It’s the littlest things — the twitch of a failed smile, the forced happiness in her eyes, the stillness of every other feature — that make her emotions true. It’s not her ability to give a heartfelt sob, or an evil laugh, that makes Lana Parrilla such an amazing actress. It’s her ability to display such a variety of completely different emotions through simply adjusting the tilt of her head, the curve of her lips, the focus of her eyes… it’s the littlest things that make her acting so fantastic. The depth Lana gives to Regina is what will always make her such a relatable character, even though her flaws and strengths and abilities are exaggerated beyond anything any of us have experienced.

Lana makes her real.