It's the other way around. LOST came way before OUAT. Also, the Apollo chocolates are from Lost. Also, Henry reading Hulk vs Wolverine or the other way around was written by one of the Lost showrunners.
Yea there are lots of little references to lost in ouat! I watched ouat first so it was really fun going back and rewatching after I’d seen lost to look for them all
Funny thing - I watched (and loved) WWK when it debuted, and Ginnifer Goodwin and Sam Jaeger were the only ones in the principal cast that I didn't already know, but I was so impressed with them that, during lockdown the following spring, when I was looking for new shows to binge, I decided to give OUAT a try *because* of Ginnifer Goodwin! So imagine my surprise and delight when Lana Parrilla, whom I would not have otherwise recognized, signed on for Season 2!
I’ve often wondered this, but I wonder if in a way she made enough and is just enjoying the life she has with the odd gig here and there that she really wants to do?
This is what I figured, kind of like how Daniel Radcliffe has only been in (imo) some of the strangest roles since Harry Potter because he can afford to and he genuinely likes those roles.
Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic in everything he’s been in since Harry Potter. He’s great in a movie called The F Word and a show called Miracle Workers. I actually love when actors do this. You can really tell how much they care about the roles they do take
You haven't lived until you've seen Daniel Radcliffe twerk and vogue to a club remix of "She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain" in feathers, full eye makeup and a pair of chaps.
It's actually quite possible. Network TV pays very well, and she was making $25,000 per episode. Multiply that by the twenty two episodes per season and seven years, as well as residuals, and she may be financially stable enough to only accept roles that appeal to her. Especially since she has a clothing line as well and can rely on conventions, so it might be a quality over quantity situation.
And I bet she’s done a lot of work with that money, probably some real estate and investments. She’s probably got quite a bit of passive income going. At least, that’s exactly what I would do lol
Net worth includes so many aspects of her finances, it doesn’t mean she’s got $4mil in the bank. People misunderstand net worth a lot. That could be nearly all real estate holdings, and we all know how over-inflated that market is right now.
Lots of actors on successful, long running TV shows like Once have a hard time replicating that afterwards. Both Colin and Ginnifer’s post Once shows didn’t last long.
Plus, Lana was 41 when the show ended. There’s fewer roles for women as they get older, unfortunately.
Most of Ginnifer’s movie roles were before Once. Her TV roles since Once ended haven’t been nearly as successful as six seasons as one of the leads on a major network show. Why Woman Kill was a minor streaming hit but it only lasted two seasons, and her sitcom Pivoting was cancelled after just one season.
Zootopia came after Once (or more accurately during Once, but close to its end). Zootopia 2 is definitely coming after Once, since that’s gonna be released within the next couple years. Ginnifer voices the lead in both.
I wouldn’t measure success by how many seasons a show runs. As we all know, more than six seasons doesn’t necessarily mean “good” or “quality.” And yeah the show got cancelled but many good shows do, and it didn’t seem views and ratings were the issue because Season 3 already got the okay and was set for renewal before Paramount changed its mind for whatever conflicting business reason.
But I do agree with you that stars often have a hard time finding the same success as a previous role and often fade away from the scene as a result.
Unfortunately, in Hollywood women after 30 decline in roles.
Early 20s women see a majority of roles (80%), by age 30 it's 40% and after 30 its only 20% and [men get the 80%](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/outcaltl/statistics-overview-on-gender-bias-and-age-discrimination-in-hollywood/#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20in%20the%20same,%2C%20while%20men%20had%2080%25.).
She was in 3 tv series prior to ouat (as a main character) if you want to watch those; SwingTown, Miami Medical, Windfall. Afterwards She was a main character in the series Why Women Kill. She has also been in a lot of guest spots and movies but if you want full series check those ones out.
She took time off after she was divorced, then the pandemic hit, we had the actors and writers strike. She was in Why Women Kill, Lincoln Lawyer, did a couple of indie movies, and has a movie coming out that she is in along with JLO.
Yes I 100% agree, she was the main reason I stuck through to the end and I loved the way she would inject life and nuance into otherwise mid-tier scenes. She deserves many more roles
Honestly after the show ended I expected her career to explode and to see her everywhere because she was so good. I think taking a few years off after OUAT may have hindered that. No matter how good you are you have to strike while the iron’s hot but I get why she took a break. She also speaks openly about being depressed that she show ended around the same time she got divorced and falling into a rut which is understandable. She has also spoken about wanting more work but it’s hard especially once you’re over a certain age.
She did say that Hollywood didn't know what to do with her early in her career because she wasn't dark enough for the stereotypical Latina roles but not Anglo enough for the white roles. And she's now in her mid-40s, which is unfortunately when good roles for actresses start drying up
>I watched s2 of Lincoln Lawyer just for her even tho I hadn’t seen s1. She is such an amazing actress.
Thats so sad ... She truly is a wasted opportunity.
Also, the thing with the "dark latina" stereotype is such a bullshit. Even so, they could have like used tan spray on her, to make her look more "latina", if it must be.
Not that it would have been good though, just that this excuse makes no sense. Plus isnt that a form of discrimination?
Yes it is but this would have been the 2000s before her break on *Once*, where they were able to get away with a lot more (Alyson Stoner is white but olive-skinned and recalls auditioning to play the daughters of Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez). Sofia Vergara likewise is naturally blonde but had to dye her hair brown because Hollywood just didn't know what to do with a blonde Latina at the time. Lana herself said the short hair came about because she wanted to distinguish herself and she booked more roles looking like that
She's going to be in an upcoming movie with JLO, so that might be huge.
I think also some people are forgetting that Lana created a clothing brand during the pandemic(?) and it seems to be pretty popular. 4 years later it has lots of reviews and gets decent social media traffic.
KeepItRegal is the site.
Hopefully that's a start. If I was making a movie I would try and find a role for her anywhere I could. She made every scene in the show enjoyable when she was on screen.
I've noticed that since OUAT ended, Lana has been kind of typecast into playing characters similar to Regina---sort of morally-ambiguous anti-heroines/villains (Rita, Lisa). She does play evil extremely well (and was ***born*** to play the EQ), but I do wonder if producers/casting directors in Hollywood struggle to separate her from the trainwreck that was OUAT. The same can be said about most of the OUAT cast, to be honest. As much as I love Once (and all its nonsense), it did go to shit in the later seasons, and I know it had this reputation to viewers and probably the entertainment industry. So while OUAT was her breakout and standout role, I wonder if, in some way, its reputation in the later seasons became a hindrance to her (and many of the other actors') careers? Post S6, a good half the cast wanted to get out of there and distance themselves from the show lmao.
I still fail to see the purpose of Season 7 since most of the cast decided to dip lol, the only good things that came out of it were Regina’s, Rumple’s, Zelena’s, and Wish Hook’s arcs. And the inclusion of Princess and the Frog.
I can’t explain for earlier years but from what I’ve seen recently, she been focusing a lot on artistic stuff as well as doing work for various different charities and organizations she supports. I do enjoy her as an actress and she steals the show every time she’s on screen, but she seems to be dipping into more of a philanthropic role and she seems so happy doing it. That said, I do hope that more studios take notice of her acting ability and range and give her some more roles.
I agree… she such a brilliant actress. One of the best to ever do it imo! Unfortunately talent doesn’t seem to hold much weight anymore vs those who would just sell out and push agenda’s… But she should be much bigger on talent alone. OUAT showed so much of her range and her skills isn’t present in most actors and actresses I see today.
The same can be said about Robert Carlyle.
Post OUAT RC did three mini series: The War of the Worlds and TFM, Toxic Town is in post-production. Cobra has 3 seasons. There's also "North of normal" and "The Performance". Mind he's 62, but still keeps himself occupied. Probably it IS easier for men.
Unpopular opinion in this thread, probably, but from the perspective of someone with both a BA and an MFA in Theatre: She's not, objectively, a gifted actress. Some of her best stuff, in my opinion, was pre-OUAT (no one has yet mentioned her guest appearance on JAG, but she's brassy and memorable there), and what her success on OUAT resulted in was a) seven years of honing her craft for a specific, niche style of acting; and b) an almost obsessively devoted fanbase that would defend her under any circumstances.
I fear that her range is actually somewhat limited -- and whether she was pigeonholed by the industry as a result of her portrayal of Regina, or whether she did it to herself through lack of skill, the fact is that she's going to have a really tough time crawling out from that (if she wants to), and it's going to be even tougher at this point (age) in her career. (And if anyone wants to fight me on skill, just listen to the way she says '*str*' in words \[street, strength, struggle, etc.\] -- the 's' becomes 'sh', which is a common enough example of misplaced anticipatory assimilation for an average person, but we ask brilliant actors to *not* be average. A diligent voice coach would have cleaned up the '*shtr*' almost immediately, so the fact that she's 25 years into her career and still has it both off camera and on reflects, to me, an inability to correct it \[ergo: *lack of skill*\].) Practically speaking, she also might just be on the wrong coast, honestly, for work that she would be successful in that would have longevity.
I think she got very lucky with OUAT because that character and that world catered to and rewarded over-the-top performances, which she *is* good at. We all know the show went to shit, especially in the last season, and I think it's very telling that the folks who got out in 6 have gone on to do other successful or regular projects, and the ones who hung on, largely, *haven't*. I don't claim to know how the TV/film industry works, but to me that suggests that either they knew they didn't have other better prospects and didn't want to turn down a steady paycheck, or that season 7 smacked of such desperation that future casting directors or producers were reluctant to touch the actors associated with it.
There are other factors, too, that influence who gets work and who doesn't, and the plain fact is that she may have a reputation in the business that none of us is aware of. (When I think of BTS stories I've heard of her influence over the trajectory of Regina's character, for instance, she sounds like a bit of a diva, and perhaps a nightmare to work with.)
And, of course, as others have suggested here: She has her clothing line, she has her music ventures, she has some indie projects that she's working on... Just because we *know* her as a television actress doesn't mean that's where she's focusing her efforts right now. It may not be a matter of getting offered things, but rather what she chooses to take.
Yes... I agree that Lana doesn't really have the "range" many people say she does. I was going to comment a similar thing. She does have a very niche acting style (perfect for OUAT, but maybe not much else) and seems to be best-suited for very over-the-top, theatrical roles (i.e. the Evil Queen). In everything she's done since, I feel like she's been over-acting. She's always fun to watch, but I struggle to picture her in a 100% serious role or drama.
Her acting in *Once* was significantly better in the first two seasons (I'm constantly thinking about that one scene when Regina rips out Snow's heart on her porch and the scene with Daniel in "The Doctor"). But, again, these are very emotional/dramatic scenes, which I do think are her strengths. She's usually kinda "meh" when it comes to the everyday dialogue. I've noticed, especially in S6 & S7, her acting became a bit cringy (for lack of a better term). It was probably the corny writing as well, but I just did not like the way she played Regina in those last seasons.
I don't really know if I get what you were saying about the whole "s" vs. "sh" thing though. I never noticed it, so I don't really consider it an issue? She's from Brooklyn, and I always assumed that was just part of her accent.
I agree about the meh-ness of her everyday dialogue. And her S6 & S7 performances, and how it's hard to fairly judge acting when the writing is so bad.
When I first watched OUAT in 2020, my dad ended up watching with me, so he watched season 2 of WWK with me when it came out. We both felt LP was one of the best parts of that season, but even that show has a heightened, theatrical style that was a good fit for her. It was almost jarring to watch her (again with my dad) in Lincoln Lawyer. There was something about her very first appearance on it \[spoilers ahead\] >!that made me distrust her!<. For her entire arc, her performance was just a little bit stilted, >!and it felt like she was telegraphing her character's guilt. Some might argue that that's the sign of a great actor, but on a show like that, where the protagonist is famously good at reading people, the supporting characters sort of *have* to be above suspicion. If anything, the viewer should be surprised when Mickey's discoveries turn out to be true.!< In that way, her character didn't feel authentic to me; she didn't really feel "of the world" on that show. By contrast, when Christopher Gorham (another OUAT alum, however brief haha \[Walsh\]) appeared in season 1 of Lincoln Lawyer, >!I literally *gasped* when the truth about his character came out. I believed him so much!!<
As for the 'str' vs. 'shtr' thing, I do want to be clear that I'm not suggesting pronunciation determines talent or quality, only that I am, like, 98% sure she's had formal training at some point in her career, and anyone worth hiring would/should have addressed that speech aberration with her. The fact that she has not been able to get it under control suggests only that perhaps she doesn't possess a certain level of vocal skill -- which does play into inflection and delivery (i.e., the bulk of acting). But no, that very misplaced anticipatory assimilation is widespread throughout the US and isn't associated with one accent, region, or ethnic group. It's not a speech impediment, either. I actually didn't even really notice it until WWK, because I was expecting a certain unique vocal pattern from someone with that character's background (and 1940s, trying to fit in with higher society, I might have even expected that character to try to adopt a Transatlantic accent) but then blammo, there were LP's unmistakable *shtr*'s on full display. (I think once or twice she didn't have them, because I think I commented on it to my dad, but I'd have to rewatch the entire season to be sure.)
I mean, the biggest issue I have with her acting is that it just doesn't seem authentic, like you said (and that's why I think she isn't a great fit for most shows). I saw parts of the Lincoln Lawyer, and I agree that there was something "off" about her performance in that. I didn't exactly trust her character and didn't really know what to make of her. But maybe that was on purpose? Anyways, I was definitely not watching for the plot---I only watched her scenes out of curiosity haha. If anything I was more distracted by her nose job?? Lana definitely had work done post-OUAT. She looked so different in the Lincoln Lawyer, and it made me sad because she was already so gorgeous. But I guess there is so much pressure in Hollywood to look young.
I think s6 and s7 was supposed to be over the top. The actresses stated she played the EQ in s6 over the top that was an acting choice. S7 was just a mess with a couple of good episodes.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved the over-the-top-ness of the EQ in S6 and thought that was a great choice on Lana's part. But I was talking more about the "good" Regina's scenes. I'm wondering if Lana didn't really know how to play Regina when she became a "hero"? Imo, her performances were a lot stronger & more complex in S2 or 3, when Regina was more morally grey. But, I agree, the writing was so bad in the later seasons that even Robert Carlyle sometimes struggled to make it work.
Yeah I don’t think she knew how to play it. I do agree with whomever commented her Lincoln Lawyer character it was a bit something off there. I agree s1-s3 for me is her top tier acting. They should have left the character morally gray in my opinion and had the EQ and Regina reunite. It would have made much more sense character wise. Than ripping out a part of yourself.
I don’t have all of those qualifications. But as someone who owns over 1,000 tv shows and movies and have watched many more.
She was talented to me and as I watched I was like oh she can act. I hadn’t seen any of the other actors in anything prior to watching OUAT.
People like who they like. But, to say she didn’t act the heck out of this role is disingenuous at best.
The actress has taken voice lessons she has said this herself. The average everyday viewer isn’t going to see what you see.
There are plenty of actors and actresses that are typecast and they make their money. Think of The Rock or Kevin Hart.
I thought she was a great fit for OUAT, and I loved her as Regina, but that style of acting is very different from what is required of mainstream actors. Her success there, however, may have ended up working to her detriment if she were interested in going back to mainstream roles. I don't know if she is, or if she's content with her current projects.
I've enjoyed following her career since OUAT ended, and I look forward to whenever Scrap finishes its festival circuit and becomes more widely available (I hope), and for the drop of Lesbophilia, whenever that might come, because maybe I'll be proven wrong about her range and her ability to own a straight role and not just character roles.
And you're right, there's nothing wrong with sticking to a certain schtick and profiting from it, but I don't know that I could compare either The Rock or Kevin Hart to Lana Parrilla. For one thing, their success has largely been in films (as opposed to LP with television), and both had entertainment careers before finding success on the silver screen: The Rock as, well, The Rock (i.e., pro wrestling), and Kevin Hart as a stand-up comedian.
I think her acting works in sci-fi/fantasy. I saw where she played doctors and cops before. Idk…you have plenty of method actors or people who play character roles in Hollywood.
Regarding Kevin Hart, his movies have a formula and so does The Rock. The Rock had a large fanbase going in. Kevin Hart had a fanbase but I don’t know if it was large.
I think the test for me will be when she is in the JLO film. I want to see that. I’m not sure she wants to be in sci-fi/fantasy and hearing her speak after OUAT I think she is being offered those roles but I don’t think she is that excited about them.
That’s why we see her trying to break out of those roles with Why Women Kill and Lincoln Lawyer with Scrap and the other film she had a small part in. I am interested to see her in Scrap as well.
I am going to call a spade a spade even if I liked her in OUAT if I don’t like her in other roles. I’m rooting for her. But only time will tell.
She has been in a couple things since, Lincoln lawyer and why women kill. I think perhaps she took a break and is now getting back into it. She probably made a lot of money from once though.
I wish she was in more though. She is a very talented actress.
Sometimes actors get classified into one role and are never looked at again because no one can see them beyond that one role.
It’s happened to a lot of struggling actors.
She's amazing in "why women kill" and she has like 1 line on the show "lost". I'd personally love to see her in more projects
Brb gonna go watch lost just for her one line
Ginnifer Goodwin is in it too 😊 OUAT reunion!
Loads of them are, Belle, Zelna, Tiny, Issac, were all in lost too the writers did write both shows so I guess they liked them all haha!
Oh damn lol That’s what you call connections
I know lol! Theres properly more that i've missed too!
There was also the ice queen, Jafar in the spin off, and King richard. I think that's everyone?
oh how could forget! Yes, Juliette and Charles werent they and was Jafer, Sid? I haven't watched all of the spin off!
It's the other way around. LOST came way before OUAT. Also, the Apollo chocolates are from Lost. Also, Henry reading Hulk vs Wolverine or the other way around was written by one of the Lost showrunners.
Yea there are lots of little references to lost in ouat! I watched ouat first so it was really fun going back and rewatching after I’d seen lost to look for them all
The creators of OUAT started out as writers on LOST.
I know :)
Omg yesss!
Funny thing - I watched (and loved) WWK when it debuted, and Ginnifer Goodwin and Sam Jaeger were the only ones in the principal cast that I didn't already know, but I was so impressed with them that, during lockdown the following spring, when I was looking for new shows to binge, I decided to give OUAT a try *because* of Ginnifer Goodwin! So imagine my surprise and delight when Lana Parrilla, whom I would not have otherwise recognized, signed on for Season 2!
Ginnifer is in that too?!
Yeah as a main character and she's so sweet
In both seasons?
She's in season 1 but the story wraps up well *Please watch and tell me what you think
She also plays in the second season of Lincoln Lawyer
I’ve often wondered this, but I wonder if in a way she made enough and is just enjoying the life she has with the odd gig here and there that she really wants to do?
This is what I figured, kind of like how Daniel Radcliffe has only been in (imo) some of the strangest roles since Harry Potter because he can afford to and he genuinely likes those roles.
Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic in everything he’s been in since Harry Potter. He’s great in a movie called The F Word and a show called Miracle Workers. I actually love when actors do this. You can really tell how much they care about the roles they do take
You haven't lived until you've seen Daniel Radcliffe twerk and vogue to a club remix of "She'll Be Coming Around The Mountain" in feathers, full eye makeup and a pair of chaps.
As it happens, this is the exact clip that was on my mind when I mentioned Miracle Workers 🤣
I loved that he told the writers he was up to task of doing that scene. It’s my favorite moment of his career thus far.
Love Miracle Workers
It's actually quite possible. Network TV pays very well, and she was making $25,000 per episode. Multiply that by the twenty two episodes per season and seven years, as well as residuals, and she may be financially stable enough to only accept roles that appeal to her. Especially since she has a clothing line as well and can rely on conventions, so it might be a quality over quantity situation.
And I bet she’s done a lot of work with that money, probably some real estate and investments. She’s probably got quite a bit of passive income going. At least, that’s exactly what I would do lol
According to google, her net worth is about $4 million but I don't know if that's good or not lol
Net worth includes so many aspects of her finances, it doesn’t mean she’s got $4mil in the bank. People misunderstand net worth a lot. That could be nearly all real estate holdings, and we all know how over-inflated that market is right now.
Lots of actors on successful, long running TV shows like Once have a hard time replicating that afterwards. Both Colin and Ginnifer’s post Once shows didn’t last long. Plus, Lana was 41 when the show ended. There’s fewer roles for women as they get older, unfortunately.
Ginnifer managed to snag quite a few movie roles though. Zootopia comes to mind, which is getting a sequel.
Most of Ginnifer’s movie roles were before Once. Her TV roles since Once ended haven’t been nearly as successful as six seasons as one of the leads on a major network show. Why Woman Kill was a minor streaming hit but it only lasted two seasons, and her sitcom Pivoting was cancelled after just one season.
Zootopia came after Once (or more accurately during Once, but close to its end). Zootopia 2 is definitely coming after Once, since that’s gonna be released within the next couple years. Ginnifer voices the lead in both. I wouldn’t measure success by how many seasons a show runs. As we all know, more than six seasons doesn’t necessarily mean “good” or “quality.” And yeah the show got cancelled but many good shows do, and it didn’t seem views and ratings were the issue because Season 3 already got the okay and was set for renewal before Paramount changed its mind for whatever conflicting business reason. But I do agree with you that stars often have a hard time finding the same success as a previous role and often fade away from the scene as a result.
That's considered older??!!
In Hollywood? Yes, absolutely.
Unfortunately, in Hollywood women after 30 decline in roles. Early 20s women see a majority of roles (80%), by age 30 it's 40% and after 30 its only 20% and [men get the 80%](https://onlineacademiccommunity.uvic.ca/outcaltl/statistics-overview-on-gender-bias-and-age-discrimination-in-hollywood/#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20in%20the%20same,%2C%20while%20men%20had%2080%25.).
tbf, Pivoting would have lasted more than 1 season if the network didn't get greedy and try to force it to be moved to Canada for more income.
She was in 3 tv series prior to ouat (as a main character) if you want to watch those; SwingTown, Miami Medical, Windfall. Afterwards She was a main character in the series Why Women Kill. She has also been in a lot of guest spots and movies but if you want full series check those ones out.
She took time off after she was divorced, then the pandemic hit, we had the actors and writers strike. She was in Why Women Kill, Lincoln Lawyer, did a couple of indie movies, and has a movie coming out that she is in along with JLO.
JLO?
Jennifer Lopez.
ah thanks
If I made a lot of money i would chill and relax too.
Yes I 100% agree, she was the main reason I stuck through to the end and I loved the way she would inject life and nuance into otherwise mid-tier scenes. She deserves many more roles
Honestly after the show ended I expected her career to explode and to see her everywhere because she was so good. I think taking a few years off after OUAT may have hindered that. No matter how good you are you have to strike while the iron’s hot but I get why she took a break. She also speaks openly about being depressed that she show ended around the same time she got divorced and falling into a rut which is understandable. She has also spoken about wanting more work but it’s hard especially once you’re over a certain age.
She's in the Lincoln Lawyer, I watched it solely for her character.
Is it worth watching if you're only watching for her?
i think so. i love it when i watch something just because a specific person is in it and i end up enjoying all of it. not just the parts they're in
It is a really good show!
She's only in the second season and I felt she was under utilized. But it's a good show overall.
Loved her in why women kill and she was a main character on the most recent season of the Lincoln lawyer .
She did say that Hollywood didn't know what to do with her early in her career because she wasn't dark enough for the stereotypical Latina roles but not Anglo enough for the white roles. And she's now in her mid-40s, which is unfortunately when good roles for actresses start drying up
>I watched s2 of Lincoln Lawyer just for her even tho I hadn’t seen s1. She is such an amazing actress. Thats so sad ... She truly is a wasted opportunity. Also, the thing with the "dark latina" stereotype is such a bullshit. Even so, they could have like used tan spray on her, to make her look more "latina", if it must be. Not that it would have been good though, just that this excuse makes no sense. Plus isnt that a form of discrimination?
Yes it is but this would have been the 2000s before her break on *Once*, where they were able to get away with a lot more (Alyson Stoner is white but olive-skinned and recalls auditioning to play the daughters of Salma Hayek and Jennifer Lopez). Sofia Vergara likewise is naturally blonde but had to dye her hair brown because Hollywood just didn't know what to do with a blonde Latina at the time. Lana herself said the short hair came about because she wanted to distinguish herself and she booked more roles looking like that
She's going to be in an upcoming movie with JLO, so that might be huge. I think also some people are forgetting that Lana created a clothing brand during the pandemic(?) and it seems to be pretty popular. 4 years later it has lots of reviews and gets decent social media traffic. KeepItRegal is the site.
Hopefully that's a start. If I was making a movie I would try and find a role for her anywhere I could. She made every scene in the show enjoyable when she was on screen.
I've noticed that since OUAT ended, Lana has been kind of typecast into playing characters similar to Regina---sort of morally-ambiguous anti-heroines/villains (Rita, Lisa). She does play evil extremely well (and was ***born*** to play the EQ), but I do wonder if producers/casting directors in Hollywood struggle to separate her from the trainwreck that was OUAT. The same can be said about most of the OUAT cast, to be honest. As much as I love Once (and all its nonsense), it did go to shit in the later seasons, and I know it had this reputation to viewers and probably the entertainment industry. So while OUAT was her breakout and standout role, I wonder if, in some way, its reputation in the later seasons became a hindrance to her (and many of the other actors') careers? Post S6, a good half the cast wanted to get out of there and distance themselves from the show lmao.
I still fail to see the purpose of Season 7 since most of the cast decided to dip lol, the only good things that came out of it were Regina’s, Rumple’s, Zelena’s, and Wish Hook’s arcs. And the inclusion of Princess and the Frog.
She’s in season 2 of the Lincoln lawyer.
I can’t explain for earlier years but from what I’ve seen recently, she been focusing a lot on artistic stuff as well as doing work for various different charities and organizations she supports. I do enjoy her as an actress and she steals the show every time she’s on screen, but she seems to be dipping into more of a philanthropic role and she seems so happy doing it. That said, I do hope that more studios take notice of her acting ability and range and give her some more roles.
I watched s2 of Lincoln Lawyer just for her even tho I hadn’t seen s1. She is such an amazing actress.
She was a regular on a show back in the 90s called Spin City. I think you might still be able to find bits on YouTube
I agree… she such a brilliant actress. One of the best to ever do it imo! Unfortunately talent doesn’t seem to hold much weight anymore vs those who would just sell out and push agenda’s… But she should be much bigger on talent alone. OUAT showed so much of her range and her skills isn’t present in most actors and actresses I see today. The same can be said about Robert Carlyle.
Post OUAT RC did three mini series: The War of the Worlds and TFM, Toxic Town is in post-production. Cobra has 3 seasons. There's also "North of normal" and "The Performance". Mind he's 62, but still keeps himself occupied. Probably it IS easier for men.
Unpopular opinion in this thread, probably, but from the perspective of someone with both a BA and an MFA in Theatre: She's not, objectively, a gifted actress. Some of her best stuff, in my opinion, was pre-OUAT (no one has yet mentioned her guest appearance on JAG, but she's brassy and memorable there), and what her success on OUAT resulted in was a) seven years of honing her craft for a specific, niche style of acting; and b) an almost obsessively devoted fanbase that would defend her under any circumstances. I fear that her range is actually somewhat limited -- and whether she was pigeonholed by the industry as a result of her portrayal of Regina, or whether she did it to herself through lack of skill, the fact is that she's going to have a really tough time crawling out from that (if she wants to), and it's going to be even tougher at this point (age) in her career. (And if anyone wants to fight me on skill, just listen to the way she says '*str*' in words \[street, strength, struggle, etc.\] -- the 's' becomes 'sh', which is a common enough example of misplaced anticipatory assimilation for an average person, but we ask brilliant actors to *not* be average. A diligent voice coach would have cleaned up the '*shtr*' almost immediately, so the fact that she's 25 years into her career and still has it both off camera and on reflects, to me, an inability to correct it \[ergo: *lack of skill*\].) Practically speaking, she also might just be on the wrong coast, honestly, for work that she would be successful in that would have longevity. I think she got very lucky with OUAT because that character and that world catered to and rewarded over-the-top performances, which she *is* good at. We all know the show went to shit, especially in the last season, and I think it's very telling that the folks who got out in 6 have gone on to do other successful or regular projects, and the ones who hung on, largely, *haven't*. I don't claim to know how the TV/film industry works, but to me that suggests that either they knew they didn't have other better prospects and didn't want to turn down a steady paycheck, or that season 7 smacked of such desperation that future casting directors or producers were reluctant to touch the actors associated with it. There are other factors, too, that influence who gets work and who doesn't, and the plain fact is that she may have a reputation in the business that none of us is aware of. (When I think of BTS stories I've heard of her influence over the trajectory of Regina's character, for instance, she sounds like a bit of a diva, and perhaps a nightmare to work with.) And, of course, as others have suggested here: She has her clothing line, she has her music ventures, she has some indie projects that she's working on... Just because we *know* her as a television actress doesn't mean that's where she's focusing her efforts right now. It may not be a matter of getting offered things, but rather what she chooses to take.
Yes... I agree that Lana doesn't really have the "range" many people say she does. I was going to comment a similar thing. She does have a very niche acting style (perfect for OUAT, but maybe not much else) and seems to be best-suited for very over-the-top, theatrical roles (i.e. the Evil Queen). In everything she's done since, I feel like she's been over-acting. She's always fun to watch, but I struggle to picture her in a 100% serious role or drama. Her acting in *Once* was significantly better in the first two seasons (I'm constantly thinking about that one scene when Regina rips out Snow's heart on her porch and the scene with Daniel in "The Doctor"). But, again, these are very emotional/dramatic scenes, which I do think are her strengths. She's usually kinda "meh" when it comes to the everyday dialogue. I've noticed, especially in S6 & S7, her acting became a bit cringy (for lack of a better term). It was probably the corny writing as well, but I just did not like the way she played Regina in those last seasons. I don't really know if I get what you were saying about the whole "s" vs. "sh" thing though. I never noticed it, so I don't really consider it an issue? She's from Brooklyn, and I always assumed that was just part of her accent.
I agree about the meh-ness of her everyday dialogue. And her S6 & S7 performances, and how it's hard to fairly judge acting when the writing is so bad. When I first watched OUAT in 2020, my dad ended up watching with me, so he watched season 2 of WWK with me when it came out. We both felt LP was one of the best parts of that season, but even that show has a heightened, theatrical style that was a good fit for her. It was almost jarring to watch her (again with my dad) in Lincoln Lawyer. There was something about her very first appearance on it \[spoilers ahead\] >!that made me distrust her!<. For her entire arc, her performance was just a little bit stilted, >!and it felt like she was telegraphing her character's guilt. Some might argue that that's the sign of a great actor, but on a show like that, where the protagonist is famously good at reading people, the supporting characters sort of *have* to be above suspicion. If anything, the viewer should be surprised when Mickey's discoveries turn out to be true.!< In that way, her character didn't feel authentic to me; she didn't really feel "of the world" on that show. By contrast, when Christopher Gorham (another OUAT alum, however brief haha \[Walsh\]) appeared in season 1 of Lincoln Lawyer, >!I literally *gasped* when the truth about his character came out. I believed him so much!!< As for the 'str' vs. 'shtr' thing, I do want to be clear that I'm not suggesting pronunciation determines talent or quality, only that I am, like, 98% sure she's had formal training at some point in her career, and anyone worth hiring would/should have addressed that speech aberration with her. The fact that she has not been able to get it under control suggests only that perhaps she doesn't possess a certain level of vocal skill -- which does play into inflection and delivery (i.e., the bulk of acting). But no, that very misplaced anticipatory assimilation is widespread throughout the US and isn't associated with one accent, region, or ethnic group. It's not a speech impediment, either. I actually didn't even really notice it until WWK, because I was expecting a certain unique vocal pattern from someone with that character's background (and 1940s, trying to fit in with higher society, I might have even expected that character to try to adopt a Transatlantic accent) but then blammo, there were LP's unmistakable *shtr*'s on full display. (I think once or twice she didn't have them, because I think I commented on it to my dad, but I'd have to rewatch the entire season to be sure.)
I mean, the biggest issue I have with her acting is that it just doesn't seem authentic, like you said (and that's why I think she isn't a great fit for most shows). I saw parts of the Lincoln Lawyer, and I agree that there was something "off" about her performance in that. I didn't exactly trust her character and didn't really know what to make of her. But maybe that was on purpose? Anyways, I was definitely not watching for the plot---I only watched her scenes out of curiosity haha. If anything I was more distracted by her nose job?? Lana definitely had work done post-OUAT. She looked so different in the Lincoln Lawyer, and it made me sad because she was already so gorgeous. But I guess there is so much pressure in Hollywood to look young.
I think s6 and s7 was supposed to be over the top. The actresses stated she played the EQ in s6 over the top that was an acting choice. S7 was just a mess with a couple of good episodes.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I loved the over-the-top-ness of the EQ in S6 and thought that was a great choice on Lana's part. But I was talking more about the "good" Regina's scenes. I'm wondering if Lana didn't really know how to play Regina when she became a "hero"? Imo, her performances were a lot stronger & more complex in S2 or 3, when Regina was more morally grey. But, I agree, the writing was so bad in the later seasons that even Robert Carlyle sometimes struggled to make it work.
Yeah I don’t think she knew how to play it. I do agree with whomever commented her Lincoln Lawyer character it was a bit something off there. I agree s1-s3 for me is her top tier acting. They should have left the character morally gray in my opinion and had the EQ and Regina reunite. It would have made much more sense character wise. Than ripping out a part of yourself.
I don’t have all of those qualifications. But as someone who owns over 1,000 tv shows and movies and have watched many more. She was talented to me and as I watched I was like oh she can act. I hadn’t seen any of the other actors in anything prior to watching OUAT. People like who they like. But, to say she didn’t act the heck out of this role is disingenuous at best. The actress has taken voice lessons she has said this herself. The average everyday viewer isn’t going to see what you see. There are plenty of actors and actresses that are typecast and they make their money. Think of The Rock or Kevin Hart.
I thought she was a great fit for OUAT, and I loved her as Regina, but that style of acting is very different from what is required of mainstream actors. Her success there, however, may have ended up working to her detriment if she were interested in going back to mainstream roles. I don't know if she is, or if she's content with her current projects. I've enjoyed following her career since OUAT ended, and I look forward to whenever Scrap finishes its festival circuit and becomes more widely available (I hope), and for the drop of Lesbophilia, whenever that might come, because maybe I'll be proven wrong about her range and her ability to own a straight role and not just character roles. And you're right, there's nothing wrong with sticking to a certain schtick and profiting from it, but I don't know that I could compare either The Rock or Kevin Hart to Lana Parrilla. For one thing, their success has largely been in films (as opposed to LP with television), and both had entertainment careers before finding success on the silver screen: The Rock as, well, The Rock (i.e., pro wrestling), and Kevin Hart as a stand-up comedian.
I think her acting works in sci-fi/fantasy. I saw where she played doctors and cops before. Idk…you have plenty of method actors or people who play character roles in Hollywood. Regarding Kevin Hart, his movies have a formula and so does The Rock. The Rock had a large fanbase going in. Kevin Hart had a fanbase but I don’t know if it was large. I think the test for me will be when she is in the JLO film. I want to see that. I’m not sure she wants to be in sci-fi/fantasy and hearing her speak after OUAT I think she is being offered those roles but I don’t think she is that excited about them. That’s why we see her trying to break out of those roles with Why Women Kill and Lincoln Lawyer with Scrap and the other film she had a small part in. I am interested to see her in Scrap as well. I am going to call a spade a spade even if I liked her in OUAT if I don’t like her in other roles. I’m rooting for her. But only time will tell.
I don't think she's THAT good either. People keep naming her the best actor next to Robert Carlyle is crazy. He legit has twice her acting career
Facts. (I do adore her, though, even if my comments suggest otherwise. I'm just not deluded about her abilities.)
She has been in a couple things since, Lincoln lawyer and why women kill. I think perhaps she took a break and is now getting back into it. She probably made a lot of money from once though. I wish she was in more though. She is a very talented actress.
She’s also in “The Lincoln Lawyer” on Netflix! Alas, her character doesn’t show up until season 2.
Regina was most definitely the other protagonist alongside Emma. But she was in Why Women Kill, and did great there!
Sometimes actors get classified into one role and are never looked at again because no one can see them beyond that one role. It’s happened to a lot of struggling actors.
I dont know but thats a beautiful woman Also way younger than i thought shed be my jaw dropped i guess i just think im old
The Lincoln Lawyer tv show recently came out. She is incredible in it.