History Creator / LanaParrilla

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lana_parrilla_premiere_maleficent_01.jpg]] Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actress best known for her roles on ''Series/SpinCity'', ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''Series/{{Windfall}}'', ''Series/{{Swingtown}}'' and ''Series/MiamiMedical''. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama ''Series/{{Boomtown}}''.

* StarMakingRole: Her role as Regina Mills.

!Tropes
* ActingForTwo: In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', after [[spoiler:Regina and the Evil Queen become separate in Season 5, she portrays both of them in Season 6, often in scenes together]].
* ActorInspiredHeroism: Regina's redemption in Season 2 was partly inspired by Lana pushing for Henry to become her MoralityPet.
* DawsonCasting: Portrays both adult and younger Regina in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Young Regina's age is not specified, but it is generally placed at around 18, whereas Parrilla was in her 30s during filming.
* DirectedByCastMember: Directed "[[Recap/OnceUponATimeS7E17Chosen Chosen]]", Season 7 Episode 17, of ''Series/OnceUponATime''.
* ImportantHaircut: She recalls earlier in her career that she had trouble booking roles until she decided to cut her hair to a bob. She found that she was cast a lot more afterwards, including getting her breakout role as Regina Mills.
* LatinoIsBrown: She is Latina (of Puerto Rican and Italian descent), but early in her career was turned down in favor of actresses with the mestizo features Hollywood often favors for Latina characters. Even when cast in ''Series/OnceUponATime'', the creators had to confirm that Regina is Latina like Lana.
* LGBTFanbase: Lana has a large fanbase of lesbian and bisexual women going all the way back to her role as the AmbiguouslyBi Trina Decker on the short-lived ''Series/{{Swingtown}}''. This only increased after the airing of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', where her character, Regina Mills, has loads of LesYay with nearly every female character on the show, particularly Emma. Lana being very supportive to shippers of Regina/Emma (also known as [[IdiosyncraticShipNaming Swan Queen]]), has only endeared her more to her LGBT fans, especially in comparison to what many of them felt was her castmates' indifference.
* StarMakingRole: Her role as Regina Mills.

* 2000-2001 Series/SpinCity as Angie Ordonez
* 2002-2003 Series/{{Boomtown}} as Teresa Ortiz
* 2004 Series/NYPDBlue as Officer Janet Grafton
* 2005 Series/TwentyFour as Sarah Gavin
* 2006 Series/{{Windfall}} as Nina Schaefer
* 2006 Series/{{Lost}} as Greta
* 2008 Series/{{Swingtown}} as Trina Decker
* 2010 Series/MiamiMedical as Dr. Eva Zambrano
* 2011–2018 Series/OnceUponATime as [[Characters/OnceUponATimeRegina The Evil Queen/Regina Mills]]
* 2021 Series/WhyWomenKill as Rita Castillo

* LGBTFanbase: Lana has a large fanbase of lesbian and bisexual women going all the way back to her role as the AmbiguouslyBi Trina Decker on the short-lived ''Series/{{Swingtown}}''. This only increased after the airing of ''Series/OnceUponATime'', where her character, Regina Mills, has loads of LesYay with nearly every female character on the show, particularly Emma. Lana being very supportive to shippers of ''OUAT''[='=]s FanPreferredCouple, Regina/Emma (also known as [[IdiosyncraticShipNaming Swan Queen]]), has only endeared her more to her LGBT fans, especially in comparison to what many of them felt was her castmates' indifference.

* 2011–2018 Series/OnceUponATime as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills

* DirectedByCastMember: Directed "Chosen", Season 7 Episode 17, of ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Her last name is pronounced 'pa-ree-ah', but is often mispronounced by those not familiar with Spanish pronunciations.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Her last name is spelled Pa'''rr'''illa, not Pa'''r'''illa.

* ActingForTwo: In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', after [spoiler:Regina and the Evil Queen become separate in Season 5, she portrays both of them in Season 6, often in scenes together].

* DawsonCasting: Portrays both adult and younger Regina in ''Series/OnceUponATime''. Young Regina's age is not specified, but it is generally placed at around 18, where Parrilla was in her 30s during filming.

* 2021 Series/WhyWomenKill as Rita Costillo

She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series ''Series/OnceUponATime'', for which she has received critical acclaim.

* 2011–2018 Series/OnceUponATime as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills

* 2011–present Series/OnceUponATime as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lana_parrilla_premiere_maleficent_01.jpg]] Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress best known for her roles on ''Series/SpinCity'', ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''Series/{{Windfall}}'', ''Series/{{Swingtown}}'' and ''Series/MiamiMedical''. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama ''Series/{{Boomtown}}''.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: She is starring as the Evil Queen in ''Once Upon a Time", who at the beginning of the story was evil. In real life, she is a wonderfully sweet woman who gets on famously with her castmates, is always kind to fans, and is a second mom to Jared S. Gilmore, who plays Regina's adopted son Henry.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: She is starring as the Evil Queen in ''Once Upon a Time", who at the beginning of the story was evil. In real life, she is sweet.

* RealLife/MeanCharacterNiceActor: She is starring as the Evil Queen in ''Once Upon a Time", who at the beginning of the story was evil. In the other hand, she is sweet.

Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress best known for her roles on ''Series/SpinCity'', ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''Series/{{Windfall}}'', ''Series/{{Swingtown}}'' and ''Series/MiamiMedical''. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama ''Series/{{Boomtown}}''.

Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress best known for her roles on ''Series/SpinCity'', ''Series/TwentyFour'', ''Windfall'', ''Swingtown'' and ''Miami Medical''. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama ''Series/{{Boomtown}}''. She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series ''Series/OnceUponATime''.

* SpinCity as Angie Ordonez
* {{Boomtown}} as Teresa Ortiz
* TwentyFour as Sarah Gavin
* {{Windfall}} as Nina Schaefer
* {{Lost}} as Greta
* Swingtown as Trina Decker
* Miami Medical as Dr. Eva Zambrano
* OnceUponATime as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills

Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress, known for her roles on SpinCity, TwentyFour, Windfall, Swingtown and Miami Medical. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama {{Boomtown}}. She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series OnceUponATime.

* Notable Roles

Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress, known for her roles on SpinCity, TwentyFour, Windfall, Swingtown and MiamiMedical. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama {{Boomtown}}. She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series OnceUponATime.

* SpinCity as Angie OrdonezSpin City Angie Ordonez

* MiamiMedical as Dr. Eva Zambrano

Lana María Parrilla (born July 15, 1977) is an American actress, known for her roles on SpinCity, {{24}}, Windfall, Swingtown and MiamiMedical. From 2002-2003, she starred in the critically acclaimed but short lived crime drama {{Boomtown}}. She currently stars as The Evil Queen/Regina Mills in the ABC series OnceUponATime.

* SpinCity as Angie OrdonezSpin City Angie Ordonez 21 episodes

* {{24}} as Sarah Gavin