Emma Rigby is bringing to life The Red Queen on “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” but it’s not the original part she was in the running for on the ABC series.
“They gave [the script] to me as Alice. So I read all the script as Alice,” Emma said when ABC flew AccessHollywood.com up to the show’s set earlier this fall, where they made us their guests.
“We did all the screen tests and [executive producers] Eddy [Kitsis] and Adam [Horowitz]… came up to me and were like, ‘It’s funny, ‘cause we could see you as The Red Queen.’ They were like, ‘You’ve got this evil…’” Emma laughed. “I was like, ‘What? I’m nice!’ They’re like, ‘No, no, no, but there’s something that we think could work as another character within the ‘Wonderland’ series.’”
But, Emma isn’t just playing The Red Queen in the new Thursday night drama. In the last new episode that aired of the show, it was revealed she’s also playing the Knave’s beloved wife, Anastasia in flashback sequences.
An alum of British TV drama “Hollyoaks” (where “Revenge” star Barry Sloane also came from), Emma said she is enjoying her new gig on ABC’s “OUATIW.”
“My family were — and me as well — just absolutely delighted and very grateful for the opportunity,” Emma said of becoming part of the show. “I just love acting, so for me, every day, this job, getting to dress up and act, is like my childhood dream come true. … I still think, like ‘Oh, I’m actually living in ‘Wonderland.’ I walked on to set and there was a cake with ‘RQ’ written on it and I was like, ‘Ooh! My cake!’”
“Once Upon a Time in Wonderland” airs Thursday nights at 8/7c on ABC.
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