Top Five Casting Decisions: Guest Stars (Once Upon a Time)

I love me a smorgasbord of acting from a big ensemble, which is part of the reason why I continue to be drawn to shows like Lost or Once Upon a Time, even when the writing goes off the rails. Today, I’m looking in particular at guest stars on Once Upon a Time, the sort who were featured prominently in the show’s various half-season arcs. While some of these stories were definitely better than others, I still appreciated the revolving door of characters they offered up. Here were my favorite performances from actors who took a turn in the Once Upon a Time sandbox.

 

Robbie Kay as Peter Pan

Does the Pan/Neverland arc come together the way it ought to? Not really – far from it, in my opinion. But none of that is down to Robbie Kay, who’s utterly watchable as the show’s dark take on Peter Pan. Through Kay’s compelling performance, we get the danger and menace of The Boy Who Never Grew Up, whose games can turn deadly and whose charismatic hold over his Lost Boys fuels his continued power.

 

Elizabeth Mitchell as Ingrid, the Snow Queen

Once Upon a Time tried to sell us on plenty of villain sob-stories over the years, but the only one that I really found compelling all the way through was Ingrid’s. Much of that is down to the writing, which didn’t use her tragic history to wave away her villainous actions, but a lot of credit also goes to Elizabeth Mitchell’s fine performance. She’s so quiet and still, imbuing Ingrid with both delicate sadness and soft menace. You can see how she’d draw in lonely misfits like Elsa and Emma, if only for a time.

 

Elizabeth Lail as Anna

I also think Georgina Haig does a terrific job as Elsa, but this post is already leaning heavily on the Frozen arc, and Elizabeth Lail is an utter delight as Anna. I love how well she nails Anna’s bubbly determination, friendly and optimistic to a fault but much stronger than a lot of people would give her credit for. Even as I enjoy Elsa getting to know the residents of Storybrooke, I relish every flashback of Anna’s whirlwind tour of the Enchanted Forest.

 

Elliot Knight as Merlin

I’ve talked about Merlin before, and even though I maintain that the show doesn’t give the character his full due, Elliot Knight is fantastic in the role. He brings such a steadiness as the powerful nigh-immortal, this grounding presence of a man who’s lived and seen it all. This is a tricky air to pull off, but Knight does it with aplomb, drawing you into all his scenes despite the inconsistent writing.

 

Karen David as Jasmine

I loved Karen David in Galavant and I’ve always been a Jasmine fan, so it was a delight to see David pop up on the show as one of the beloved princesses of my childhood. As with Merlin/Knight, Jasmine isn’t always well-served by the storyline, but David conveys that essentialness Jasmine-ness throughout.