‘Once Upon a Time’ Season 6: Colin O’Donoghue, Josh Dallas Say Bromance is Blossoming

Once Upon a Time Colin O'Donoghue and Josh Dallas
Jared Gilmore, Adam Horowitz, Lana Parrilla, Edward Kitsis, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Colin O’Donoghue, and Rebecca Mader (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Once Upon a Time‘s Colin O’Donoghue and Josh Dallas were teamed up for interviews at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con where they promised that not only will their bromance be back on in season six, it will be blossoming. Season five finished up with Hook (O’Donoghue) and Emma (Jennifer Morrison) actually saying they love each other and with Mr. Hyde (Sam Witwer) arriving in town.

Season five also set up the return of the Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla) and all Oncers know that means trouble for our favorite Storybrooke characters. And in our interview, O’Donoghue and Dallas spoke about what the return of the Evil Queen means for Snow, Charming, Hook, and Emma.

Josh Dallas and Colin O’Donoghue Interview:

How is Charming going to feel having to face the Evil Queen again?

Josh Dallas: “It’s deja vu for real. I mean, the Evil Queen is back and she’s back with a vengeance and she’s full-on evil. Much like the whole basis of Once Upon a Time the Evil Queen going after Snow White and wanting her dead, and that’s definitely going to be the case. She’s going to go after his wife full force, which means she’s going to go after Charming too. In fact, she’s going after all of these characters.”

Colin O’Donoghue: “She’s going after everybody.”

Josh Dallas: “She’s taking no prisoners. She’s really doing some mental manipulation with everybody and it’s going to turn everybody inside of themselves. They’re going to have a lot internally to kind of deal with.”

We know you’ve only read up to episode three so far. What can you tease about what you’ll be doing and who you’re going to be interacting with that we might not expect?

Josh Dallas: “I mean, you’re definitely going to see a more meaningful friendship grow between Hook and Charming. It just might get rocked by something later on. What else?”

Colin O’Donoghue: “We know that Hyde is still around so they have to figure out what his agenda is. He’s there to sort of rough things up as well. So, it’s great for the Evil Queen. You’ve got Mr. Hyde there just having a great old time.”

Josh Dallas: “I really don’t know why we buy real estate in Storybrooke. It is the worst town in America to live!”

Are you happy the story will be taking place in Storybrooke instead of some alternate land?

Colin O’Donoghue: “I think it’s been fun to sort of play around over the few seasons with all the different worlds that we’ve gone to. I think the season will be in a different way fun because each character will have to delve in deep and look at who they are as people this season more so than any other season.”

Josh Dallas: “And you’re still going to experience other worlds, Fairy Tale Land, and we’ll still see other worlds other than Storybrooke for sure. Maybe not as much, but you will definitely see those flashbacks.”

How do you think Hook and Emma’s relationship will evolve this season after exchanging I love yous at the end of last season?

Colin O’Donoghue: “I mean, I think it’s going to be the same as every year. I think it’s going to be complicated in a different way. [Laughing] We know after the end of last season that it’s true love. The only way that she could save Hook was to sacrifice her heart at the time to save him. That opened the door and the only way that would open is if it was true love, so we know that. So now they have to figure out how they move forward knowing that because it’s such a big…true love is such a rare thing and it’s such a huge part of the show. And also I mean the Evil Queen is back and she’s going to be gunning for Snow and Emma so who knows how that’s going to affect things. It’ll be complicated.”

It was mentioned we’ll be getting more of Hook’s history. Can you expand on that?

Colin O’Donoghue: “I can’t really go into it because it’s such a big spoiler, but it’s going to test some relationships that he has in Storybrooke. I think it’s going to make him sort of reflect even more on who he was, who he is now, and how can he sort of forgive himself if he can for his past. That’s really what it’s going to be. More so than anything it’s just going to really affect a couple of specific relationships that he has.”

Will it test his relationship with Emma?

Colin O’Donoghue: “I’m sure it will be tested. A lot of the things that Hook did in his past a lot of people wouldn’t really be able to forgive. But, Emma has said before that she’s willing to move on from that and leave his past to where it is. But at the moment we’re not there in the shooting so we haven’t read exactly what that’s going to be yet.”

Will we see any consequences of the fact that he was brought back from the dead?

Colin O’Donoghue: “I don’t know. I’m sure along the way there’s probably going to be something. You know, I mean again it’s one of those things where it’s so early in the season and Eddie and Adam will give us little tidbits just so we know some of the bigger things we need to know. And then we read the episodes week-to-week, similar to the way people watch them, so at the moment I don’t know but I’m pretty certain it must have some sort of consequence or whatever. Much like him having the darkness inside him, it will always be there in a way. So, there’s bound to be some sort of thing.”

What do you do to keep your character new and fresh to you?

Josh Dallas: “I mean, the great thing about it is that they do keep changing it up so they do keep giving you challenges as an actor to play and new challenges for the characters to play. There’s always something new happening and a new facet to the character that just makes it deeper and more full. They just keep writing new things, that’s the great joy.”

Colin O’Donoghue: “It’s also we’re lucky in this show that every episode week-to-week is really different. The relationships, especially in the core characters, are all so complex. It’s always fresh. Working with an amazing cast and crew in Vancouver, it’s just really fun and fresh every day.”

Is there anyone you’re hoping you have more scenes with this season that you maybe didn’t get to in the past seasons?

[Josh clears his throat, hinting Colin should say it’s him.]

Colin O’Donoghue: [Taking his time] “No…”

[Josh makes more throat-clearing noises.]

Colin O’Donoghue: “No, it’s pretty good. [Laughing] I was pretty satisfied last season. No, actually it is going to be fun because we are going to have quite a bit to do together this season. That’s going to be interesting because we don’t always get a chance to do that so it’s going to be fun.”

The bromance is back on?

Colin O’Donoghue: “The bromance is back on.”

Josh Dallas: “Back on and blossoming!”

Watch the full Josh Dallas and Colin O’Donoghue interview: