Once Upon a Time took the classic story and flipped it on its head. Instead of a cheerful trickster, Kay’s Peter Pan is a manipulative tyrant who kidnaps children and steals shadows. It’s the kind of character that makes you rethink your childhood bedtime stories.
Kay leaned into the duality: the innocent face with the ancient, cruel soul. He studied how predators charm their prey, then dialed it up with a cockney accent. “I wanted him to feel like a wild, feral kid,” he told Entertainment Weekly in 2013.
If you binge the show now, you’ll notice his Pan never blinks. That was a deliberate choice—Kay practiced holding his stare to make you feel unsettled. It’s a small actor trick that pays off big time.
What Robbie Kay Did Off-Screen
Between takes, Kay was the total opposite of his character. He’d crack jokes with the crew and play FIFA on his laptop in the trailer. The cast called him “the nicest villain ever”—a title he still wears like a badge of honor.
He also started a little ritual: every morning, he’d write down three things he was grateful for before stepping onto set. It’s a practice he still uses today. “It keeps you from getting lost in the darkness of the role,” he said in a later interview.
Peter pan once upon a time actor - darelolover
Want to steal that tip? Grab a notebook. Jot down three small wins each day—your morning coffee, a text from a friend, a good parking spot. It rewires your brain to see joy, even when life feels chaotic.
