Josh Dallas on ‘Once Upon a Time’ and the Introduction of ‘Frozen’ Characters

Josh Dallas interview on Once Upon a Time season 4
Josh Dallas (Photo by Richard Chavez/ShowbizJunkies)

Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin are new parents in real life and on the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time which is returning for season four on September 28, 2014. With the arrival of a new bouncing bundle of joy on the show, things will change for both mom and dad – and likely in ways no one can predict, given the show’s track record for pulling off big surprises. At the 2014 San Diego Comic Con, Dallas talked about what’s in store for Charming and Snow as they adjust to having a baby and what fans of the series can expect to see happening with his character this upcoming season.

Josh Dallas Once Upon a Time Interview:

What’s going on this next season that you’re excited about?

Josh Dallas: “Well, I’m excited about these new characters coming onto the show. I’m excited about the Frozen characters because I think it’s a great story. I love the movie, I love the story. It’s a love story about two sisters between two very strong women. Once Upon a Time is all about strong women, so I think it’s a perfect fit. It’s a perfect addition to our show and I can’t wait to see these characters intermingle with all of us.”

How’s David going to change now that he’s a new dad?

Josh Dallas: “I think it really agrees with him. I think you’re going to see him … This is the first chance that Snow and David have the opportunity to be parents again. It was kind of robbed from them. It was robbed from them with Emma, so they’re going to do the best they can to be the best they can to be the best parents they can and protect that baby. It’s going to be like raising a baby. I think you’ll see maybe some conflict where he wants to help more and maybe she wants to take it all on herself, and maybe he feels a little lost in that kind of way. I think they’re going to be great parents.”

Why do you think the struggles between fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters are so important in the world of Once Upon a Time?

Josh Dallas: “Well, because it’s universal. Everybody has a family. Everybody comes from somewhere, right? I think that’s the universal thing. I mean, it’s certainly what connects all the characters in Once Upon a Time. It’s the most dysfunctional family tree you’ve ever seen, but I think that’s what strikes a chord with people and that’s why people tune in. That’s where the emotional stuff lies, right? Family.”

How has it been to explore Charming and discover his complicated backstory? He’s got faults and isn’t perfect.

Josh Dallas: “Amazing. I mean it’s amazing to be able to explore that character in that kind of way because I think he is iconic and the savior and there’s not anything else there, so it’s good to be able to explore all those other fractured bits of him and figure out what makes him tick and what makes him who he is. What’s interesting about this season already even though we’re only on the second episode, we’re going to see a friendship that Charming had in his past. A really important friendship to him with a character that you might not necessarily think of that belongs with Charming. It changes the whole course of his life, literally.”

Are there questions from fans about the series that surprise you?

Josh Dallas: “I think what always surprises me, because I never want to … I don’t think any of us ever want to just assume this kind of thing, but it’s the connection that the fans have with the show and the connections that the fans have with the characters. They’re so invested and they’re so passionate and I think that’s always surprising. It’s not necessarily the questions that they ask, it’s their connection with the show itself that is just surprising.”

Do you think these characters will ever get a happily ever after ending?

Josh Dallas: “It’s a fairy tale setting. God, I hope so. I hope so for these characters because it’s just one thing after another with them. I mean my hope, which is what the show is all about, my hope for it is that they all find their happy ending. Even Rumpel, even Regina, all these characters, I hope that they all find their happy ending. It would be kind of nice. It would be a great payoff for all those characters I think. But, who knows?”

What would you like to see for your character this season?

Josh Dallas: “What we will see for sure, and also what I hope for but I think what we’ll definitely see is him growing and growing and growing and becoming stronger and stronger as a character. I think now that he’s a dad and he has…last season towards the end of the season he really faced his ultimate fear and that was failure as a father. Once he faced that, he literally faced that and sword fought himself. Once he admitted that he was scared that was somehow freeing to him. He’s now stronger and I think that’s going to keep growing and growing with him and I think his relationships are going to keep getting stronger, particularly with Emma. I think that’s going to keep growing and you’re going to see a lot of similarities starting with those two. I think they’re very similar in many ways and you’re going to see that growing.

You’re just going to find out more of his backstory and what makes him tick, particularly in the first half of the season. Like I said, he’s going to have a relationship with someone who changed his life. A really important relationship.”