Where did he come from?

I don't like how they've cast him younger in the show. His storyline makes no sense to me.

I thought his character was really intruiging. I'm interested in seeing more of him. I haven't read the books, but I'm gonna speculate that either he's going to get with Jenny, or he's gay.

I thought he and Jenny were SO cute when they met in Bendel's! I also really want to know why he tried to kill himself.

The first time he showed up on screen I definitely thought he was gay too! But then all of a sudden he's eyeing off little Jenny in Bendel's. He also has some truly heinous highlights in his hair (can he not go the same fab colourist that Serena obviously does?) so now I'm all confused.

I'm chalking that up to him being 14 and adventrous with his hair.

I was really disappointed with their decision to make Erik some 14-year old, Aaron Carter lookalike. What happened to Serena's hot, older brother?! What really annoys me the most though, is how it's a blatant set-up for a potential romantic interest for Jenny...which poses a lot of interesting scenarios. Imagine if he hooked up with Jenny, Serena hooked up with Dan and Mrs Van der Woodsen got it on with Rufus?! Holy awkward!

Does Erik, in the books, try to commit suicide?

No, and he's supposed to be older, pulled together (not suicidal) and hot. What happened???

I didn't recognize him at first, until I realized this kid normally has dark hair. The actor who plays Eric has been on two seperate Law and Order SVU episodes. In the first, he plays a child sicko who raped and killed an old lady. In the second, he plays a victim of child pornography. You really gotta wonder at the kid as an actor when Eric can be considered to be a "lighter" character for him.

Having never read the books, I imagine Eric was turned into a younger woobie so that Serena gain some sympathy. It's apparent that they are going in a different direction for Serena, and in an effort to make her more likeable, they're giving her a younger brother to take care of so she can play protector. It also buys her audience sympathy, which is necessary when you realize she slept with her best friend's boyfriend, ran away, and was completely radio silent (to the point that her mom didn't even know what she did in boarding school).

By making Eric the catalyst of her coming back, it serves a dual purpose of jump-starting the series and giving her appealing layers that a new comer will need to see if they're going to center the show around her.

I haven't read the books, so i might (probably do) have a different perspective. Like Dealan said, I love the relationship between Serena and Eric, and how she protects him and stuff. The suicide thing also makes for an interesting story.. I wonder why he tried? :(

I was prepared to dislike Eric because of his Aaron Carter look and his age-reduction obviously designed in part for a relationship w/ cookie-cutter boring Jenny, but the actor's strong performance has won me over.

The actor seems to bring a 'fragility' to the character that is a pleasant contrast to the raging bitchfest of virtually all the other characters.

He reminds me of Simon from 7th Heaven.
Although Jenny is similarly young they really don't look quite right as a possible romantic pairing. He looks a lot younger to me.

I remember him as Starr's first boyfriend on One Life to Live.

I don't know anything about this kid other than his episodes on GG so far (btw, is he regular or recurring), but I think I like him, if his New York magazine Q&A is any indication.

Witty, fairly modest, and, apparently, a real New Yorker. Who has said he wants to punch Zac Efron. Hee!

Well anybody that wants to punch Zac Efron is okay by me. I think this kid is a little cutie. No, the hair isn't such a great choice, but I think that's just to show the difference between him and Serena.



See I was thinking, "Hey! This guy looks like Charlie from LOST". But like you anonymiss he has won me over.

I can't wait to find out what happened to spark the suicide attempt. Hopefully we get to.

I find it funny in real life Blake Lively actually has an actor older brother named actor. Though I like Connor.

I didn't realize 'till this week that he was only listed as 'guest star'. Interesting.

More Eric, please. His absence was felt for me last episode.

Great interview. Good to know the actor is as cool as he comes off.

Eric's hair has the old school Dawson Leery look going on...

So I guess now we have the answer to why Eric did it. Anyone else a little bummed it was in the deleted scenes, rather than in the actual show?

His reasons weren't hard to figure out, but I was a little bummed they didn't include it. Erik's grown on me and I hope he's developed more next season (him > Jenny) and I wouldn't mind more flashback episodes w/ his story.

I thought it was kind of interesting that he apparently had been dealing with chronic depression, rather than it just him being lonely or something.

I'm really upset they cut that scene in the pilot between him and Serena, because it made me realize that Eric is probably one of my favourite characters on the show. They should really give that kid some more screen time.

Eric Lively is seriously hot. HAWT. Beyond hot. He would have been great for the Book series Eric, but eh...I can live with Connor.

I just get such a serious gay vibe from Eric van der Woodsen, that I don't see him getting with Jenny.

Eric gives me a Vaughn from Alias vibe.

Going with sibling relationships, theirs is far more convincing and tonnes more fun than Dan&Jenny's. Eric really does seem like an honest and caring brother and he seems to have a real friendship with Serena too. Why he is only a guest star is beyond me.. I think they'd be missing out on gold if he wasn't promoted.


How so? Is there a particular reason? I'd really like to feel this vibe.

I like Eric, and I like his relationship with Serena, but does anyone else find his voice really annoying? Jenny's voice used to bother me but she's since slowed down the squeaky speed-talking.

I'm so proud of Erik for coming out like that. He's amazing. And I'm so glad he had been talking to Chuck all along. They're my faves when together.

Woah. I cried tears of happiness during Eric's scenes with Serena and his mother; they were all so wonderful and tender with each other. I didn't care much about Eric or really remember that he existed for most of the season. I guess either he's quietly grown on me or (more likely) Connor Paolo did a very convincing job, otherwise I wouldn't have been so very worked up over his mother and sister's reactions to his coming-out.

Also, Eric needs to team up with Blair more.

what was the conversation with Eric and his mother and Eric and Serena? What was said? I can't watch this episode yet but I'd love to find out more about those scenes :)

In a nutshell, Serena told Eric that she was sorry she hadn't been there for him as much after he came home from the Ostroff Center, and he told her that it wasn't like before--he was fine. She told him that she'd be there for him and so would anyone else who loved him, and that she loved him no matter who he liked or even if he kissed someone else's boyfriend. She also told him that she was proud of him.

Lily was in denial at first. Later she told Eric that she was scared for him and worried about his safety, but that she wanted him to be honest with himself and find love. They had a very touching hug.

For some reason - perhaps to see how much I would hate it - I watched Oliver Stone's Alexander when it was on AMC last week. 1. I hated it a lot but 2. it was a nice surprise to see Connor playing young Alexander. While Colin Farrel was miscast, I thought the two actors pulled off scarily similar facial expressions and voice inflections. I definitely bought them as younger/older versions of the same person.

Connor Paolo is the shizz. Eric needs to be so much more important next year. Let Chuck teach him the ways of being a playa. Let Eric get some sexy men to parade around and make Asher rue the day he threw away the coolest badly-highlighted 14-year old boy on the Upper East Side.

Why isn't he a regular, I ask you?

OMG. Me and Conner Paolo have the same birthday! Awesome huh? Asher was a jerk, and Eric is way too hot for him anyway. I'm so looking forward to him getting a 'love interest or two' (!)

I like Eric. I hope there's more Van der Woodsen family scenes next season, the three of them work really well together. I'm glad they've included Eric in the show as a character with actual personality rather than just 'that kid who's Serena's brother.'

Every line they've given Conner Paolo he's delivered deftly. I am so ready already to see what he can really do.

I'm still laughing about the "That face is not your friend." line...

I don't understand why Conner Paolo is not in the main cast.. his character certainly has enough potential and he plays the character well enough. Chuck is so good with him and that's another relationship that can be explored even further, not to mention there's plenty of direction his relationship with Serena or Lily can go.. he just has that dynamic with any of them.

I'm (re)watching the S1 episodes on DVD, and I'd forgotten how moved I was by the character of Eric. CP totally nails this role, and (as some astute posters mentioned) the visible fragility he brings to the role really helps to ground the rest of the characters in reality.

Eric totally deserves better than that douchebag Asher, and I'd really like to see TPTB explore further the relationship between him and Chuck, and maybe give him a quality boyfirned of his own. And really further flesh out the realtionship between Eric and Lily, as well.

Eric in his pj's looked like he had a ripped body under that semi-tight t-shirt.

Thank God he turned a whopping eighteen years old a couple of months ago, or else you'd be seriously creepy.

I laughed so much when he said 'I know that's Gin in your coffee' during the Bart's funeral episode.

I don't care how far deviated Eric is from the books, because I love him so much just the way he is in his show version.