It's about 9:55am and I'm a few minutes early as I wait for Erik at Santa Monica's famous Broadway Deli. I let the maitre'd know I've arrived and then browse at the free postcards. I'm shocked when I'm told that at ten o'clock on the nose Erik is waiting for me up front. He's on time?! I shutter to think my preconceived notions of a young Hollywood actor are already beginning to crumble.

From a distance, Erik looks like your average, good-looking teenager. Baggie[sic] pants, cool tee shirt, knapsack and hip shades. However immediately upon meeting him, you can't help but notice his striking resemblance to Val Kilmer. Definitely nothing average about that. But apart from his good looks, I am struck by his polite and unspoiled demeanor. He waits until I sit until he does and lets me order first. My first assumption is that he's playing a role and wants me to view him in a certain way. But during the course of this four-part series, Erik bares all and lies to rest all my preconceived notions of at least this young Hollywood star.

We are both surprised that in this loud, overly crowed restaurant that we are served almost immediately. Steaming hot blueberry pancakes are set down in front of him.

REB: Why low fat blueberry pancakes?

EVD: Well, it's kind of my new years resolution. I wanna eat more healthy, you know. Plus, I just got back from five days in Mammoth. I went with a bunch of guys and we ate nothing but junk.

REB: Do you work out?

EVD: I try. I haven't at all this year.

REB: And yet you're looking so buff.

EVD: Well thanks. (As he gives me a little flex)

We laugh.

REB: And you flexed your Hollywood muscle this year too- didn't you have two shows running simultaneously this season?

EVD: Technically, I guess. I shot the ODD MAN OUT pilot then I went back to Vancouver and continued shooting SO WEIRD. But it was more back to back.

REB: Yeah, but they aired at the same time.

EVD: Uh yeah.

REB: Well that's kind of cool?

EVD: Yeah, it is actually. I never thought of it that way.

REB: So, you are at the ripe old age of seventeen. When did you start acting?

EVD: I was eight. My older sister wanted to be an actress and she went to an audition for some agent and I just tagged along. And the agent saw me sitting in the lobby and wanted to try me out too. So I read some material for her and I just fell into it.

REB: What about your sister?

EVD: Britta? She was in it for a few months and then she went off to go to college. She's like seven years older than me.

REB: So you didn't really plan on becoming an actor?

EVD: No, not at all.

REB: Do you like it?

EVD: I love it. The more I do it, the more I love it.

REB: What was your first gig?

EVD: DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Well, that was my first gig, GIG. Before I did that I did some little things. My very first job was a LITTLE MERMAID commercial. It was this German commercial and since the girl and I shooting it didn't speak German. All we could say was "ohhh" and "ahhh".

REB: Were you nervous going out on auditions at eight years old?

EVD: Yeah, but I had taken a few acting workshops and that helped.

REB: So you always had an inkling that acting was in your future?

EVD: I just remember that after seeing Macaulay Culkin in HOME ALONE, I wanted to do what he was doing.

REB: Speaking of HOME ALONE -- you are -- while all your friends are in school. You don't go to school, right?

EVD: Well this is where it gets a bit complicated. See I went to elementary school since I was in fifth grade and then I've been home schooled for the duration -- because I had to. I was always on location. You know I'd say to my teachers "I'm going to be in North Carolina for three months, can I get my work in advance?". You know it gets to be a joke to them after a while.

REB: Where[sic] you being tutored on the set?

EVD: Yeah, it's the law. You have to have a tutor like three hours a day. So a teacher would give me all these assignments and then I'd have to go home and do them. When I was in the ninth grade I took something called the high school proficiency exam. Do you know what that is?

REB: You mean like a GED?

EVD: You take this test and if you pass, you get a diploma. It proves you have the equivalency of a high school graduate. It's better than a GED.

REB: But why would you even take that if you weren't nearly finished with high school?

EVD: Because it helps out. Like when you get that and then you're up for a part of a seventeen-year old guy but you're just sixteen or something, they're more likely to cast someone who is already eighteen. This way, not only don't they have to worry about him being schooled, but also you can work longer hours and don't need a guardian. But if you get your diploma, you basically have all the rights that any eighteen-year old has.

REB: But what about furthering your education?

EVD: I continued being tutored until about a month ago. Then I kind of eased out of it. But I still read all my books and have done some additional assignments.

REB: Do you want to go to college?

EVD: Yeah. I guess what I would like to do is go to a good film school. Get a film degree. I'd like to direct at some point. but I'm kind of dreading taking the SAT's.

REB: Did you get pretty good grades?

EVD: For the most part. I use[sic] to hate social studies but then I started liking it. Now it's more chemistry and algebra two. Which is funny since my dad is a mechanical engineer.

REB: Do you ever miss having a "normal" high school experience?

EVD: Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what group I'd be hanging out with if I stayed in school. But, I've still got friends from when I was in school. Sometimes when I was doing home school, I'd go over to the high school at the end of the day and hang out with them.

REB: Do you think you've missed out on anything by not going to school?

EVD: Not really. Except I was once talking to a friend and he said "you know what you're going to miss out on in life? You're going to miss going to the bathroom at school and having a couple of bullies saying you can't get outta here until you pay me two bucks."

REB: Well I think you'll live missing out on that.

EVD: No, because in a way it's kind of necessary that you go through things like that. You know? It teaches you lessons in life. It builds character. It just sets you up for the real world.

REB: Well if it'll make you feel better, I can kick your ass.

EVD: (He laughes) Thanks, but I think I'll pass.