A native of New Jersey, every young man and lady dreams of the day they can travel to the big city in hopes of finding stardom and pursuing their dream and Erik David Barber is certainly no different. “I’d tell anyone who is even remotely thinking about delving into this career to turn around and run, run as fast as you can and choose another career,” he says with a laugh. “Actually I love my career and I’ve been extremely fortunate to be part of some great projects out there.”

And one of those great projects is the film Heist that hit DVD on February 9^th. “Heist is an action packed movie,” reveals Barber. “I was out in Hollywood auditioning and working a recurring role on CBS The Young and the Restless when I was sent the script for this movie.” He continues, “from the moment I read the script I immediately fell in love with this picture and decided that I definitely wanted to be a part of it.”

So his agent worked his magic and Barber was cast in the role of Eric. “Eric is a down to earth guy, who sticks to his own,” says Barber. “Throughout the film you see the character of Eric evolve, as he learns certain dimensions to himself that he never knew before. Eric ends up having to go bail his brother out of jail, and all these crazy clusters of events seem to happen as Eric tries to figure out who he really is and make sense of it all.”

“The two months I spent filming this movie was pure joy.” But Barber did reveal to me that as with any movie Heist did have it’s share of nerve wracking moments.  “Weather,” laughs Barber. “It didn’t always want to cooperate with us during filming.” He continues, “as with all films, you face budget issues and challenges like what you can afford, you have to tell a good story but you have to watch how much you spend. We didn’t have the luxury of a studio budget, so at times it meant that we had to roll up our sleeves and go with the flow and as Nike would say just do it, like with our stunts.”

Even though Heist might be the first introduction some may have to Barber, it is certainly not the first film he has been a part of. “I had a small role in the film He’s just not that into you which starred Jennifer Aniston and was directed by Drew Barrymore.” So what was it like working with Aniston, Barrymore and other big name Hollywood talent? “Nerve Wracking,” he says with a laugh. “Here’s this movie you’ve just been chosen for and you walk into a room and all these multi talented, huge Hollywood stars are there you feel obligated to be on top of your game during the filming process. I was extremely nervous to meet, let alone be given the chance to work with a lot of those people.”

He continues, “one of the producers on this film had hired me for a part in the role Little Miss Sunshine and recommended me to Drew (Barrymore). She called me up and had me come in and read and the rest was history.”

Eventually the jitters wore off, and Barber found his niche in the role. “I just had to take the stance that this is a job, I had to show up to the set and forget about everything and just go with it. 

Barber credits his small roles on All My Children and The Young and the Restless for leading him to this profession and giving him the skills and training he needed to catch the attention of producers for these films. “I had a small recurring role on All My Children,” he shares. “The first day I set foot on their set, I was immediately bitten by the acting bug. I got to see the craft at it’s best and I got sucked in. At that point I knew that in order to nab it, I had to move to Los Angeles and continue pursuing it further. 

With his belongings in tow, Barber left the East Coast and the bright lights of Manhattan for the sun, sand and surf of the West Coast and quickly found himself cast on yet another daytime show. “After moving out to LA, I was cast in the role of Mason Greer on The Young and the Restless.”

“Mason was the boyfriend of Colleen Carlton and I was told that their was potential for the role to become more evolved.” Unfortunately, Mason eventually bid farewell to Genoa City and Barber left Y&R. “I don’t think that Mason caught on to well with the fans,” Barber says with a chuckle. “I had a blast working on the show and the cast there is AMAZING, I would definitely go back if given the chance.”

And now that AMC  has relocated to LA, perhaps Barber could return to the place that started it all for him. “You never know what will happen. I would definitely be open to another daytime role. It would be nice to have a contract and do something you love and have fun at the same time,” he shares. “Daytime is so much different than film and moves at a much faster pace you shoot in one day on daytime what you would in a week when making a  film. 

Erik David Barber can be counted as one of Hollywood’s rising stars. Look for Eric to be cast in an upcoming role in Days Of Our Lives. His character name is Aaron and be involved in Stephanie and Nathan's storyline.

I want to personally thank Erik for taking time out of his busy schedule to chat with us here at Soaptown USA and also to his manager Brandon Nichols for making this interview happen.