# Eric Johnson (actor)

Eric Johann Johnson (born August 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Flash Gordon on the eponymous 2007–2008 television series, Whitney Fordman on the superhero series Smallville, Detective Luke Callaghan on the police drama Rookie Blue, and Jack Hyde in the Fifty Shades film series. In 2022, he played a misogynist corrupt sheriff in the HBO Max horror series Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

## Career

Johnson began his career acting at the age of nine, when his parents enrolled him in Stage Polaris, a theater company in Edmonton. Johnson played the younger version of Brad Pitt's character in 1994 film Legends of the Fall. In Canada, Johnson was the lead in an award-winning film titled Scorn. His break-out role came in 2001, as football jock and Clark Kent rival Whitney Fordman in Smallville.
In 2004, Johnson played the anti-Mormon son, Joshua Steed, in The Work and the Glory and later its sequels. A few years later, he played the title role in the television revival of Flash Gordon that debuted on Sci Fi in August 2007; the series was cancelled after one season. On November 27, 2010, Johnson starred as Jake Finley in the Hallmark movie, Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle 2: Miracle In Manhattan. He also portrayed Luke Callahan in the Canadian police drama Rookie Blue and inmate Cal Sweeney, a bank robber, in the Fox series Alcatraz. In 2012, Johnson was cast as the voice actor and physical actor of Sam Fisher in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, replacing Michael Ironside, who voiced the character in previous installments.
In 2013, Johnson was cast in Cinemax's original medical drama The Knick as a racist, but talented, young medic who is Clive Owen's protege; the series was directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Johnson played villain Jack Hyde in the drama sequels Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

## Personal life

Johnson was born in Edmonton, Alberta. His father, Fred, managed a binding corporation, and his mother, Jane, is a librarian, massage therapist, and music teacher. In 2004, Johnson married writer-producer Adria Budd, whom he met on the set of Smallville, as she was Annette O'Toole's and John Glover's personal assistant. They have a child born in 2007.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Road to Saddle River | Lance | |
| 1994 | Legends of the Fall | Teen Tristan | |
| 1998 | Oklahoma City: A Survivor's Story | Jason | Television film |
| 1998 | Heart of the Sun | Jack | |
| 1999 | Question of Privilege | Joel Aldridge | |
| 1999 | Atomic Train | Danny | Television film |
| 2000 | Borderline Normal | Rocco | Television film |
| 2000 | Bear With Me | Scott Robinson | |
| 2000 | Scorn | Darren Huenemann | Television film Nominated – Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series |
| 2000 | Children of Fortune | Andrew Bast | Television film |
| 2001 | Texas Rangers | Rollins | |
| 2002 | Bang Bang You're Dead | Mark Kenworth | Television film |
| 2002 | Beauty Shot | Chad Johnson | |
| 2003 | Stealing Sinatra | Dean Torrence | |
| 2003 | Hollywood Wives: The New Generation | Brian Richter | Television film |
| 2004 | A Friend of the Family | Darris Shaw | Television film |
| 2004 | Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed | Tyler | |
| 2004 | A Clown's Gift | Sam the Clown | |
| 2004 | Blinded | John | |
| 2004 | Anonymous Rex | Rhys | Television film |
| 2004 | The Work and the Glory | Joshua Steed | |
| 2005 | Falcon Beach | Lane Bradshaw | Television film |
| 2005 | Marker | Roddy Dutch | Television film |
| 2005 | The Work and the Glory: American Zion | Joshua Steed | |
| 2006 | Expiration Date | Animal Control Officer #2 | |
| 2006 | The Work and the Glory: A House Divided | Joshua Steed | |
| 2006 | Honeymoon with Mom | Adam | |
| 2009 | My Nanny's Secret | Drew | Television film |
| 2010 | Meteor Storm | Kyle Pember | Television film |
| 2010 | Mrs. Miracle 2: Miracle In Manhattan | Jake Finley | Television film |
| 2013 | Oh Christmas Tree! | Darren | Television film |
| 2013 | Meteor Storm | Kyle Pember | Television film |
| 2013 | Fir Crazy | Darren | Television film |
| 2015 | Flash Gordon Classic | Flash Gordon | Animated fan film |
| 2016 | Valentine Ever After | Ben | Hallmark Channel TV movie |
| 2017 | Fifty Shades Darker | Jack Hyde | |
| 2018 | Fifty Shades Freed | Jack Hyde | |
| 2018 | A Simple Favor | Davis | |
| 2019 | Disappearance at Clifton Hill | Charlie Lake | |
| 2024 | Fight Another Day | Ryan Taylor | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | The Ray Bradbury Theater | | Episode: "The Utterly Perfect Murder" |
| 1999 | Night Man | Alex | Episode: "Blader" |
| 1999 | Atomic Train | Danny | Two-part miniseries |
| 2001 | MythQuest | Telemachus | Episode: "The Oracle" |
| 2001–2004 | Smallville | Whitney Fordman | 24 episodes; Main Cast (Season 1) Special Guest (Seasons 2, 4) |
| 2004 | The Collector | Nick | Episode: "The Yogi" |
| 2006, 2013 | Criminal Minds | Sean Hotchner | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Dead Zone | Young Gene Purdy | Episode: "Revelations" |
| 2007 | Ghost Whisperer | Gordon Pike | Episode: "Speed Demon" |
| 2007 | The Unit | Ethan McNeal | Episode: "Games of Chance" |
| 2007 | Everest '82 | Laurie Skreslet | Mini-series; 4 episodes |
| 2007–2008 | Flash Gordon | Steven "Flash" Gordon | Lead Role; 21 episodes |
| 2010–2013 | Rookie Blue | Det. Luke Callaghan | 35 episodes; Main cast (Seasons 1–2) Recurring (Seasons 3–4) |
| 2010 | Supernatural | Brady | Episode: "The Devil You Know" |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Cal Sweeney | Episode: "Cal Sweeny" |
| 2013, 2017 | Orphan Black | Chad | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Saving Hope | Dr. Jason Kalfis | 3 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | The Knick | Dr. Everett Gallinger | Main cast; Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series (2015) |
| 2016 | Valentine Ever After | Tom | Television film (main role) |
| 2018 | Caught | Brian Hearn | Main role |
| 2018 | The Alienist | Captain Miller | Episode: Psychopathia Sexualis |
| 2019 | Hudson & Rex | Darryl Perth | Episode: Trial and Error |
| 2020 | Vikings | Erik | Main cast (Season 6); 14 episodes |
| 2020 | Condor | Tracy Crane | 7 episodes |
| 2021 | American Gods | Chad Mulligan | 6 episodes |
| 2022 | Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin | Sheriff Tom Beasley | Main cast; 8 episodes |
| 2024 | A Christmas Less Traveled | Greyson | Great American Family |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Splinter Cell: Blacklist | Sam Fisher | Voice, likeness, and motion-capture performance |
| 2020 | Assassin's Creed: Valhalla | Ivarr the Boneless | Voice |
| 2024 | Star Wars Outlaws | Jaylen Vrax | Voice |