Ginnifer Goodwin

"Playing Snow White, flaws and all, feels less like acting and more like getting to step into the shoes of someone I would like to be."

- Ginnifer Goodwin src

Ginnifer Goodwin is the American actress who portrays Snow White, Mary Margaret Blanchard and Queen Snow (Wish Realm) on ABC's Once Upon a Time.

Biography
Jennifer Michelle Goodwin, professionally known as Ginnifer Goodwin, was born on May 22, 1978, in Memphis, Tennessee to Linda Kantor, a stay-at-home mom who later became a "computer genius," working for big-brand companies like Apple, FedEx and the Smithsonian, and Tim Goodwin, who was a musician that conducted Roy Orbison's band and later opened a recording studio. Her sister, Melissa, is a professional animator in Los Angeles with one of her notable works being Robot Chicken. Ginnifer was raised Jewish, and gave it up at one point, but as an adult embraces Judaism fully.

In fifth grade, she became deeply interested in Romeo and Juliet and described herself as a "Shakespeare nerd" that became devoted to acting throughout school. From studying at Boston University, Ginnifer performed in student films and in college and regional stage productions that earned her the Excellence in Acting: Professional Promise Award by the Bette Davis Foundation. She graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting. She furthered her studies by heading to England and enrolling at Stratford-upon-Avon's Shakespeare Institute to earn an Acting Shakespeare Certificate from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. While in London, she appeared onstage as Joan of Arc, Ophelia in Hamlet and Jessica in The Merchant of Venice.

She made her television debut on the series Law &amp; Order, but had her first recurring television role on Ed in 2001. Her first movie role was Maya in the first Comedy Central original movie Porn 'n Chicken.

Ginnifer will voice Fawn in the upcoming Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast, replacing Angela Bartys. It is set to premiere on March 3, 2015. This will be her second time performing a voice for an animated character; the first was Gwen in Sofia the First.

Since the fall of 2011, Ginnifer has been dating Once Upon a Time co-star Josh Dallas, became engaged in October 2013 and they married in April 2014. Together, they have two sons, Oliver Finlay Dallas, who was born on May 29, 2014, and Hugo Wilson Dallas, who was born on June 1, 2016.

Trivia

 * Changed her birth name "Jennifer" to "Ginnifer" to distinguish her name's Southern regional pronunciation.
 * Has a tattoo of a tiny apple on the inside of her right forearm, “though they won’t let me [display] it on the show.”
 * Is close friends with Once Upon a Time co-star Jennifer Morrison.
 * Used to be a vegan but gave up due to undisclosed health issues.
 * Her dream to be a Walt Disney princess came true with her role on Once Upon a Time.
 * As a child, she attended the Henry S. Jacobs Camp, a summer camp for Reform Jewish children in Utica, Mississippi.
 * Attended and failed clown school.
 * One of the previous tenants of her house in Whitley Heights in the Hollywood Hills is Rose McGowan.
 * Voiced the characters Dorothy Gale, Wendy Darling, Snow White, Mulan and Rapunzel in the animated sketch-comedy television series Robot Chicken.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.