Are 'When Calls the Heart' Stars Erin Krakow and Daniel Lissing Dating? (2024)

Erin Krakow has been a staple on Hallmark since she snagged the role of Elizabeth Thatcher on When Calls the Heart. Though the show has seen plenty of drama throughout its six—almost seven—seasons, such as Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin's exits, Erin has always remained a favorite for Hearties. Here's everything to know about the 34-year-old actress.

She wasn’t the first actress to play Elizabeth Thatcher.

In the original 2013 movie that inspired the WCTH series, Elizabeth was played by Downton Abbey's Poppy Drayton. Erin took over the role a year later, when the Hallmark Channel launched the TV show, and has now played her for five seasons.

“I wasn’t concerned with putting a unique spin on Elizabeth or trying to emulate Poppy Drayton’s beautiful performance,” Erin has said of taking over the character. “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.”

No, she’s not dating Daniel Lissing.

Despite the two having a beloved on-screen romance, Erin and Daniel are just friends. In fact, Daniel is happily in love with his girlfriend, Nadia, who he gushes about frequently on social media. At the moment, Erin doesn’t appear to be dating anyone (but if she is, she’s very good at keeping it quiet).

She’s very engaged with the Hearties fan base.

“I come from the theater, and at the end of a play or musical, you get applause,” Erin told Patheos. “And as the play is going, you get a sense of if you have the audience with you, if they’re enjoying it. You get that immediate feedback. For a while there, you didn’t really have that with film and TV. It wasn’t such a direct connection.”

But since the show premiered in 2014, she and her fellow cast members have discovered ways to communicate with their fans. “We’re tweeting with them, we’re talking to them directly during each episode. We’re getting that feedback right away. We’re getting to know these people," she said.

In a separate interview with The Principle, Erin also talked about how the Hearties have become a supportive community on their own, too. “We’ve heard countless stories of people who have lost loved ones or other tragedies in their lives, and they have told us how crucial When Calls the Heart has been in their healing process and how our show has been a good friend to them and an absolute source of healing for them," she said.

She's remained tight-lipped about Lori Loughlin.

Erin has stayed relatively mum amid Lori’s exit on When Calls the Heart. Her character was primarily responsible for explaining why Abigail Stanton had to leave, but in real life, she’s remained hush-hush on the matter. However, Erin’s other castmates like Pascale Hutton, Jack Wagner, and Paul Greene have spoken out several times, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Erin was dealing with some similar heartbreak over the matter.

Her brother inspired her to go into acting.

But probably not in the way you'd imagine! Erin told Parade that at the age of five, she turned to acting as a way to deal with her jealousy of her baby brother. “I got a lot of attention,” she said. “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. 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.”

She’s a Hallmark record-setter.

In 2016, Erin starred in Finding Father Christmas, a Hallmark Movies & Mysteries film in which she played a woman visiting a small Vermont town for Christmas, searching for her long-lost father. At the time of its release in November of 2016, it was the most watched premiere in the history of the network, and has since received a sequel, Engaging Father Christmas.