Ginnifer Goodwin and Raphael Sbarge Say the Magic is Real

“I’ve always wanted to play a Disney princess and was equally excited to play Snow White,”Ginnifer Goodwin tells Zap2it about her character in the TV series “Once Upon a Time” at the ABC international upfront Sunday (May 20). “I really love that we fleshed out her flaws, and I hope that we do that further…You know, when [the huntsman] helped her escape from the evil queen, we displayed a lot of strong, positive characteristics, but I love this idea that, before that, she was an entitled, spoiled brat and she was vain and competitive.”

Though the actress insisted she had no idea what might be in store for the narrative when the show returns in the fall, she did express one hope for a potential plot development. “I’m so excited truly to explore the relationship between Emma and her mother Snow White,” Goodwin remarks. “Now that they remember each other, and now that they are the exact same age.” “Once Upon a Time” became a hit almost from the start, the fantasy drama about the lingering curse of an evil queen who interrupts Snow White’s wedding to Prince Charming, placing a spell against love on the land. Surprising many viewers in its season finale, Snow White and her love were able to overcome the curse, and now the question remains as to how they will fulfill that partnership in their reunion. It’s a twist particularly surprising to those who followed the series “Lost,” which was created by the same team of writers, and never seemed to offer resolution. “All the people who like “Lost,” they say, ‘I can’t believe in the first year they would have blown through the curse so fast,’” remarks actor Raphael Sbarge. “I would think they would have strung that out. But in doing so, they’ve opened themselves up for new stories. The roof has been blown off.” The series was renewed for its second season on May 10, and according to Sbarge, the writers head back to the drawing board next week to dive into development. The actor expresses no fear that his show might reap a similar bout of audience frustration as their previous hit, partially because “Lost” got air time for six years and also because, well, it’s a completely different story. “These fairytales, whether you know them or not, they seem to resonate with people,” Sbarge observes. “There’s sort of a level of hope underneath the show. And I think everyone’s sort of on a hero’s journey in the show. Even for these wonderfully, terribly bad characters, we also sort of feel for them.” Adds Goodwin, “We explore this idea, in every episode, that happy endings are possible for anyone and everyone, and there should always be the hope of that happy ending. And I’m an extremely optimistic and positive person, and I believe that strongly.”