Lana Parrilla

“I guess they saw me more as the distributor of the Quaaludes than the recipient.”

PLAYBOY.COM: How did you land the role of Trina Decker?

LANA PARRILLA: I walked in with this sweet, fun-loving, liberated-soul energy because I had just come back from spending five months in Spain and was in the whole siesta, wine-at-three-o'clock-in-the-afternoon place. I greeted my producers with three kisses and then sat down to play the very conservative housewife. Within five minutes of walking out of that office, my agents called me and said, "They want to see you for the role of Trina Decker." I guess they saw me more as the distributor of the Quaaludes than the recipient.

PLAYBOY.COM: How much of Trina do you find in yourself?

PARRILLA: I'm constantly surprised. There's this openness and honesty that she fights for, this moral belief that she lives by and that she also presents to everyone else in her life. And I live by that. One of the notes that I made from the pilot, when Trina is talking about open marriage, is here I am, Lana Parrilla, single woman, never been married. I don't know what it's like to have this open marriage. What do I believe in? I believe in being open and honest with your partner, so I actually substituted that, which was the only way to play that scene convincingly.

PLAYBOY.COM: Swinging is reportedly on the rise again. Did you do any research for the part?

PARRILLA: I branched out and asked some friends and found out that there are people in my life that actually partake in these events. I asked if I could crash a party and see what it's like, so I did. It was quite interesting. There was a lot of stuff that I was able to draw from and bring to the role.

PLAYBOY.COM: Did that experience startle you in the beginning?

PARRILLA: I went in with an open mind, so people really started touching me very sensually. I grew up with a very strict father, so I was a very good girl growing up. My instincts and impulses were, "Excuse me, don't touch me there!" [Laughs] But then I had to remember I'm playing Trina and to use this as an opportunity to get into character and be method for the night and see where it leads. I found that the sensuality that filtered in throughout the party was something I could bring to the show. Trina is very touchy-feely, which I can relate to because I'm Latin. My family is very loving. We're very kissy and huggy, so that was an easy transition for me. I would say that I'm still one of the most sensual, loving, affectionate cast members.

Photo: Courtesy CBS

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