is Mark David. We hit it off pretty well. He said, “well, you’re not just a face; you have a personality too.” I laughed and said, “Is that what you thought I was? Just a face with no personality? Man, you need to get to know me then.” So initially, I was offered just one line in the movie if Val took the role. So we agreed, and once we got on the set and he saw how comfortable I was and then I was pretty crazy and funny, and I wasn’t fearful at all, he ended up re-writing the script and put me in about 35 minutes of the movie with about 30 lines which started a great friendship. Now we’ve done six movies together, and I’m lead in three of them. I have to say this business is a very interesting life and proved you never can tell what will happen and when it will happen, but I have to say that this probably would be the most interesting thing that’s happened to me with the circumstances.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
I have a ton of them that I would say have been very interesting, so it’s hard to choose just a few, but I would say the most interesting projects that I have worked on and/or am working on are a few of the music videos I had the chance of working on were with some big artist such as Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Katherine McPhee, and Dido, working opposite to them as the love interest/boyfriend and being in that position definitely wasn’t a bad thing. I was excited when doing them, and getting to know each one of them was very surreal but also intriguing at the same time. I also would say working on films like American Cowslip where I got to work alongside “Val Kilmer,” NCIS Los Angeles playing opposite to “LL Cool J” that was definitely something really surreal for me especially growing up on his music, also CSI New York with “Gary Sinise.” Also, other films like Texas Heart, working opposite to “Lin Shaye,” “John Savage,” and “Blake Clark.” Another film would be Being Rose, working opposite Cybill Shepard & James Brolin. And also, my film Break Even, an action /adventure which was a ton of fun. Getting to work with the cast on that one was a crazy and fun ride. I would say my most recent series, Purgatory, for which I’ve gotten a lot of praise, and I’m very grateful and blessed for that. I play the role of Bobby in that hit series. I would say that it has been the most challenging to shoot thus far but also the most exciting character that I’ve gotten to play to date! There are so many people and films and TV series that I’ve had such a blast on and have had learning experiences from. I would be here for days to list them, but let’s just say it’s been one heckuva ride!
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
As listed above, I would say the most interesting and surreal experiences I’ve had working with other artists, some of those names would be Val Kilmer, LL Cool J, Jennifer Lopez, Lindsay Lohan, Cybill Shepard, James Brolin, Gary Sinise, Katherine McPhee, Dido, Cindy Crawford, and that’s just a few. Each one of them was vastly different, and I had extremely different experiences with each one.
A story I remember when shooting with LL Cool J; we were shooting a scene where we were both being buried alive in a box underground, and he was eating jalapeño chips, and as a joke, he said he’s going to breathe on me inside the box as a welcome to the set prank. I said, “you’re LL Cool J; you can do whatever you want, buddy.” Mind you; LL Cool J is much bigger than you think. He’s massive with his muscles, and he’s taller than I thought, so we both didn’t really fit in the box, but again he’s LL Cool J. I didn’t mind being suffocated in a box with one of the coolest icons of all time!
Another story I remember after filming American Cowslip. Val Kilmer, when I wrapped, walked over and said, “great job, kid,” and shook my hand. That was a moment I’ll never forget. That definitely solidified for me that I’m going in the right direction in this business and career.
I have many moments with Cybill Shepard working opposite her in the film Being Rose, where I played her son. I got to have a lot of amazing conversations with her about her life and stories, which were extremely surreal! There aren’t many times in life you get the chance to hang out and spend time with someone you either grew up watching or idolized or just plain respect.
These are just a few of the people and stories that I’ve had a chance to work alongside, and taking stories from their life, their experiences in a career, I’m very blessed!
Where do you draw inspiration from? Can you share a story about that?
I draw my inspiration from lots of different things, mostly from people I look up to, the film business actors, producers, and filmmakers in general. A lot of inspiration comes from studying the films with roles that I have been touched by in some sort of way from what I found to be interesting and powerful performances over the years. I’ve taken in little pieces of their cadence and mannerisms. But I never play gimmicks or imitations to anyone. I don’t believe in playing the idea of a character and trying to pretend to be someone else, and I believe you have to find that something in yourself to make it authentic and natural unless you are doing an autobiography piece from a past icon. But even then, you have to find them inside yourself to pull from your natural instincts and capabilities to perform that character. A good example of recent times when I’m playing the role of Bobby in my series Purgatory, I try to find the inner me to portray this character that was developed he has a very dark past he, committed a lot of crimes and murders, in which clearly I’m not the type of person. I like to believe I live my life in the best way possible and in a positive way. So I said to myself what person or character from the past would be of influence to do certain things of that nature. What person could I think of that could perform with those thoughts of someone of this magnitude. Bobby needed to be a charming and sensitive guy with an alluring personality at the same time, be aggressive, arrogant, angry at someone who shows empathy to someone who thought they didn’t have much to live for. Still, then also at the same time, be convincing believable, basically an all-around multiple personality human but then also gather the likings and the respect from women and men with his alluring energy and confidence and even though he was creating and doing these awful acts. That person was Ted Bundy, so I really researched who he was from his past documentary films made on him, in general, his interviews, just to see what he’s like or how to perceive someone of that nature again. I pulled from inner past experiences, things that I could tap into for my own authentic understanding behind that, and created a character of a love-hate-natured human being. I’m very proud of the character; of course, when it was first shown to me, I was worried about how the audience would perceive him and his energy. But it ended up going great, the response from the audience has been spectacular, and I felt like I did Bobby justice. I’m very proud of this role; it is one of my most exciting roles to date!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I’ve tried to be a good influence and an actor and humanitarian for my fans, friends, and family. A person they can look up to. I’ve worked hard on being as truthful to myself and others as I possibly can. I am doing charities, getting involved in organizations, helping out people in need and the ones that are less fortunate. There’s nothing better than giving back. The one thing about this business, the more success you have; it gives you an outlet and a voice to help others. This is the one thing that is very important to me, and I think it should be important to the world that we have the opportunity to help change things and help get a positive understanding out to as many people as possible. Social media has made it even more possible. There’s nothing better than making someone’s day brighter!
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
If I were to choose five things I wish someone had told me when I first started, # 1 would be how to accept the answer “NO.” No one prepares you for that “NO.” It is already hard enough going through life being judged on every little thing, from the way you look to the way you present yourself to the way you speak. From every little detail that you’re not even aware of that, you’re being judged by in this business! So that “No” isn’t something that you were ever prepared for.
#2 The amount of time and effort, and persistence it takes to achieve just getting a job, let alone working consistently. You come to realize very quickly that you’re not that special, or at least you’re made to feel that way. You have to find that special something in yourself that makes you stand out. It is a very competitive business and a very oversaturated business. Especially since social media and reality shows came into play, as an actor, you’re already amongst the hundreds of thousands that are already out there. It’s finding that one thing that gives you the edge over the next person, and sometimes that can be a very difficult thing when you’re first getting into the biz.
#3 They never prepare you for the 24/7, 365 days a week nonstop, day and night hustle that it takes to be successful in this business. In most jobs, you work 9 to 5, and you get the weekends off. In this business, you never have a day off if you want to be successful; if you want to reach goals that you set out for, you have to fight the fight. It is a never-ending fight. We definitely were never prepared for that, and just when you think you’ve got there, you have to do it all over again. This business is all about trends, moments, and maintaining consistency, and most of us weren’t raised to understand rejection to that level, so the fight is never over, it just continues, but it makes you stronger.
#4 We were never prepared for the scrutiny or able to handle the criticism even at our weakest moments. We were never prepared for the letdowns. Most of us were raised, hopefully by parents that love us and care about us, and always have our best interest. But again, they didn’t prepare you for this.
#5 We were never prepared for when success does come. The humbleness that you need to maintain and the inspiration you need to be for others. At the end of the day, as hard as you work to get to where you want to get to, the goals that you’ve tried to work towards and you finally achieve are only as good as the human that you are. Humility and the grateful understanding that comes along with even at the hardest times in your weakest moments you have to maintain, but you always have to remember this as they say you can’t love other people unless you love yourself. This is a business about self-reflection and understanding who you are and where you stand, knowing that you will not take “no” for an answer, that you will continue to fight, and you will continue to be stronger. You will continue to be better than you ever were before. It is something like no other. I am grateful and blessed that I never gave up, that I learned to love myself and love the ones around me. If the rejection comes and the criticism comes, you take that with humility and move forward because you will prevail; the confidence and love that you have for yourself can withstand all of that!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would love to start some sort of acting/self-worth and love program/school for kids from 6- 18 yrs old that want to enter the entertainment business or, even if they don’t, allow them to take the class. It would be a charity non-profit. I would teach all the stuff they don’t tell you to prepare for and have positivity courses about how to steer yourself in the right direction in the entertainment field or in life. In general, to help kids find their passions in a positive way with not feeling insecure or judged. To really teach them self-worth and love for not only themselves but for their fellow peers and the negativities that they might come across in their journeys. I don’t feel that there are enough structured classes and courses for the youth to get what they need to venture out into the business or in life. I would give them pieces of what I learned along my 20-year career and hope to give them a bright outlook on life and entertainment and not feel scared and insecure about the rejection. Help them turn the intimidating idea of entertainment into a fun path and that they need not worry about failure because when they believe in themselves and know that love is all they need on both sides, that things will work out. Not to give them false ideas about how if this or that doesn’t work out, then they won’t succeed. To never give up on whatever passion they want to chase after. I wish someone would have sat me down like this and told me it’s going to be ok and that just believing in myself and hard work, and the love for myself would get me far in life. I would have spent a lot fewer days beating myself up and sitting in my depression and wondering why, instead of taking those negative energies and flipping it on them and making them realize that I’m worth every bit of a “yes” and that I have more love for myself than they will ever know! This would be something I would love to offer to the youth, especially in today’s critical world we live in. They need it more now than ever!
We have been blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she just might see this.
Since I was an advocate for the game of basketball growing up, I didn’t just play the game; I lived and breathed the sport! The number one reason for this is because of the greatest ever, Mr. Michael Jordan! If I was to have breakfast or lunch with anyone, it would be Michael Jordan. He was the first person I looked up to besides my parents. He showed us what extreme hard work and dedication can do. I spent countless hours every day of my childhood into my teens, leading to my adulthood with Michael as an inspiration and a leader. He taught me to fight for what I wanted and have endless persistence and no fear to achieve greatness. Michael Jordan’s energy is something of a superhuman. I truly believed that his countless efforts as an athlete and leader helped scope my determination in my life. I believe he changed the minds of many young people during that time, and people wanting to be “Like Mike” he made us believe in ourselves. When you watched Michael, it was like watching your hero take the stage, and nothing else mattered. I used to watch all of his videos for motivation; it didn’t matter if it was before a basketball game or just to get my day started! I would love to team up with MJ; not only would it be a dream of mine ever since I was a child, but it would also be an honor to collaborate with the man himself on helping our youth believe in themselves again, knowing that they to have the ability to lead a positive and motivating life and to be a leader themselves! It is crucial to learn these things early on in life! To be honest, I owe so much of my will to push forward and never give up and believe in myself even when times are tough, and things feel like they aren’t moving or going anywhere; Michael showed me early in my life what it was like to not be good enough and to get cut from his high school basketball team and within the following year to come back prove not only could he make the team, that he would go on in life to become what he is today! The amount of persistence and perseverance and belief in who you are as a human being and what you can achieve is beyond recognition! Michael helped me become who I am, and I would love to have that talk with him about how we can help our youth know that they too should never give up, we all have a fight in us, but sometimes you just need a face, voice, and leader to help you know you can do it too!
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
They can find me on my socials -
Instagram — erikfellowsofficial
https://www.instagram.com/erikfellowsofficial
- Facebook — Erik Fellows
https://www.facebook.com/actorErikFellows
- Twitter — @ErikFellows
- https://twitter.com/erikfellows
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
