David Nolan

"There's more to life than living for the next fight. Life is made up of moments. Good ones, bad ones, but they're all worth living."

- David Nolan to Emma Swan

Sir David Nolan, also known as Charming, formerly known as John Doe, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. He débuts in the first episode of the first season. He is portrayed by starring cast member Josh Dallas, and is the Storybrooke counterpart of Prince Charming.

Trivia
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Etymology

 * The name "David" is of Hebrew origin derived from the word "dwd" that means "beloved".
 * David shares his name with another former shepherd, King David of the Bible. In the episode "Tiny", David fights against a giant, similar to the story of David and Goliath.
 * The surname "Nolan" is of Irish origin derived from the word "nuall" that means "noble, famous".
 * David is one of the few characters from the first curse who is confirmed to have the same real name in Storybrooke as his Enchanted Forest counterpart; the others being Regina, Jefferson and Mother Superior.

Character Notes

 * According to the Storybrooke Daily Mirror, David is in his early thirties by the time he wakes up from his coma.
 * His cell number is 555-0105.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * David was supposed to be mentioned in the Season Seven premiere as having agreed on Henry's plan to leave Storybrooke after realising that "stubborness runs in the family". That part of the dialogue, however, did not make to the final cut.
 * -|Cultural References=

Lost

 * David asks Mary Margaret to meet him by the Toll Bridge at 8 P.M, a reference to the second Lost number.
 * As he and Mary Margaret discuss their dark secret involving Maleficent, David pours himself a glass of MacCutcheon Scotch Whiskey, a fictional brand featured on Lost.
 * There is a close-up of David's eyes as he awakens from the coma, a recurring theme on Lost.

Popular Culture

 * The book David is reading in Granny's Diner is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This book is a tragic story about a married aristocrat and her affair with another man. David, who is, at the time, married to Kathryn and having an affair with Mary Margaret, even remarks that he can't wait to see how the book ends.
 * David mentions the ice cream flavor Rocky road when he offers to give Regina a ride home with her groceries.
 * After being warned not to drink Regina's tea that is to be used for a seance, David states he prefers Earl Grey.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * David drives a brown Ford F-Series from the early sixth generation, 1973-1975.
 * The Valentine's Day card David buys for Mary Margaret has a prince and princess on it.

Costume Notes

 * Despite the fact that Prince Charming wore a wedding ring for his wedding in "Pilot", "The Thing You Love Most" and "The New Neverland" and David wears one during his marriage to Kathryn during the first curse, he does not wear a wedding band after the curse is broken and his memories about his real wife are returned. When asked about this, Josh Dallas said that David and Mary Margaret never got it back in Storybrooke and he does not know why.
 * During Season Two, David dons a custom leather jacket designed by Vancouver's Oceandrive Leather, which also designed several of Emma's leather jackets.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.