LOS ANGLES 鈥� Lana Parrilla, who plays Regina Mills/the Evil Queen on ABC鈥檚 Once Upon a Time, doesn鈥檛 look very menacing as she reaches over to help with the French press coffee carafe on a recent trip to a Hollywood caf茅. There鈥檚 definitely a softer side to the sometimes vengeful monarch, and to the Puerto Rican/ Sicilian actress who inhabits the fairy-tale role.
鈥淚 grew up in Brooklyn and was tough 鈥� kind of loaded with attitude 鈥� and then I came here. I鈥檓 sure people found me kind of intimidating,鈥� Parrilla says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 fit in on any level when I moved from Brooklyn to Burbank 鈥� on any level. And then I met a bunch of hippies and I became a little hippie myself. A Brooklyn hippie.鈥�
It鈥檚 that dichotomy that has seemed to fuel not only Parrilla but also the show itself in its second season. As Once Upon a Time returns to ABC tonight, the characters now know who they are (fairy tale denizens transplanted to a Maine town called Storybrooke years ago by a curse) and have to cope with this knowledge and the return of magic to what was once a magic-less world. The show also stars Meghan Ory of Victoria in the dual roles of Red Riding Hood and Ruby, who works at the town diner.
Parrilla鈥檚 Mills, who also is the city鈥檚 mayor, fights to gain the acceptance/ love of her adopted son Henry while resisting the urge to use magic 鈥� and sticking it to Snow White鈥檚 daughter Emma Swan any time she can.
Mills was one of the few characters who actually knew who she was as a fairy-tale being, and she, as well as the show鈥檚 producers, kept the secret safe for most of the first season.
鈥淚 wanted to confuse the audience, so I would do different takes. One where she had the knowledge that she was the Evil Queen, and some where she didn鈥檛 at all. I would let producers and editors tell which story they wanted to tell,鈥� Parrilla says.
鈥淚n the beginning it was a creative choice to keep them really different. Then down the road, it鈥檚 been a blending of the two characters.
鈥淣ow the contrast happens more in the writing, where, in the second season, she鈥檚 on this road to redemption, but in fairy tale land, it鈥檚 back to the moments leading up to the curse, so she鈥檚 the craziest she鈥檚 ever been. I love the contrast.鈥�
Creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have said that themes of identity and parenting will permeate the second season of Once Upon a Time 鈥� notions that played a role in shaping the career of Parrilla.
鈥淎t three years old, I was imitating and doing fun little commercials for the family. Then at five, I knew, 鈥�;OK, this is something I really like.鈥� At 8, I was crying in front of the mirror and my mom was like, 鈥�;Oh boy, here we go. We know what she鈥檚 going to do,鈥� 鈥� Parrilla says.
The youngster wasn鈥檛 allowed to attend a performing arts high school, though, due to a protective father, delaying her entrance into serious acting.
鈥淚 studied professionally after high school and started working at 21 years old. I took some time and learned the craft,鈥� she said.
She continued to learn, wanting to emulate the career of her favourite actress, Glenn Close.
With memorable roles in Fox鈥檚 24 and CBS鈥� short-lived series Swingtown, Parrilla found that she enjoyed being a character actor like Close but was advised to expand her comfort zone.
鈥淥ne of my mentors when I was 19 years old [Jocelyn Jones] said, 鈥�;Lana, you gotta learn how to be a leading lady. Take off the wigs and drop the accents,鈥� 鈥� Parrilla says. 鈥淥n Swingtown, I think that鈥檚 when I was able to blend the character-slash-leading lady roles, and that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing on Once Upon a Time as well. She鈥檚 a leading lady, but she鈥檚 also this character.鈥�
A popular character at that. At Comic-Con 2012, a room full of close to 5,000聽fans serenaded Parrilla with Happy Birthday.
Although it was magical, it wasn鈥檛 quite like the magic her character is addicted to.
鈥淯ltimately she doesn鈥檛 want to use it because if she does, she鈥檚 going to lose Henry forever 鈥� so it鈥檚 a pretty good incentive to stay clean of magic. But it鈥檚 exciting for her and has gotten her everything that she鈥檚 ever wanted. There鈥檚 a security in it for her, in a strange way.鈥�
