Interview With Lana Parrilla On Once Upon A Time

WGTC: Another question I got was what’s been the most challenging episode from the new season or the last season, and what’s been your favorite?

Lana Parrilla: Well, one of the most challenging episodes this season was the second episode and it was because we shot the second episode first. Because we hadn’t done the first episode of the second season and we were all kind of like “Wait a minute! What happened?” because we haven’t experienced what happened so…when you’re actually doing it, when you’re acting and you’re with the actors and you have the memory of what happened previously.

First episode back, it was disorienting without having to refer to the first script…you know, the second season just like “Okay wait, oh no THIS happens, okay this changes everything”. It was all challenging for all of us for a little while.

WGTC: I can imagine.

Lana Parrilla: Yeah the first month was a bit challenging.

WGTC: And what’s been your favorite episode?

Lana Parrilla: I think the last two episodes from the first season were my favorite to watch? I really loved just all of us coming together; we thought it was just fascinating. The last four episodes of last season were phenomenal.

WGTC: It was really intense!

Lana Parrilla: This season, you know, it’s been more…the one that I just did was a lot of fun for me. And some of the others when we’re focusing on particular characters, other characters are very light and so there’s been a few episodes where I’ve been very kind of light and not as present in the episodes. The one I’ve been able to experience on a day-to-day, there’s been about three of them…the last one I finished on Monday [two weeks ago] was a lot of fun and that’s Episode 5.

WGTC: Another question I got was, will Emma get a new jacket this season?

Lana Parrilla: [Laughs] Sure, yes. I think so.

WGTC: You mentioned earlier, you’re all sort of superheroes of the Fairy Tale Land and since she’s not in the fairy-tale world she’s sort of having a costume in the real world to make up for it I feel like.

Lana Parrilla: Yeah that is a good point, the red jacket and the blue jacket. I think that may be a question for Jennifer Morrison though because I’m not quite sure.

WGTC: Do we get more Evil Queen costumes?

Lana Parrilla: Yes.

WGTC: Before you took the role, did you have any doubts about it? What do you feel about it now, are you surprised by the success it’s had so far? What are your thoughts on how far it’s come?

Lana Parrilla: Oh I’m so elated that this show has the popularity and effect that it had on our audiences. I had no idea that the show was going to be this big. This is my seventh series and I’ve been more on the other side of “oh I guess my show’s going to get cancelled again”. [Laughs]

Some of them I wish never got cancelled. One of them is Swingtown, I wish Swingtown never got cancelled because we were such a fantastic show. But, you know, everything happens for a reason and had Swingtown still been on the air I may have not been available to do this. I would’ve hated not being available to do this part because I love playing Regina.

But I had no idea that this show was gonna take off to the extent that it had. I was always hopeful for a few reasons: one, I knew that I was in great hands with Adam [Horowitz] and Eddy [Kitsis], who are our creators. I knew that they would deliver, and they have tenfold. And I also knew that we had a very strong cast. So many actors, dedicated actors and that also supports a successful show. The combination of great storytelling and writing, great acting, combined with great visual effects-our crew is incredible—

WGTC: The visual effects are really awesome for a TV budget. It’s really great.

Lana Parrilla: I know it. It’s really cool because the advancement of technology now is like–you can put something really cool together on your Apple computer. Put some extra dollars and what you could create on a big screen, and even on a medium or smaller sized screen which is like challenging but–

WGTC: I think some of the effects are better than some of the movies we see today.

Lana Parrilla: It is. It really is. And we have a great visual effects department and so much so that we’ve been recognized by the Emmys, [we were] nominated for an Emmy. The acting is stellar, the costumes are just unreal. Eduardo Castro [the costume designer] is a true talent. He’s amazing. Again, credited and recognized by the Emmys as he’s been nominated as well.

WGTC: I can say I was interested in the show ever since it was announced, and I’ve been following it ever since but it really exceeded [my expectations]. I told all my friends to watch it but then once I actually watched it, it really did exceed my expectations for where it would go so I’m really happy about where it’s come. And really excited for Season 2 now.

Lana Parrilla: Oh good, I am too. I really think you guys are gonna love it. I can’t wait to see it, I can’t wait for the episode to air.

That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Lana very much for talking with us. Be sure to check out the Season 2 premiere of Once Upon A Time this Sunday on September 30, 2012.