Erin Karpluk, a Jasperite who left the small town behind to become a big city actress, is now recognized in public thanks to her television show character Erica Strange.

While Karpluk has been cast in an array of television shows, she now takes the limelight playing the 32-year-old protagonist in Being Erica on the CBC, in which her therapist sends her back in time to rewrite past moments that haunt her.

According to an article in the Toronto Star on Jan. 23, the show has attracted between 600,000 and 700,000 viewers. However, the last episode of the first season was broadcast April 1, and there is no word as to whether the show will be picked up for a second season, especially in light of recent news that the CBC will be cutting back 800 jobs by September.

“We’re all keeping our fingers crossed but it’s looking positive,” Karpluk said, adding she’s excited to see where her character might go.

Looking to the future, Karpluk has her sight fixed on Los Angeles, where she hopes her career will continue to blossom, but will play the waiting game to see if Being Erica will continue on.

“You kind of have to wait and see, it’s not a very secure job, because they have me contracted for four years you have to wait to see if you’re going to be picked up and that’s a couple months of just biting your nails of waiting to see, but I am working towards my green card though so I hope to spend some more time in Los Angeles,” said Karpluk.

Karpluk said the show has reached a wider audience than she had anticipated, which she attributes to the theme of regrets. “I think regardless of where you are in life or who you are or what class or gender you are, I think that everybody can identify with making mistakes and having regrets. It’s kind of unique in that sense,” she said.

Gauging the show by the amount of positive feedback she’s received, the young actress said she thinks the it has gone well thus far.

While the actress has played a variety of television and theatre roles in the past, Being Erica is the first show for Karpluk which has resulted in a variety of promotional work that is quite new to her – the show’s success has taken her to the US and overseas.

“I’ve never been on a show that was so supported by a network before and had the kind of international interest, so it’s been really cool to be a part of that,” she said.

After shooting the season, Karpluk found herself as far as Brighton, England promoting the show, which has now been picked up by SoapNet, a division of ABC and Disney, in the US.

“I learnt a lot about he business end of things. So, it’s not quite the acting art of it but it was really informative,” she said, adding that she has done a range of media promotion including the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s latest function in Toronto.

While the actress is Vancouver-based and spent six months in Toronto working on the show, her heart is still nestled in the valley of Jasper National Park where she said she gets home at least once a year for Christmas.

Growing up in Jasper, Karpluk said most of her spare time was used to play sports and enjoy her surroundings rather than focusing on her acting talents. “I grew up skiing and I played hockey and basketball and more of the athletic part of growing up in Jasper, which I’m happy and grateful that I did,” she said.

She is quick to point out what she gained growing up in Jasper, but adds that developing a drama program or performing space, ideas discussed during the sustainability plan workshops, are great ideas.

Admittedly, the 31-year-old said she “stumbled” into her acting career. “When they accepted me to the University of Victoria they accepted me as a theatre major and I was originally just going for a Bachelor of Arts,” she said adding that “I kind of fell into it, but secretly in the back of my mind it was something I always wanted to explore and I’m happy that there was that chance to do.”