“Once Upon a Time”'s Lana Parrilla Reveals She Was Homeless and 'Living Out of My Car' at Early Stages of Career

"I had to drop out of college, which broke my heart and I had to figure how to make more money to support myself," Parrilla shared

Lana Parrilla’s years as a struggling actor keep her motivated.

On the May 28 episode of the I've Never Said This Before podcast, Parrilla, 46, opened up to host Tommy DiDario about her early-career struggles.

At 19 years old, the Once Upon a Time star lived apart from the rest of her family. She attempted to balance school and show business but admitted she “couldn’t do it all.”

“I had to drop out of college, which broke my heart and I had to figure how to make more money to support myself,” Parrilla revealed.

For a brief period, she found herself homeless, sharing space with different friends to get by.

Related: Lana Parilla, Andrew J. West Bid Farewell to Once Upon a Time as Fans Rejoice at the Series Finale

“And so I was living out of my car for a couple months. I was, like, staying on the floor at friends' places in their little apartments,” the Lost actress continued.

Parrilla confessed that ending up back in that position “terrifies” her, especially because it could be “a reality for us as artists.” Seeing others experience homelessness breaks her heart — and it pushes her to keep working.

"There's always like a little part of me, in the back of my head, that's like, 'Oh, my God, don't ever stop working so hard,'" the Spin City star said, adding that the fear drives her to “be more creative” with her sources of income, projects and skill development.

"At 19 years old, it's different," she said. "But at 46, it's a lot scarier."

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Related: See Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown and More Arriving at the Atlas Premiere in L.A.

Parrilla's work ethic is reflected in her filmography. She has had a steady stream of work for the last two-and-a-half decades, most notably as The Evil Queen in ABC’s Once Upon a Time. When her award-winning stint as the iconic Snow White villain ended in 2018, she booked a leading role in season 2 of Paramount+’s Why Women Kill.

Now, she stars alongside Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown in the sci-fi action film Atlas, which premiered on Netflix on May 24. Parrilla portrays Val Shepherd, the mother to Lopez’s titular protagonist.

Per the movie’s synopsis, the Hustlers star’s character is “a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence.” After she joins a “mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past,” she must save “the future of humanity from AI.”

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Atlas is available to stream on Netflix.

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