Dean Erickson

By Craig White

Dean Erickson played the role of Gabriel Knight in The Beast Within, possibly one of the best adventure games of all time, selling over a million copies world wide. This was also one of the only times an FMV adventure proved successful.

How did you feel about Gabriel Knight, the character you played in The Beast Within?

I thought GK was a very interesting, well-rounded, well-written character. He's a good guy at heart with his share of inadequacies. Pretty human, if you ask me. He has a sense of humor, is laid-back, but has a deep-seated anger. He's cool, but wounded, an interesting character to play and watch, because you wonder if he can conquer his demons.

Do you feel you did a better job playing Gabriel than Tim Curry did in Gabriel Knight 1?

You can't compare us. He's an amazing and gifted actor, but he only supplied his voice on GK1. And I don't think I would ever have the gall to say I did better than Tim Curry or anyone else. It's like comparing apples and oranges. It's a matter of taste for people. I just did the best I could at each moment.

What are you doing now? What is currently paying the bills?

I am a kept man. No, just kidding. I pay the bills by check and credit card like everyone else. There's a rumor going around that I must be broke. I'm alive and well and solvent, thank you very much. I am pursuing acting work much more vigorously than in the past. I am also finishing one screenplay while I try to produce another, look for a new agent, etc. Usual Hollywood actor stuff.

This might be an odd question, but after Gabriel Knight 2, do you believe in werewolves?

I don't even think about werewolves, let alone believe in them.

Did you like the other actors from GK2? Do you still stay in contact with any of them?

The actors from GK2 were terrific, as were all the people that worked on the project. I enjoyed the whole process very much. I have talked to Peter and run into Richard recently, but we don't hang out. Of course, I don't hang out much anyway. People do a project, then go back to their own lives and the next project generally. But they were all terrific, talented people that worked on GK2. Joanne is a doll, very sweet. I do still talk to Jane, of course, and I hang out with Will Binder once in a while. He's a friend.

What are your feeling about your performance in GK2? If you could do it again, what would you change?

I was pleased with my performance because I did the best I could in every scene. I can laugh at some of the things I did that maybe weren't terrific, but other moments can surprise me because I did better than I thought. But basically, I don't think about it now. I did it. I tried my best. It's over. On to the next.

Did you play Gabriel Knight 1 or 2, and how did you feel about the puzzles and the overall game design?

I did not play GK1. I played GK2 for fifteen minutes before I got frustrated and quit. I had given it to a friend and tried to play it at her house, but I couldn't get GK into the car to go into town. I would rather act in them than play them anyway, but thank God for the rest of you that enjoy playing the games.

What do you plan to do with the rest of your life? Will you continue acting, or do you want to do something completely different?

I plan to continue to act until I am old and gray. I am getting more into music. I sing, I write a little, I'm learning. I want to produce and star in one of my screenplays as well as continue writing screenplays and, one day, a novel.

Would you ever consider doing another live-action interactive CD-ROM adventure game?

Yes, if it was well-written and people were trying to do something good, as opposed to turning out schlock.

Do you play games? If so, what's you're favorite one?

I don't play games on the computer and try not to in life.

What was your favorite scene to shoot in GK2, and why?

The scene where Detta was sitting on my lap. Just kidding, although that certainly wasn't tough to take. I don't have a favorite really. Sorry.

How do you feel about all of the fans you have from your role in the popular Gabriel Knight game? Do you plan to stay in contact, via e-mail, with a few of them?

I just found out I had fans. I'm grateful. It's always nice to hear nice things about your work, that people appreciated your efforts and maybe your talent. I am trying to stay in touch, but I can see that it will be difficult to respond personally to everyone, but maybe through interviews like this they can understand that I do care, that I am grateful, but that I only have so much time, and I have a lot of other things to do. I'll do my best.

How did you get started in acting? How might someone interested in acting get started?

I started acting when I was thirty after I had worked on Wall Street for six fairly miserable years. I left the Street, then decided I would raise money and start my own investment firm. Because I am quite shy, I took an acting class to help me in meeting with people, because I had to approach people for money. I found that acting was far more enjoyable than anything I had done on Wall Street, so I started training and pursuing an acting career instead. For anyone else, just realize that an acting career is more difficult than most careers, so I wouldn't highly recommend it. But if you have to act, do it. Take a class. Get in a play. See where it leads you. And good luck.

What do your family and friends think about all of this?

My family is great. I think my dad thought Wall Street was cool, because that is where the money is, but he likes to see me on TV, too. At my age, it's whatever makes me happy.

Thanks for the interview. Do you have any last words you'd like everyone to know about?

Thanks to everyone for reading this interview and caring what happens in my career. I am pursuing acting work again after spending most of the last two years writing, so hopefully I'll be in something interesting real soon. I will try to let people know about it.