Instagram/@lanaparrilla
Sean Maguire recently had paid a flattering tribute to Lana Parrilla, Bex Mader, and Karen David, as dear friends and ex-co-actors in Once Upon A Time. Sharing a pretty and casual group snap onto his Instagram with the caption “Great friends make everything better,” the fans and the cast all chimed in with hearts. In contrast, it became a wistful reminder of the tight-knit bonds formed while putting together the ABC fantasy series.
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The snappy, off-the-wall photo showed the four actors just hanging out together, much to the delight of the few diehard fans who followed their journey. Far more than the photo though, the genuine reactions in the comments section were what made this post truly special.
One of the first to comment was Lana Parrilla, saying, “I love you all so much,” with a slew of heart emojis. The comment became an intersection for admirers; a fan responded with “I LOVE YOU LANA,” and another chimed in with “all my love for this friendship.” The entire exchange really says much about how the audience identifies with the cast’s kinship.
The comments did not shy away from noting the goofy interaction portrayed in the picture. Another commented: “I love how Karen and Bex are posing and Lana looks like she was really taking a bite and got caught off guard.” Another joked about how the photo was cut: “sean i can’t with how this is cropped,” followed by a barrage of laughing emojis.
This post also brought back memories of the show that binds them. A fan stated, “A Normal Day in Storybrooke,” referencing the fictional town in which Once Upon A Time was set, whilst another asked, “Karen was on OUAT too, right? What an amazing set that must have been!” which confirmed that David had played Princess Jasmine in the last seasons of the show.
Apart from the nostalgia, much of the commentary revolved around the idea of important friendships. One user stated, “Good friends you can count on in every situation are so important,” while another said, “The best friends that become your chosen family,” hopefully stretching well beyond that particular screen.
The world’s appeal of the cast was presented as well with a shout-out in Portuguese saying: “Muito amor por vocês” (translated into: so much love for you all). There was a very excited fan who invited them to Brazil for birthday cake.
What is really exceptional about this interaction is how it shows that the friendships forged during the filming of Once Upon A Time have outlasted the very cameras stopping to roll. The genuine warmth shared by the cast members as well as by fans creates this extraordinary circle of goodwill, a scarce commodity in Hollywood.
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All of it conspirates to remind us of the fact that some friendships on set evolve into far greater off-screen friendships; ones that widely contribute to the mutual happiness of the actors themselves and the fandoms that have been on this journey with them from day one. In an industry filled with so many transient relationships, Maguire’s post and the following comments allow us to keep the faith-that, really, friendship can make everything better. Fans are also excited for Lana’s new project, The Rainmaker, and her recent AI warning from a new book. She also recently shared a throwback to a music video and fans are demanding a Netflix UK release for her new show.