• Once Upon an Interview: Josh Dallas talks ONCE UPON A TIME

    by
    dlfreak
    Published on 09-02-2012 01:00 PM
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    Josh Dallas plays Prince Charming and David Nolan in ONCE UPON A TIME and today we have a great interview with him sharing his thoughts on the show. It's an enchanting day today as we launch a multiple-part series of interviews with the cast and crew of ONCE UPON A TIME!

    The hit new show on ABC twists the fairytales that we all know and love (including those that Disney has NOT made feature films about) into an intriguing story brought to the modern day town of Storybrooke.




    AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSH DALLAS FOR ONCE UPON A TIME

    How would you describe the premise of Once Upon A Time?
    Once Upon A Time is a charming fantasy show. It’s fun and it’s entertaining, but it’s also a little weird and a little different. It features fairytale characters that we all know and love – but they have been cursed by the Evil Queen to live in the town of Storybrooke, Maine. This is a place where there are no happy endings and nobody can leave… Until a new arrival in town starts to break the spell.

    Who do you play in the show?
    My character, David Nolan, is also Prince Charming. Charming is a prince who gets his hands dirty. He’s an everyman; he can swordfight with a baby in his arms!

    What are the main differences between David Nolan and Prince Charming?
    Because of the curse on Storybrooke, David does a few stupid things. He has a total disconnect from Charming. All of the qualities that Charming has, David can’t have; that’s the nature of the curse. That means David can’t be honorable, he can’t be confident, he can’t be honest all the time and he can’t be forthright. He keeps putting himself in ridiculous situations, but he has Charming within him; he’s just waiting to get out.

    Do you prefer playing David Nolan or Prince Charming?
    I love playing both. It’s challenging to play David because he is cursed. He’s very conflicted and confused – and that’s fun to play as an actor. It’s the total opposite of Charming, who is a confident man with a sense of purpose about him. David is lost and he’s trying to figure out where he belongs, as well as his true identity.

    Is it difficult to identify with a fairytale character?
    You can identify with all of the characters in the show because they are fairytale characters as real people. They have real emotions, real problems and they are in real situations. It’s fun to be able to play two characters within the same role. In fact, I think that’s one of the things that attracted me to the project in the first place.

    How much pressure do you face in playing such an iconic character like Prince Charming?
    Is it a big responsibility, but as an actor I can’t think about playing him as an iconic fairytale character. I have to play a person that has emotions like everyone else. If I thought too much about it being Prince Charming, the pressure would be too great and I’d crumble. It is a great role, though. I love it.

    How did you get involved with the project?
    I got a call from my agent telling me about the script. And once I read it, I thought it was one of the most unique scripts I’d ever read for network television. I was really excited about the project, so I went in and met the producers and creators – and a couple of days later I was cast as Charming and David Nolan.

    What research did you undertake for this fairytale role?
    I certainly went back and re-read the Snow White story. I looked into the relationship between Prince Charming and Snow – and how they got together. It’s been fascinating to discover that there are so many different stories about them; there are many different variations of the tale.

    Who does the show appeal to?
    You know what? It is a very interesting show because of the huge demographic of people who are watching it. From kids to teenagers to men and women of all ages, a lot of different people are watching it. It’s great.

    How would you sum up the first season of the show?
    Oh, it’s been crazy. There is so much going on in Season One; there’s so much to see and think about. As the first season reaches the finale, it’s like a train that will not stop. I want people watching to be shocked, I want them to be awed, and I want them to be amazed.

    What’s been your most challenging scene so far?
    I’ve had a lot of sword fighting to do for the show – and I specifically remember one really hot day in the woods of North Vancouver that was incredibly tough. My costume is made from leather and we had to run around a lot, so there was definitely a lot of sweating going on.

    Storybrooke might be cursed – but does the season have a happy ending?
    I’m not going to give away any spoilers for the show; you’ll have to watch to find out what happens. I’ll tell you one thing, though. In Storybrooke, there are always a lot of obstacles to a happy ending. There’s a very long way to go if these characters are going to get there.


    AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER


    Can't get enough ONCE UPON A TIME?
    Check out these interviews with the cast from the show!

    Once Upon a Time - The Complete First Season is available now on Blu-ray and DVD.





    ABOUT ONCE UPON A TIME
    Master storytellers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (executive producers of Lost and writers of TRON: Legacy) invite audiences to experience an intriguing twist to the classic fairytales of Snow White, Pinocchio, Red Riding Hood and many more in their thrilling new fantasy series Once Upon A Time. Packed with enchanting icons from the world’s most beloved stories, the show stars a host of talented actors including Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Carlyle, Josh Dallas, Jennifer Morrison and Lana Parrilla.