Exclusive Interview: Eric Ladin Talks Where the Crawdads Sing, Adapting the Beloved Story from Page to Screen, and More

Eric Ladin needs no introduction. The gifted actor has over fifty credits to his name including blockbuster films and hit television programs like Boardwalk Empire, Six, Shooter, Impulse, Ozark, and Bosch. This summer, he stars in the must-see romantic drama Where the Crawdads Sing.

Adapted from the bestselling novel, Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh. Eric shines as the prosecuting lawyer trying to put Kya away.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Eric about his career, Where the Crawdads Sing, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Eric: I discovered theater and drama at a pretty young age. I’d say probably around twelve or thirteen. Junior high is when I first got on a stage and started performing. That’s really where I realized how much I enjoyed it.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Eric: That’s a good question. I have relationships with some of the casting directors that I’ve worked with. They’ve been really fantastic. One thing that goes unnoticed is the actor’s relationship with the casting directors. As you spend more time in LA or New York or London, you get to meet so many different casting directors and you build those relationships. They see you do a ton of work. They see you do work for jobs that you don’t necessarily get, but they see you do that work. Casting directors like Junie Lowry-Johnson, Libby Goldstein, Alexa Fogel, and Laura Schiff have been influential because they’ve gotten to see me do different types of work and then they were able to start to bring me in for things that a creative may not have seen that I was necessarily right for.

PC: You’ve had so much success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a moment that stands out?
Eric: Working on Boardwalk Empire always stands out to me. I was working with some phenomenal talent, both in the form of directors and actors. I remember doing a scene with Jeffrey Wright. They changed the dialogue the night before, so I didn’t have a ton of time to work on it, but between working with him, who was a phenomenal scene partner, and the great directors, that moment always stands out to me as one that was eye-opening. It was a challenge for me, but I’m so happy with the way it turned out. It was a meaningful moment for me.

PC: Tell us about Where the Crawdads Sing and your character in the film.
Eric: Where the Crawdads Sing is based on a book. If you read and loved the book, you’ll love the movie, but you certainly don’t need to have read the book to love the film. It’s a love story with an intriguing murder mystery woven throughout it. It tells the story of a young woman named Kya, who I think shows a ton of resilience and fortitude through the most trying of circumstances. Watching her and her journey is phenomenal. The story itself is great.

Also, it takes place in the marshlands, which is a character in itself. It takes place in the Carolinas. My character is Eric Chastain. He’s the attorney who is prosecuting Kya for murder.

PC: You’ve done it all in your career. What was it about this particular character and script that stood out to you?
Eric: I fell in love with this book when I read it years ago, so I knew the story very well. When I saw the script and my rep sent it to me, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it in whatever capacity I could. It was a no-brainer. When the offer came, I was very excited!

PC: When you’re working on a project that’s being adapted from a popular novel, there are going to be comparisons that will be made. What’s one thing that you wanted to make sure was transferred over from the page to the screen regarding your character? What’s something new that you brought to him?
Eric: Many people will view him as the antagonist because he’s trying to put our hero away. He’s justified in what he’s doing and is only doing what he feels is right. It was important for me to not make him too villainy with the twisted mustache and all. [laughs] But I think ultimately that antagonistic portray will come across because of who he is and what he’s doing.

PC: Did you feel any pressure heading into this project just given how beloved this novel is? Also, the fact that you were also a fan of it.
Eric: There’s always pressure when you’re trying to adapt a project from a novel, especially with one that’s as beloved as this one. People are always, at the end of the day, going to love the book because if you did read the book, it’s what you’ve built in your mind for the story. That doesn’t always match with what the creatives and storytellers for the movie had in mind. But I will say that this film does a phenomenal job at adapting the book. I’ve seen it. It’s beautiful. The story that they tell is wonderful. As a fan of the book, I was very thrilled with the movie and how it turned out.

PC: There are so many timely and relevant themes that this novel and this film tackle, was there one in particular that hit home for you?
Eric: It’s the resilience and the recognition of self-worth that Kya has to have in order to adapt to her surroundings. The other thing is that she craves the human connection—that’s probably the most relevant for most people now more than ever. We’ve spent well over a year not seeing people and not physically being in space with people. We all crave it. We can all relate to that.

PC: Outside of this film, what’s next for you?
Eric: I’m developing something right now that I can’t get into, but it’s super cool. I’m really excited about it. It’ll be one of the first things that I’m a producer on.

To keep up with Eric, follow him on Instagram. Where the Crawdads Sing is in theaters now.