Lives Life With Passion

By Ilena Ryan
Monday, 12 April 2010
The Boulevard Magazine

Walking elegantly alongside Law and Order: Criminal Intent’s Kathryn Erbe is a beautiful blonde, so beautiful that people stop her just to extend compliments. This happens on a regular basis; Erbe has come to expect it. Her companion is her dog, Lilah, who was adopted from the North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) about a year and a half ago.
Lilah is a mutt-i-gree, a member of the eponymous American Mutt-i-grees Club, and served as poster dog for the NSALA’s campaign, appearing in public service announcements and billboards alongside her owner. The goal of the Mutt-i-grees Club is to change the public’s perception of mixed-breed dogs.

Bringing Lilah into the lives of Erbe and her two children, Maeve, 14, and Carson, 6, was one of the best decisions the family made. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel good about [it],” Erbe says. The decision to adopt a dog came about when Maeve had to have two teeth pulled in August of 2008. The family had been talking about getting a dog for a while and they decided the time was right – a puppy would be a good cheer-me-up for Maeve. After Maeve’s dental surgery, the family drove from their Brooklyn home to the North Shore Animal League America in Port Washington, NY. As soon as they laid their eyes on Lilah, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off her.
The “little blonde puffball,” as Erbe described Lilah, charmed the family and the adoption happened that day, along with the request from the NSALA staff for Erbe to work with their organization.

“I’m lucky that I have a very prominent job and they recognized me, and before I knew it, people came up to me and asked if I’d be interested in getting involved with NSALA. Our experience with them was so pleasant, and when they started to talk to me about what happens to these animals because of puppy mills and when you see how many beautiful, wonderful, amazing, smart and kind animals need homes, it really became a passion for me and my kids,” Erbe says.

Erbe devotes her time to getting the word out about adoption, as well as being a spokesperson, along with Lilah, for the mutt-i-gree campaign. It’s a cause they both believe strongly in. “There are so many reasons to adopt; hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats [are] in need of homes. It takes a little bit of effort, but it’s the right thing to do, it really is. Mutts have fewer health problems, often they’re incredibly intelligent, and that’s what Lilah is. She’s the kindest, gentlest, smartest, most intuitive dog I’ve ever met. She loves children; she loves other animals. [And] she’s grown into being a watchdog, which I wanted, as a single mom,” Erbe says. If adoption is not an option, Erbe urges people to show their support and love for these animals in other ways, such as by donating money, products and time.
Her devotion to NSALA reflects Erbe’s passionate personality—a passion she also applies to her acting career. She spent her school years dancing, singing and acting in school plays and musicals. Growing up in Newton, MA, a suburb of Boston, Erbe always knew she wanted to be a professional actor, but she found herself in a very dark place during her high school years. She almost was forced to let go of her dreams but her passion for performing kept her going. “I really had a hard time. I was not a happy kid. I was very sad, very depressed, had very low self-esteem, and I eventually ended up involved in the wrong crowd of people—they were my friends but they were up to no good. [I] got involved in different things, drugs, and I dropped out of school when I was a junior,” she recalls.
But after her parents sent her to an alternative school in Western Massachusetts, Erbe turned her life around. She applied to just one college—New York University—and told her story in her application: she needed acting to turn her life around. She was accepted and entered the school as a drama major. “I really have always been a survivor,” she says.
In her senior year at NYU, instead of taking the conventional route of showcasing for agents, she mailed her headshot to 10 of the biggest agencies at the time, and fortunately was called in. Before she had even graduated, she had booked a pilot for a show called Chicken Soup with Lynn Redgrave and Jackie Mason and was the only member of her class to have a professional job. “I’ve been working ever since,” she recalls.
After a series of television appearances and movie roles, Erbe found herself in the role of Detective Alexandra Eames on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. The show was a gift to Erbe, not only because she loved playing the role of a New York City cop, but because it allowed her to perform her most important duty: that of being a mom.
“I was so lucky to have the job on Criminal Intent for as long as I did. As an actor, you have no solidity to your life. Right before I got that job, my daughter was 5, in kindergarten, and I used to take her everywhere, [but] we couldn’t do that anymore. I was despairing because I didn’t think I could deal with the lifestyle of being an ambitious actress. It’s not conducive to raising a family, at least on the level I was trying to do it, so I went in for this Law and Order job, and nine years later, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to my career. It gave me a schedule, my kids knew where I was, they had a playroom in my dressing room,” Erbe says.
When asked if her kids will follow her acting path, Erbe answers, “Yes, unfortunately,” with a laugh. While Carson is too young to have formed a decision, Maeve has expressed interest and will be attending a performing arts high school. Erbe offers advice to young actors: “It’s a really, really unfair and difficult business. I could use a lot of expletives, but I won’t. The best thing they can do is do it their own way, do everything they can to feel good about themselves, and [bring] what they alone can bring to each and every project that comes their way.” And, she adds: “Go to school! Get a college education!”
For her next job, Erbe is looking for a role that will allow her kids to be her priority. While she would love to play another character like Detective Eames, she’s open to comedy. Regarding her serious, dramatic parts she says, “I tend to be attracted to those roles. I like darkness, I like exploring those emotions, but I think it would be really fun to do something totally different.”
But for now, she’s enjoying having more time to spend with Maeve, Carson and Lilah, being able to relax and read an entire book, and dedicating her time to charitable organizations. “I’m using the time well; it’s really nice to just live life after nine years of a really hard schedule,” she says.