“What may have been a surprise is that it happened on a Wednesday of [that] week,” Once Upon a Time co-creator Edward Kitsis tells THR. “But nobody is surprised that Channing eventually got the job.”
Once co-creator Adam Horowitz says he still remembers the conversation he and Kitsis had with Dungey after their first table read. “Channing looked at us and said, ‘This is yours to lose.’ Like, I’ve done everything on my end, this is ready to go, it’s up to you guys to bring it home,” he says, with Kitsis adding, “It was terrifying, encouraging and honest all at once.”