FROMLEFT: JACKGUY/CORBISOUTLINE; BRIANBOWENSMITH/FOX
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
MAY 01, 2013
25
{ TV }
PrincessCharming
JENNIFERMORRISON
tries to find thehappilyever after
onherhit show,
OnceUponaTime.
JENNIFERMORRISON ISN’TSURE shebelieves
inmagic. Butwith a career hot streak that’s
takenher from
HouseM.D.
toABC’s current
fantasydrama,
OnceUponaTime
, noone
wouldblameher if shedid. TheChicagonative
plays EmmaSwan, a skepticwhohas been
thrown into aworldof princes, evil queens and
ogres. She tells
AmericanWay
how shemakes
themagic happen.
AMERICANWAY
:
What is itabout fairy tales
that resonateseven intoadulthood?
JENNIFERMORRISON:
I think the root of
fairy tales is about self-identity, and the
show has that foundation— every episode
is aboutwho you are, what your choices
are andwhat those choicesmean.We fill
in the backstories of the characters and
offer viewers the ability to relate or answer
questions in their own lives.
AW
:
Thataspectofyour showprobablypro-
videsa lotofcomfort topeople thesedays.
JM:
We’re ina timewhen things feel like
they’re fallingapart or peopledon’t feel as
stable— they’re searching for self, figuring
outwhere their place is andwhat their voice
is,much likeour characters are. So I do think
there’s comfort in that.
AW
:
Yourcharacterhasgone fromskeptic to
believer.Which iscloser to the real you?
JM:
I’ma littlebit of both. Emmawill always
question things to try toprotect herself from
unnecessarypainand, once shehasproof, she’ll
commit herself toabelief. But it’s certainlya
hardbalance for anyone to find.
AW
:
Wereyoubig into fairy talesasachild?
JM:
I grewupgoing toDisney
a lot
.My
parents still go, evenwithall of their kidsout
of thehouse.When Iwas little, I hadapretty
equal drawbetween
Cinderella
and
Alice in
Wonderland
. And this season, Emma’sbeen
havingher ownAliceexperienceof fallingdown
that rabbit hole, so it’sbeen fun.
AW
:
Youguysareavery tight-knitcast. Is this
partiallybecauseyoushootaway fromhome
inVancouver,BritishColumbia?
JM:
Whenyou’reaway fromhome, thepeople
youworkwithbecomea really important part
of your life. Ginny [Goodwin,whoplaysMary
Margaret] and I are luckybecausewe’veknown
eachother for years. Shewas already set for
thisprojectwhen I signedon, andpart of the
appeal formewas toworkwithher.Weknew
that ifwehad tobeaway fromhome, it’snice to
haveagood friend there.
—ALLISONWINN SCOTCH
World-Class
When thecreatorsofFox’shit
comedy
NewGirl
dreamedupCece
—best friend toZooeyDeschanel’s
Jessandperennial love interest to
Schmidt— thecharacter’sethnicity
wasn’t specified.Butwhenhalf-Indian
beauty
HANNAHSIMONE
earned
the role, thewritersbegan towork
herheritage into theshow. “They’ve
beenpullingmoreandmoreof
whoweare,”says the32-year-old
actress,who’salsoGreekand Italian.
Her international upbringinghas
influencedmore than justherwork,
asshe’spassionateaboutglobal
cookingand travel. Simone talked
globe-trottingwith
AW
andshared
some tips fromher time in transit.
ONWHEREHOME IS:
“Iwasborn inLondon,
thenwemoved toCanada, thenSaudiArabia,
thenCyprus, then India. It seems likea lot, but it
wasmynormal.”
ONHERSPECIALTY INTHEKITCHEN:
“A
Cypriandishcalledmakaronia tou fournou—with
porkand redwineandparsleyandhalloumi
cheese.My true love in life is food, andbeing
Indian,Greekand Italian, I cookallof it. Ifyou look
atmyspice rack, it’saRolodexofworldspices.”
HERBESTTRAVELTIP:
“Live likea local, even
if you’regoing somewhere for threedays.Walk.
Buygroceries. I like to settle in. I’vebeen toParis
somany timesbut, to thisday, I haven’t seen the
Eiffel Tower.”
INHERSUITCASE:
“I travelwithahalf-empty
suitcase, andwhen I get towhere I’mgoing, I
shop there. It’s sonicewhenyougethomeand
you’rewearingbootsor a sweateror apieceof
jewelry that youpickeduponyour travels.”
—SONA CHARAIPOTRA
