Mr. Gold

Mr. Gold was a middle-aged man who owns Storybrooke, Maine. He's portayed by Robert Carlyle.

In exchange for the secret to completing the evil queen's curse, he now has riches and comfort in the new world, and the queen will give him anything he asks for as long as he says "please" (shown in the episode The Thing You Love the Most). But as the Queen said before the curse took effect, he doesn't remember making the agreement. So he probably hasn't figured out yet, that "please" is truly a magic word when he makes a request of the Queen. Either that or for some reason he remembers what happend because in the 4th episode, he is trying to collect a debt from Happily Ever After.

Trivia

 * Brought Henry to Regina when Henry was a baby which is an homage to his eponymous character and main antagonist of a fairy tale where he takes the first born child after the mother owned him a debt


 * His name Mr. Gold is a reference to his original fairytale in which he was able to spin gold from straw.


 * Like his alter ego, Rumpelstiltskin, Mr. Gold treats names as important. In many cultures and some beliefs about magic, to know someone or something's "true name" gives you power over that person or thing.