Lana Parrilla — Biography

Lana Parrilla is an American performer who has built a notable career on the small screen. Her early television credits include a recurring role in the fifth season of the ABC comedy Spin City, spanning 2000 to 2001, followed by a significant part in the fourth season of the acclaimed drama 24 in 2005. Parrilla also fronted series such as Boomtown from 2002 to 2003, and later appeared in Windfall in 2006 and Swingtown in 2008. She took on the role of Dr. Eva Zambrano in the brief medical series Miami Medical in 2010. However, her most recognizable performance came as The Evil Queen, also known as Regina Mills, in the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time, which aired from 2011 to 2018. For her work on the show, Parrilla received an ALMA Award in 2012 for Outstanding TV Actress – Drama. More recently, in 2021, she portrayed Rita Castillo in the second season of the anthology series Why Women Kill. Social media engagement remains strong for Parrilla, with her Instagram account boasting 1.5 million followers and her TikTok platform counting 232,400 followers as of July 2025.