Erik von Detten

Full Name: Erik Thomas von Detten

d.o.b.: October 3rd, BC...plastic surgery can work miracles." What a kidder -- He was born in 1982 and is a Leo.
Provenance: San Diego, CA

Stats: 6'1", blond hair/hazel eyes.

Family Affair: Older brother Tim, older sisters Britta and Dolly, younger sister: Andrea.

First Place You May Have Seen Him : On NBC's "Days of Our Lives"as Nicholas Alamain. Erik recalls those days fondly: "I did some of my best work of my career on that show. There would be weeks that I would do nothing but pull up tears for those heavily emotional scenes...and it was TOUGH but the best damn training any actor can get."

Where Has He Been Seen Since? : Playing Andrew on the short-lived ABC series "Odd Man Out," Clu on Disney's "So Weird " and various parts in a number of made-for-tv movies.

And, What's in the Hopper Now?: A new movie called "The Princess Diaries" co-starring screen legend ("The Sound of Music) Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway (from last year's FOX comedy "Get Real") and Mandy Moore. Says Erik: " Mandy was a joy to work with. It was her first gig and I thought she did really well."

What's the Gist of the Movie?: "It's about a shy 16-year-old girl named Mia (Anne) who suddenly finds out that her mom had a one-night-stand with a member of a European royal family and that she's a Princess as a result. It's all about her having to learn how to carry herself like one -- kind of an ugly duckling story."

And, Where does He Fit in to the Fairy Tale?: Big stretch here. Erik plays Josh, the most popular guy in school who unceremoneously dumps his equally popular g/f, Lana, (Mandy Moore) when he finds out that the formerly "dorky" Mia is, in fact, a princess. Nice guy. (Don't worry, he gets his.)

Sounds cute. Is it?: "I saw a screening about a month ago and it's just turned out to be really touching movie. Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) directed it and he's hilarious. I mean, I think the key to being a great director in to keep a sense of humor on the set, yeah, he definitely pulls that off."

How Did a Self-Proclaimed Surfer Dude from So. Cal Get Involved With Acting In The First Place?: "I got discovered sitting in the lobby of an agent's office -- my older sister was taking a meeting with the agent, and the agent met me. After I read some material for her, she decided to represent me. That was when I was 8."

And His First Paying Job?: A German commercial for "The Little Mermaid."

Appropriate Since He Spends Most of his Time at the Beach: "I am living in Malibu these days, so I am right by one of my favorite beach breaks in the South Bay. So I'm pretty content. I've basically been going out surfing like every day."

Life's Tough! A Typical Summer Day in the Life of EVD:: "I've been waking up for the past few weeks and varnishing the wood on my boat -- it's a 1969, 27' Islander sailboat. It's a beauty, and it's got all this wood on it. Every six months to a year, you gotta varnish the wood. This time I am going all out and doing about 10 to 12 coats of varnish. Every day I've been going down and sanding it down and putting a layer of varnish on it."

And Then? : "Well it's pretty much that. Then go home, shower, then surf and then maybe get together with some friends and go into town or whatever." We could learn a thing or two here. This is summer vacation done correctly, folks.

What about Music? Don't I remember something about a guitar or a band? : "Um, yes I play, but I'm not in a band. I have friends that are, so I am always hanging out with them and maybe I will play a little with them on the drums or the guitar. But I'm not officially in a band. I just like to mess around, y'know."

Favorite Genre of Music to Listen to?: "I'm into a lot of different types. I like rock, reggae, funk, jazz, some classical. I like alot of soundtracks -- I like it all."

Book?: "My all-time favorite would have to be James and The Giant Peach. I read it a million times when I was a kid and always fantasized about escaping in that big peach. I didn't want to see the movie cause it would've ruined the image of it I had in my head."

Ice Cream?: " I gotta tell ya - I love peppermint ice cream - the best kind is the kind with the pieces of candy canes - I like waffle cones."

He's Not All About Fun Though, this Guy's Got Some Philanthropic Endeavors Going On Too...: Erik volunteers his time to both the "Make A Wish" and "Starlight Foundations" - both organizations serve the needs of the world's seriously ill children."

Centering Thought/Mantra?: Usually, it is "stay in the moment," because I tend to be very analytical in certain situations...and one that I use is, "roll with the punches." I had a sailing trip planned with my buddy Darrin. We got down there and prepped the boat and as I opened up the dock box, I saw NO gas tank/can. It had been stolen. I didn't even blink an eye. I told myself that expression, casually got in my car, got another one and before we knew it, we were out in the open sea."

Sounds Good. So, what's next for the Zen Surfer/Actor/Musician?: "I just finished shooting a film with Brad Renfro and Jenna Malone. It's called Lifer's Picnic (like the guy on death row) but I think the title's gonna change. We still have another five months of post production, then it will be released."

Cool Dude. We'll be looking forward to it.

Editor's Note: During our interview I asked Erik about his official web site at Celebrity Blvd. which hasn't been updated in AGES. He said, "I'm going to have to meet with those guys and kind of revamp the site. Let the fans know I'm following through." So, there you have it!