2011 → 2026 · Live now
Once Upon a Time Cast: Then and Now
The cast then and now — with the original tribute song “We Were Magic”.
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About the series
Once Upon a Time, then & now
Once Upon a Time premiered in 2011, and ran for 7 seasons on American Broadcasting Company. This page follows Captain Hook (Colin O'Donoghue), Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), Regina Mills (Lana Parrilla), Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison) then and now, with real ages, 14 then-vs-now collector’s cards in this tribute and the original tribute song “We Were Magic”.
The cast · 14 collector’s cards
Where is the Once Upon a Time cast now (2026)?
The Once Upon a Time cast then and now: 14 collector’s cards, 2011 vs 2026, with real ages. Tap a card to flip it and watch them walk side by side.
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“We Were Magic”
We were magic
Read the lyrics
We were magic
Tell me you feel it too
Small town big lies frozen in time
Lost in a life that was never mine
You look at me like you almost know
Like there is a truth that will not let go
Something in your eyes tonight
Feels like fire feels like light
We were magic we were fire
Dancing on a broken wire
Hearts awake we come alive
We do not fall we survive
We were magic can not deny it
Even when the world went silent
Feel it burning deep inside
We do not run we rewrite
We were magic magic magic
Dark hearts lost souls twisted fate
Love and war we could not escape
Heroes rise and villains fall
But we have been both we have been it all
Every scar every mistake
Made us who we are today
We were magic we were fire
Dancing on a broken wire
Hearts awake we come alive
We do not fall we survive
We were magic can not deny it
Even when the world went silent
Feel it burning deep inside
We do not run we rewrite
If you forget me I will remind you
If you fall down I will come find you
Through the dark through every lie
We are the ones who never die
We were magic we were fire
Now we are rising even higher
No more fear no more disguise
We remember who we are
We were magic can not deny it
Even when the world went silent
Feel it burning deep inside
We do not run we rewrite
We were magic magic magic
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Once Upon a Time in numbers
The cast, then & now
| Character | Actor | Then (2011) | Now (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain Hook | Colin O'Donoghue | 31 | 45 |
| Snow White | Ginnifer Goodwin | 33 | 48 |
| Prince Charming | Josh Dallas | 32 | 47 |
| Regina Mills | Lana Parrilla | 34 | 49 |
| Emma Swan | Jennifer Morrison | 32 | 47 |
| Rumplestiltskin | Robert Carlyle | 50 | 65 |
| Belle | Emilie de Ravin | 30 | 44 |
| Zelena | Rebecca Mader | 36 | 49 |
| Henry Mills | Jared Gilmore | 11 | 26 |
| Peter Pan | Robbie Kay | 17 | 31 |
| Ruby | Meghan Ory | 29 | 44 |
| Robin Hood | Sean Maguire | 37 | 50 |
| Sheriff Graham | Jamie Dornan | 29 | 44 |
| Neal / Baelfire | Michael Raymond-James | 34 | 48 |
Ages from verified birth dates, updated 02 November 2026.
Once Upon a Time premiered on ABC on October 23, 2011. It ran for seven seasons, ending in 2018. A fairy-tale world hidden inside a small Maine town.
The pilot drew 12.93 million viewers. It was ABC's most-watched drama pilot since Ugly Betty. A rare fantasy hit for a broadcast network.
The series ran 155 episodes across 7 seasons. Few network fairy-tale dramas ever reach that length. It closed out as one of ABC's longest genre runs.
Creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz first pitched the idea in 2002. Ten studios and networks passed on it. They revisited it after finishing Lost — and ABC said yes.
Storybrooke wasn't built on a soundstage. Most exteriors were filmed in Steveston, a village in Richmond, BC. Granny's Diner was actually the real-life Cannery Cafe.
Regina's poisoned apple became the show's most recognizable prop. It first curses Snow White, then reappears as an apple turnover. One prop, reused across seasons to trigger key plot twists.
Composer Mark Isham scored the show's music, including its main theme. He wrote roughly 24 minutes of new score per episode. His work spanned the flagship series and its spin-off.
Episode 100, Souls of the Departed, sent the heroes to the Underworld. It doubled as the Season 5 midseason premiere. Cast and crew marked it with a cake and champagne toast on set.
The show earned back-to-back Saturn Award nominations for Best Network Television Series in 2012 and 2013. Lana Parrilla and Jared Gilmore also received individual acting nominations. It didn't take home a win in that category.
Spin-off Once Upon a Time in Wonderland premiered in October 2013. ABC canceled it after just one 13-episode season. It aired its finale in April 2014, less than a year after launch.
The series finale, Leaving Storybrooke, aired May 18, 2018. It brought back original stars Jennifer Morrison and Josh Dallas for one last chapter. Seven seasons of fairy tales closed on a bittersweet, hopeful note.
Years later, the cast keeps thriving: Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas went on to Disney's Zootopia 2. Jennifer Morrison moved into directing and starred in The Night Agent. Lana Parrilla continues headlining film and TV projects today.