Who Is Erin Krakow? 6 Things to Know About the Hallmark Star

Erin Krakow has been a Hallmark Channel mainstay since she began playing Elizabeth Thatcher on When Calls the Heart.

The star, 41, was born in Philadelphia, Penn., on September 5, 1984. She grew up in South Florida, where she attended Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts.

As Krakow decided to focus on her dramatic studies, she enrolled at The Juilliard School in New York City and earned a BFA.

"The time and energy that went into college audition preparation at Dreyfoos was invaluable!" she shared in an interview with Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation. "We certainly could have spent more time discussing what the professional life of an actor would be like, but I think it was wise not to jump that far ahead. I probably wouldn't have been ready to really digest that information."

Speaking with Parade, Krakow said she turned to acting after her baby brother was born.

"I got a lot of attention. Then this cute little baby came around and I had to share the attention. So I started singing songs and putting on little performances and I wanted to be in the school play," she recalled.

Krakow added, "I guess it was my brother who pushed me into acting, but I wouldn't have it any other way. What started as a need for more attention developed into a real passion and love for me."

After appearing in various theater productions, Krakow transitioned to the screen and landed her first TV role on Guiding Light.

"Having a theatre background has been beyond helpful in my work in television," she admitted. "It doesn't feel like a big transition from one to the other necessarily, just an opportunity to discover new tools – but I find that to be true of any new role/project."

After playing Molly on the CBS hit daytime show, she guest-starred in more series like Good Girls Revolt, Castle, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS.

In 2014, Krakow launched her Hallmark career with When Calls the Heart, scoring the role of Elizabeth Thatcher. The character was initially played by Poppy Drayton in the original 2013 movie that inspired the long-running series.

"I wasn't concerned with putting a unique spin on Elizabeth or trying to emulate Poppy Drayton's beautiful performance," she said in an interview. "I just approached the role in the way that felt right and truthful to me. And I feel fortunate that that was never really a discussion. Luckily, those in power liked what I brought to the table and the rest is history."

Reflecting on starring in the Hallmark series, Krakow noted the project had been "a dream."

"I get to do what I love every day and I get to do it with an incredibly talented cast and crew and network!" she told Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation.

While working on When Calls the Heart, Krakow began starring in more Hallmark Channel movies and series, including Chance at Romance, A Cookie Cutter Christmas, Finding Father Christmas, Engaging Father Christmas, Marrying Father Christmas and A Summer Romance.

She also had roles in Sense, Sensibility & Snowmen, It Was Always You, The Wedding Cottage, Blind Date Book Club, Santa Tell Me and Christmas Above the Clouds.

Although they have different love interests on When Calls the Heart, Krakow and her costar Ben Rosenbaum ended up finding love with each other.

After meeting on the set of the show, they went public with their relationship in February 2024. The couple surprised fans when they announced their marriage in a June collaborative Instagram post.