Erich Bergen

As an actor, when you are called upon to do a job, you are oftentimes convinced you can't do it. You say to yourself 'I don't have the talent for this; they are going to figure out I'm a fraud.' And then you watch how the others do it, and fake your confidence.

I dropped out of high school three days into my senior year because I hated it because New York City public school is a mess. I certainly wasn't one for sitting in a classroom. Then I went off to college to North Carolina School of the Arts, then quit that after two years.

A lot of my friends were a lot into theatre a lot earlier than I was. A lot of my friends were kids who were in The Broadway Kids and the kids auditioning for Gavroche in 'Les Miz.' I was never that kid. I was weaned on Michael Jackson. Not literally, because that would have been odd.

Dawn (Go Away)' is a sad lyric, but the melody is so happy and fun.

I love working in television, and I've been thrilled to be a part of so many wonderful shows. I worked with Lady Gaga on 'Gossip Girl,' and the brilliant Felicity Huffman on 'Desperate Housewives,' but I think my favorite TV job so far was the pilot I shot for the CW Network this year called 'Joey Dakota.'

As a person, I'm just really kitchy and corny, and I love '70s variety shows.

I get tips from Bob Gaudio. And one of my songs somehow caught the attention of one of my idols, Marty Panzer, who wrote big hits for Barry Manilow. So two guys who inspired me to write lyrics are now teaching me to write.