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While she is mostly known for her award-winning tenure in Once Upon A Time, the best Lana Parrilla movies and TV shows reveal an incredibly wide range that suits a whole host of genres. Born in New York in 1977, Lana Parrilla studied acting at LA's Beverly Hills Playhouse, following in the footsteps of her aunt, character actress Candice Azzara (who appeared in the likes of Caroline in the City and Who's the Boss?). Parrilla's career began in 1999 with movies like Very Mean Men and Spiders and the UPN sitcom Grown Ups.
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However, while her earlier roles on the big screen didn't kick-start a prominent career in movies, she had a big break when it came to TV shows when she signed on to ABC's celebrated sitcom Spin City in 2000. From there she went on to appear in several short-lived shows, though despite having a run of less-than-stellar luck when it came to signing onto shows that ended up receiving early cancelations, her career didn't falter. Over the decades, she has come to be regarded as a dependable and versatile presence on both the big and small screen, as the best Lana Parrilla TV shows and movies prove.
10 Miami Medical (2010)
Lana Parrilla Played Dr. Eva Zambrano
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Miami Medical may have only lasted for one season, but it still stands out as one of the best Lana Parrilla TV shows so far - though more because of Parrilla's performance than the quality of the show itself. The medical drama aired on CBS between April and June 2010, though it unfortunately managed to compete with other shows in the same genre, such as Grey's Anatomy or House M.D., both of which were at the peak of their popularity at the time.
Still, for all that Miami Medical wasn't a success for CBS, the role of Dr. Eva Zambrano gave Lana Parrilla a chance to further showcase her suitability for drama roles, building on the reputation she'd laid foundations for earlier in her career in shows like Boomtown. The character was incredibly nuanced too, and Parrilla did a fantastic job at making Zambrano's frustration at the trajectory of her career incredibly believable. Plus, in retrospect, there are many who believe Miami Medical was canceled far too quickly, and each of the 13 episodes remains incredibly gripping thanks to plots like a hotel shooting and mass-casualty explosion at a restaurant.
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9 Atlas (2024)
Lana Parrilla Played Val Shepherd
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Atlas
PG-13
Atlas is a 2024 Netflix original movie starring Jennifer Lopez as Atlas Shepherd. Atlas, a data analyst who doesn't trust AI, who sets out to recover a rogue robot. But when things don't go according to plan, she is forced to trust AI in order to save humanity.
- Director
- Brad Peyton
- Release Date
- May 24, 2024
- Cast
- Jennifer Lopez , Simu Liu , Sterling K. Brown , Gregory James Cohan , Abraham Popoola , Lana Parrilla , Mark Strong
- Runtime
- 118 Minutes
Most of the projects among the best Lana Parrilla movies and TV shows are series made for the small screen, though she has made a handful of appearances in feature films too. Of these, one of the best and most recent is the 2024 Netflix sci-fi Atlas. Starring Jennifer Lopez in the lead role of Atlas Shepherd, Atlas is a tale of rogue AI in the near future with plenty of spectacular sci-fi visuals and intense action sequences.
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While she only appears in the opening of the movie and in various flashbacks, Lana Parrilla's Atlas character, Val Shepherd, is incredibly important to the plot. She is the mother of Jennifer Lopez's character, Atlas Shepherd, and was also integral to the creation of the AI known as Harlan (played by Simu Liu). Atlas may not be the most notable role of Lana Parrilla's career so far, but she plays the part incredibly well, and the 2024 Netflix movie hopefully marks a transition for the Once Upon A Time star to more high-budget blockbuster movies.
8 Windfall (2006)
Lana Parrilla Played Nina Schaefer
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Windfall
Drama
Crime
- Cast
- David Newsom , Jaclyn DeSantis , Jon Foster , Nicholle Tom , Nikki DeLoach , Stephanie Venditto , D.J. Cotrona , Jason Gedrick , Alice Greczyn , Lana Parrilla , Luke Perry , Sarah Wynter , Shanna Ferrigno , Jonathan Goldstein , Chris Gartin , Michael E. Rodgers , Bradley Stryker , Sarah Jane Morris , James Hyde , June Angela , Steve Tom , Felicia Day , Malinda Williams , Channon Roe , Siena Goines
- Character(s)
- Uncredited , Damien Cutler , Sunny van Hattem , Frankie Towsend , Peter Schaefer , Beth Walsh
- Release Date
- June 8, 2006
- Network
- NBC
- Directors
- Harry Winer , Bethany Rooney , David Paymer , David Semel , Gil Junger , Matt Shakman
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In some ways, Lana Parrilla's career had a rocky few years during the beginning, as she was a cast member for several shows that were unfortunately canceled after one season. It's especially unfortunate since the reasons these shows were canceled had nothing to do with the actor herself, with her performances always being a standout despite the various other flaws with the projects. Such is the case with 2006's Windfall, in which Lana Parrilla played Nina Schaefer.
Windfall was an NBC drama that only ran for 13 episodes between June and August of 2006. The premise was intriguing too, as it focused on a group of friends and acquaintances in a small town who collectively win $400 million in a lottery. The series then delved into the various dramas and schisms this made within the group and wider community, and Parrilla managed to capture the surprisingly nuanced motivations of her character, Nina Schaefer, incredibly well. She also had some incredible chemistry with co-star Luke Perry, especially during the romance scenes between Schaefer and Perry's character, Nina's husband, Peter
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7 Swingtown (2008)
Lana Parrilla Played Trina Decker
The CBS period-drama Swingtown may have been canceled after only 13 episodes, but Lana Parrilla's performance as Trina Decker is still one worth visiting for fans seeking out her best movies and TV shows. Set in the late 1970s, Swingtown focused on the Millers, a couple who move to a new area of Chicago and find their neighbors, Parrilla's Trina Decker and her husband, Tom (Grant Show), have an open marriage and happily self-identify as 'swingers'.
The show was incredibly steamy in some places, and Parrilla's performance as Trina showed glimpses of some of the roles she'd take up later in her career, such as Rita Castillo in Why Women Kill. Swingtown may not necessarily be the best show overall that Lana Parrilla has been a cast member of, but her performance and character when considered in isolation easily stand as a highlight of her career so far.
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6 Boomtown (2002-2003)
Lana Parrilla Played Teresa Ortiz
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Boomtown
TV-MA
Mystery
Drama
Crime
Action
Adventure
- Cast
- Ali Hillis , Annika Peterson , Beau Billingslea , Bob Clendenin , Brian Sites , Daniel Zacapa , David Dunard , Donnie Wahlberg , Erin Daniels , Ernie Grunwald , Gina Hecht , Gregg Henry , Gregory White , Henry G. Sanders , Jason George , Kirk Trutner , Michael Dempsey , Miguel A. Núñez Jr. , Neal McDonough , Patricia Wettig , Paul Moyer , Peter Trencher , Richard Erdman , Demetra Raven , Dempsey Pappion
- Character(s)
- Melanie Stone , Katrina , Police Academy Commandant , Doofus , Taylor Gates , Carlos Ramirez , Irate Grandfather , Detective Joel Stevens , Officer Karen Crane , Charlie Graham , Doreen Stein , Robert Colson , Judge Harold Denby , Police Sergeant Miller , Thomas Paltrow , Homeless Man , Recovering drunk , Freaktown , Assistant District Attorney David McNorris , Nora Jean Flannery , Paul Moyer , Coroner , Kevin's Dad , Lara , Young Greg Haymer
- Release Date
- September 29, 2002
- Network
- NBC
- Writers
- Laurence Andries , Chris Brancato
- Directors
- Jon Avnet , Peter Werner , Alex Zakrzewski , Bobby Roth , Jeremy Kagan , Kevin Hooks , Michael W. Watkins , Rodrigo García
- Producers
- Fred Golan , Graham Yost , Javier Grillo-Marxuach
The action drama series Boomtown may not be widely remembered, especially since it only ran on NBC for two seasons between 2002 and 2003, but fans of Lana Parrilla know that her time as Teresa Ortiz was a highlight of her career in the 2000s. Not only was Boomtown one of her first roles as a main cast member on a prime-time TV show, but Parrilla also won an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress due to just how much her performance shined through - even as part of an ensemble cast that included the likes of Donnie Wahlberg and Neal McDonough.
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In many ways, Boomtown followed the standard format of many procedural crime shows, but with a twist. Rather than just focusing on law enforcement, Boomtown also included the perspectives of lawyers, reporters, and paramedics. It was in the latter category that Parrilla's Boomtown character, Teresa Ortiz, fell, and in retrospect it's clear how her time on the show paved the way for many of her future roles such as 24 and Miami Medical.
5 24 (2005)
Lana Parrilla Played Sarah Gavin
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24
TV-14
24 follows CTU (Counter-Terrorism Unit) agent Jack Bauer as he contends with various threats to national and international security by any means necessary. With each season comprised of 24 episodes telling Bauer's story in real-time, 24 brings the action to life one day at a time. Racing against the clock, Bauer is forced to make impossible decisions in the name of public service, bending his personal morals to get the job done.
- Cast
- Kiefer Sutherland , Carlos Bernard , Mary Lynn Rajskub , Elisha Cuthbert , Dennis Haysbert
- Release Date
- November 6, 2001
- Seasons
- 9
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When it comes to action thrillers created for the small screen, few could match the blockbuster appeal of high budget feature films quite like 24, the Kiefer Sutherland-led Fox series that ran from 2001 to 2010 (with a short-lived revival in 2014). Like many of the best Lana Parrilla TV shows, the future Once Upon A Time star didn't appear throughout the entire run, but thanks to her solid performance she ensured that her time as Sarah Gavin in 24 season 4 was highly memorable.
Lana Parrilla's 24 character Sarah Gavin was an agent with the CTU. However, she was framed by a mole working in the agency, with the government believing she was using her position to steal crucial intelligence. Gavin was promptly tortured in an attempt to gain a confession, and it was these harrowing and tense scenes that allowed Lana Parilla to show just how talented an actor she truly is. To this day, Lana Parrilla has had few roles quite like Sarah Gavin in 24, ensuring that her tenure in the fourth season of the show remains a standout in her career.
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4 Spin City (2000-2001)
Lana Parrilla Played Angie Ordonez
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Spin City
Spin City is a political comedy series starring Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty, the Deputy Mayor of New York City. The show revolves around the day-to-day operations of City Hall and the challenges the team faces in managing the eccentric Mayor Randall Winston, played by Barry Bostwick. The ensemble cast includes notable performances by Richard Kind, Alan Ruck, and Connie Britton.
- Cast
- Michael J. Fox , Carla Gugino , Richard Kind , Alan Ruck , Michael Boatman , Connie Britton , Alexander Chaplin , Barry Bostwick , Victoria Dillard , Jennifer Esposito , Heather Locklear , Charlie Sheen , Lana Parrilla
- Release Date
- September 17, 1996
- Seasons
- 6
When it comes to the best Lana Parilla movies and TV shows, one of the classic roles from her earlier career, and where many undoubtedly still know her from, is the 1996-2002 ABC sitcomSpin City. The series was led by Michael J. Fox, who starred as Deputy Mayor of New York Mike Flaherty (a role for which won a Primetime Emmy and three Golden Globes).
Lana Parilla joined the cast of Spin City in 2000, and while she only appeared for a single season, her character Angie Ordonez remains both one of the most memorable of the show and in the actor's wider career. Ordonez joined alongside the show's new lead in the final season, Charlie Sheen, and was the assistant of his character Charlie Crawford. The two had great chemistry on-screen - a key reason that many still associate Parilla with the show despite Spin City being off the air for over two decades.
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3 The Lincoln Lawyer (2023)
Lana Parilla Played Lisa Tramell
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54 9.5/10
The Lincoln Lawyer
TV-MA
The Lincoln Lawyer: This legal drama follows Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles defense attorney known for operating from his Lincoln Town Car, as he revives his career after an accident by taking on a high-profile murder case. The series explores challenges within the justice system and Haller’s pursuit of truth.
- Cast
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Becki Newton , Angus Sampson , Jazz Raycole , Neve Campbell , Krista Warner , Lana Parrilla , Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine , Yaya DaCosta , Marlene Forte , Chris Browning , Matt Angel , Elliott Gould , Katrina Rosita , LisaGay Hamilton , Heather Mazur , Reggie Lee , Shenita Moore , Kim Hawthorne , Mikal Vega , Mike McColl , Saul Huezo , Ryan W. Garcia , La'Charles Trask , Christine Horn , Shwayze , Jeff Francisco , David Clayton Rogers , Fiona Rene , Douglas Bennett , Clint Carmichael , Darien Sills-Evans , Adam J. Harrington
- Release Date
- May 13, 2022
- Seasons
- 3
Based on the novels by Michael Connelly, the legal drama The Lincoln Lawyer has been both a hit for Netflix, and stands as one of the best TV shows of Lana Parrilla's career so far. There have been three seasons of the series so far, and the show's quirky premise of following Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's Mickey Haller as he recovers from addiction while working as a criminal defense lawyer from the back of his Lincoln Navigator continues to draw in new fans from among the Netflix subscriber base.
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Lana Parrilla joined the cast of The Lincoln Lawyer in the show's highly celebrated second season, which adapted the second book in Michael Connelly's series, The Fifth Witness. Parrilla plays Lisa Trammel, the accused in the focal case of the show's second season. While she only appeared in the second season, it still stands as a highlight of Parrilla's recent appearances, especially as the gritty-yet-quirky legal drama allowed her to showcase a wider range than some of her other appearances.
2 Why Women Kill (2019-2021)
Lana Parrilla Played Rita Castillo
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Why Women Kill
Why Women Kill is a Paramount+ Original series that ran for two seasons. Acting as an anthology series, Why Women Kill follows different women through the decades who dealt with infidelity and other drama in their marriages.The series starred Jack Davenport, Lucy Liu, and Allison Tolman.
- Cast
- Jack Davenport , Kirby Howell-Baptiste , Matthew Daddario , Reid Scott , Veronica Falcón , Allison Tolman , Sadie Calvano , Alexandra Daddario , Jordane Christie , Nick Frost , Lana Parrilla , Sam Jaeger , B.K. Cannon , Lucy Liu , Ginnifer Goodwin
- Seasons
- 2
- Showrunner
- Marc Cherry
The incredibly dark anthology comedy Why Women Kill featured an ensemble cast that changed completely between its two seasons, and Lana Parilla's season 2 role of Rita Castillo makes the CBS series one of her best TV shows so far. As the title suggests, Why Women Kill focuses on various (fictional) murders where the perpetrators are all women. While season 1 focused on three separate stories, season 2 covered a single narrative arc.
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Lana Parrilla's Rita was a central character in the second season, the president of an exclusive garden club. She is extremely materialistic and has no shame about the fact she's patiently awaiting the death of her elderly husband, Carlo, while having an affair with the much younger Harry Jaworski. She's a character with many layers, and Lana Parrilla plays the part exceptionally well, with her performance arguably being a key reason the narrative of Why Women Kill season 2 was so well received.
1 Once Upon A Time (2011-2018)
Lana Parrilla Played The Evil Queen/Regina Mills
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12 8.8/10
Once Upon A Time
Once Upon a Time is an adventure fantasy-drama series created for ABC that features fairy tale characters and their Disney incarnations in a modern setting. When Emma Swan and her son Henry accidentally drive into the town of Storybrooke, they soon discover the inhabitants are those from fairy tales, and they have no knowledge of the modern world inhabited by Emma and Henry. Robbed of their pasts and given new identities by the Evil Queen known as Regina, the hope of the town's residents lie solely in the hands of Emma, who has stronger connections to the town than she knows.
- Cast
- Ginnifer Goodwin , josh dallas , Lana Parrilla , Robert Carlyle , Jennifer Morrison , Jared Gilmore
- Release Date
- October 3, 2011
- Network
- ABC
- Showrunner
- Adam Horowitz
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When it comes to the best Lana Parrilla movies and TV shows, her role as Regina Mills/The Evil Queen in the ABC fantasy drama Once Upon A Time is undisputedly her most celebrated appearance. Created by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon A Time takes many common fairytale characters and juxtaposes their adventures with the residents of the town of Storybrooke. Like many of the cast, Lana Parrilla has a dual role - in the real world she is Regina Mills, and in the fairytale realm (where the citizens of Storybrooke all come from despite having no memories of their origins), she is the Evil Queen.
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The show was a hit in its own right, but Lana Parrilla received an incredible amount of recognition for her role in Once Upon A Time. She was nominated for multiple awards, including Teen Choice and Saturn Awards, and won both the Teen Choice Award and ALMA awards for TV Actress in the categories of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Drama respectively. While Lana Parrilla has a long and successful career, it is undoubtedly her 156 episodes as the eventually-redeemed villain of Once Upon A Time that feature her best and most-celebrated performance to date.
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