Ella, nicknamed Cinderella, is a character featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. She is portrayed by Jessy Schram. When transported to Storybrooke by the Dark Curse, she is a heavily-pregnant 19-year-old worker at Granny's named Ashley Boyd, later Ashley Herman.
Cinderella's gallery is here.
Biography
Background
Cinderella was a naive, desperate woman who was treated as a slave by her stepmother and stepsisters, until her Fairy Godmother arrived. However, before she can even fully introduce herself, she is killed by a mysterious man, Rumplestiltskin. He steals the dead fairy's wand, before turning around to leave, before Cinderella decides that since her Fairy Godmother is dead, Rumplestiltskin will help her get to the royal ball instead. She ends up making a deal with him - he shall send her to the ball, and in return she shall give him something of value in the near future. When Cinderella signs a contract, Rumplestiltskin casts a spell on her with the wand, replacing her rags with a beautiful dress with glass slippers. Cinderella attends the ball, and falls in love with Prince Thomas.
They eventually get married, and Cinderella is revealed to be pregnant. However, she is confronted by Rumplestiltskin, who wants to collect the thing of value - Cinderella's baby. Frightened, she tries to leave, but Thomas convinces her that they can defeat Rumplestiltskin. With the help of Snow White, Prince David and the Seven Dwarves, they devise a plan to trick Rumplestiltskin into signing a contract with magical ink that will trap him. They carry out the plan and Rumplestiltskin is imprisoned, but not before vowing to Cinderella that "in this world or the next", he will obtain Cinderella's baby. Cinderella sends a unicorn mobile to Snow for her baby.
Season 1
In Storybrooke, she becomes Ashley Boyd, a 19-year-old maid who works at Granny's. It is revealed that Rumplestiltskin is still after her baby, so Emma Swan makes a deal with him - if he lets Ashley keep her baby, then Emma will owe him a favour. Rumplestiltskin agrees to this deal and allows Ashley to keep her baby. Ashley gives birth to her baby, a girl named Alexandra. She is later seen, apparently worn out from being a mother. Ashley, Ruby and Mary Margaret spend a night at the Rabbit Hole on Valentine's Day, until Thomas arrives and proposes to Ashley. Ashley accepts and the happy couple leave while Thomas is on his break from work.
Season 4
Cinderella hosts playdates with the other mothers in Storybrooke, including Snow and Aurora.
Season 6
When her stepfamily comes to Storybrooke, Cinderella finds herself confronting and subsequently being stabbed by Lady Tremaine. However, Emma comes to her rescue and manages to magically heal her wound.
Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
Cinderella is seen with Grumpy outside Granny's Diner, when Will Scarlet walks past them. She and Grumpy warn him that there is a storm coming and that he might want to find shelter, while Will stealthily steals her keys.
Family/Relationships
- The King (father-in-law)
- Thomas Herman (husband)
- Alexandra Herman (daughter)
- Lady Tremaine (stepmother)
- Clorinda Tremaine (stepsister)
- Tisbe Tremaine (stepsister)
Status: Alive
Trivia
- Cinderella is based on the main character of the same name in the fairytale bearing the same name, Cinderella.
- When Alexandra is born, Thomas buys her a pair of little shoes, referring to Cinderella's glass slippers. Cinderella's key for Granny's Diner also has a shoe keychain.
- It can be assumed that since Rumplestiltskin can see the future, he only made the deal with Cinderella because he knew that Emma would volunteer to owe him a favour in the future. This favour was eventually fulfilled, in which Emma went with Rumplestiltskin to Manhattan to locate his son, Baelfire.
Appearances
- S1, E04: "The Price of Gold"
- S1, E12: "Skin Deep"
- S4, E07: "The Snow Queen"
- S6, E03: "The Other Shoe"
- W, E01: "Down the Rabbit Hole"
- Bk 1: "Reawakened"