TERI REEVES

Interviewer: How are you?

Teri: I'm hanging there. I'm tired and pooped, but I'm ok. So great to see you!

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I: Same. Thank you so much for doing this, it's so cool! I'm very excited! So I have about ten questions. Some of them are from me and, some others are from fans. Let's start! You played Dorothy Gale on Once Upon a Time. I was wondering how did you get the part. Like did you pass an audition?

 How did it go? Did you know you were auditioning for Dorothy? Like, yeah, the process.

T: This is one of my favorite stories because, for all the other parts I've played on TV and in film, I've had to audition and sometimes several times. So, the casting director of Once Upon a Time knew me from some other auditions. And I guess she had told me that they had been looking for a Dorothy and auditioning other girls for a long time and they couldn't find anybody. And then I sent her - she never auditioned me for Dorothy Gale - and I sent her a Merry Christmas card just out of the blue, because, you know, she's such a sweet lady. Anytime I saw her in the audition room, she was just so nice. And she got my Christmas card, and she went: "Oh my Gosh! Teri! She's perfect!" And she called my team and just offered me the part. So I never had to audition. It was the easiest job I've ever gotten! And I was like…

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I: That's fun, yeah! And so, once you got the role, you know Dorothy, she's a character that we all know, I grew up with her and everything, a few people wondered how you prepare for this so iconic character. Did you watch movies? Did you read the book? Or did you "just" go for it like "I'm gonna do my own Dorothy"?

T: Right, well what was interesting is Dorothy in Once Upon a Time is different than the Dorothy we know from the storybooks. And part of why the casting director thought I was good for the role is because I do martial arts and so I'm a fighter. And Dorothy Gale in Once Upon a Time is a fighter, right? It's the grownup version of Dorothy. So I did do research, I went back and read because there are books about Dorothy that they based the movie on… or maybe vice versa. So I watched the movie, I read the books, I learned about kind of, you know, her origin story. And then, in my mind, and this is my favorite part of acting, I imagined what her life would have been like, to have to learn how to be a warrior, right? And I watched Once Upon a Time.

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I: Oh, you did?

T: Yeah, because the green witch, she's kind of my enemy, right? So, I learned about her and why she's such a threat. So I built this whole story using research and then my imagination, which is the most fun part of acting.

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I: There's a fan called @Evik2612 who wondered if you have watched the film the Wiz with Diana Ross and Michael Jackson?

T: I haven't seen that version. I've seen a stage play. When I went to a theater, the professional theater associated with my graduate school did the play, and it was amazing! There are so many different imaginings of the story of Dorothy.

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I: It's an amazing story! It's the first book I ever, like, read on my own, so it means a lot to me.

T: Oh my gosh, oh, how special! What do you like about the Dorothy in the book you're holding, and the Dorothy in Once Upon a Time?

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I: It's been a long time since I haven't read that one, but both of them are really cool and super badass and always helping others, I love both of them.

T: They also did an origin story in Once Upon a Time with a childhood Dorothy. Do you remember that?

I: Yes!

T: I love that about her character, that she fights for others, she fights for the underdog, she fights for people that need help and, she's a strong woman and she's positive and hopeful, all at once. I love that that was your first book.

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I: It's amazing! You kind of talked a little bit about this, but what is the thing you like the most about your character, and, on the contrary, what would you like to change or maybe add to her?

T: I love her fighting spirit and I think what we saw changing her was a softening of her heart. Because she spent so many years defending herself, then defending the people that she loved and that she didn't get to open herself up to love other humans, right? Because she's been so hurt and she was so protective. So the beautiful art of her character in Once Upon a Time is falling in love with Red Riding Hood and finally feeling understood by another female, and finally feeling safe enough to fall in love romantically with somebody else. True love, she found true love. So I think for Dorothy that just that progression of being able to be strong and be vulnerable at the same time would be how I would love to see her progress.

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I: Yeah, that's cool! There's another question I usually like to ask the cast at conventions, so I'm asking you, what do you think your character is doing now? Is she still, you know, with Ruby in Oz, or?

T: Of course! She and Ruby are happily in love! But they have a tumultuous relationship because they're both very opinionated ladies and they challenge each other. So it's a passionate relationship but they love one another, they take care of each other, and because they both care so much about taking care of other people, I think they're still trying to save anybody lost or at risk. So I think they're still in that imaginary world, that's how I like to think of them.

I: Yeah, that's a pretty story! Once Upon a Time season 8??

T: Exactly! I was sad when it was over.

I: Yeah… And speaking of that, I've read online - I think it was a tweet from the creator of the show - saying that you and Meghan, who played Ruby, you were supposed to appear more on-screen, but due to like schedule conflicts, it didn't happen. Do you know a thing or two that we missed? Something, an idea?

T: I never knew, no, I have no idea. I just know that Meghan was doing another TV show. And so they didn't bring us back. And it was heartbreaking for me because I loved playing Dorothy, and I loved working with Meghan. So they never told me anything other than that. It was tough! I was bumped, yeah!

I: Me too! Like they saw each other for like one episode, I was like: "Noooo, I want more!!!" But they were cute anyway!

T: I'm sorry I don't know anymore. You know what, go ask the creators of the show, go interview the creator!

I: I'll do it, haha! So, there's another question by @emma_swan_oncer, who asked if you could play any other fairy tale character on the show, who would it be?

T: Any other fairy tale character on the show… shoot, what's the name of the main one with the blond hair?

I: Emma Swan?

T: not Emma Swan…the very original… shoot my brain. I'm an old lady. Let me see, I'm going to look it up… Oh yeah, Emma Swan! Yeah, you were right, of course. I should have trusted you. You know the show a hundred times better. But what I loved about - she did it so well, the actress Jennifer Morrison - she's a troubled woman, a woman that has conflict within her, and yet, keeps fighting, which I think is so human, right? We're not perfect, we're work in progress, and we have so much to learn, and we have to go through bumpy experiences to grow. And I just love the trajectory of her character, how she became stronger but had to go up and down and all around to get there. So you know, I just love that storyline.

I: Yeah, I love Emma Swan! She's my favorite character!

T: Oh! I got it right!

I: Several people asked me what was the best part of working with the cast?

T: Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, they're married in real life?

I: Yeah, that's cute!

T: They're very cute! So, on the show, them and Red Riding Hood, Meghan, and then the other actress - my memories are terrible…

I: Jamie Chung?

T: Jamie Chung! Mulan! Those are the four people that I worked with the most. And off-screen they were the sweetest, most downhearted, silly, kind people. And we're, you know, traipsing it through the Vancouver forest in the middle of the night. And it's a rainstorm. It's a downpour. And everybody's cold. I got bronchitis. Like you're just wet and tired. And Ginnifer Goodwin and her husband, Josh Dallas, ordered pizza. And somehow, because of who they are, they had this all, for the cast and crew, the whole crew like hundreds of people, pizza delivered to the middle of the forest in the middle of the night in the middle of a rainstorm in Vancouver, Canada. And it was just the sweetest gesture of trying to take care of everybody that I ever witnessed and it was just, yeah, just the kind-heartedness of that cast was what I love.

I: Yeah, that's so sweet, I love that story! You also played with Rebecca Mader, the green witch, how was it?

T: I did! She is a character in real life, man! She has so much energy. I just would stare, she would tell stories, and she was hilarious, she was always on and talking and working on her character. She is a serious actress like she studied all of her lines and how they would come out. And she's an artist, like, a true technician when it came to shaping her character. I didn't get to know her very much personally. It was more like I was observing her, like the spirit of amazing energy around the space. She's incredible.

I: She seems to be funny!

T: Yeah, and like she kind of took me under her wing and mentored me a little bit because I didn't know anybody. And she was like: "Let me show you around!" you know? So I feel like she took care of me like a little sister while I was there.

I: That's cool! There's another fan called @Fabinafan who asked: "What made you want to pursue acting? And who are your inspirations?"

T: Ah, good question! I think, growing up, I loved making people laugh. I loved being silly, and when they laughed, it's somehow creating all of these happy feelings in my body, even when I was young, right? So I just sort of, I loved seeing other people light up and I craved that growing up. I wanted to make other people happy, or take them on a story, and just get into the world of imagination like those storybook stories from Once Upon a Time where you can just kind of escape, and just feel hopeful and feel all of that magic. And that's what I wanted to do for other people. And so I studied acting, and then, the more I studied it the more I got good at it, the more opportunities I had to do that. And so I think just creating that magic escape where it's safe to explore our strengths and weaknesses for audiences is why I got into acting. And then I also loved the camaraderie of it. In theaters, on a set, you can't do it by yourself, right? I mean everybody, the whole group has to be involved, and so you get to experience everybody's energy. And it's like you're creating something as a community and bonding with other people, that social bond, I love that too! And then you get to meet people like you who are participating in the story. And how the heck would I ever have met you in my life if I hadn't been part of the storytelling and you being part of the storytelling of all of it, right? So I get to meet people that live in France, for goodness sake! I just, yeah, connect with people and stories.

I: That's cool! I have a question from @erwouat8, my friend, about the costumes on the show. He wondered if they were comfortable and if it was practical to play Dorothy with this, like, huge dress and everything.

T: It was awful but really fun! So they made the costumes from scratch, so they built every piece of it for me, and then, they cinched me in it tight until I can barely breathe because it's like a corset. And then there's like layers and layers and tights, and then, they gave you extra tights because it was freezing outside and then you had these boots, and I had so many things, I couldn't put it on myself. I had a dresser come into the room that tied me up for me, and then, there was like things on top of other things like she has her armor, and so they had a different guy that came in and put on the armor. It took a group effort to get dressed, and then, you're trying to like fight and move around the forest, but the cape that I wore was like 50 pounds (22kg) or something! Not really, I'm exaggerating but maybe 20 pounds (9kg) of like this heavy material that I'm wearing in the middle of the night. It was like work out. But it kept me warm, all of those layers in the middle of freezing Vancouver. It was fun. I loved it. But it was also, like, the costume was part of the character because I was having to work with the costume, and so it made me feel tougher. The costumes were so amazing on that show!

I: Yeah, they are beautiful, really amazing! Well, it's already my last question. The show, you know, has been over for a couple of years now but, it still has this incredible influence and impact on fans who, I think, particularly look up to the cast. So if you could say one thing to them, what would it be?

T: Keep the magic going. The very reason you love the show is that you guys have such big, beautiful hearts. And whatever it is that you connected to on that show, just keep that spirit up in you and spread it, spread that joy, spread that magic, which you are already doing, miss Lisa. I already feel it in our communication with you. So you, fans, are carrying on that spirit of love and community and adventure, and so just, that's how you keep the show alive in your hearts, right?

I: Yeah, that's definitely what I'm trying to do, like keep the magic alive.

T: And you are doing it, you're keeping it alive by doing these interviews, right? I'm so happy that you are. It was one of the best experiences of my life as an actress, and as a person, being on that show.

I: I'm really happy that you had a great time on the show! Well, thank you so much. I had a wonderful time, I hope you had too!

T: I did!