Paula Marshall has been cast as a "badass" character on 'Once Upon a Time,' the upcoming fairy tale drama from former 'Lost' executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

Marshall, a busy actress who has appeared in everything from 'Cupid' to 'Californication,' will play Malificent, the nemesis of Sleeping Beauty. "She's a badass and she's also the rival" of Lana Parrilla's evil queen character, Kitsis said.

Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Morrison, Robert Carlyle, Josh Dallas and Parrilla, Giancarlo Esposito of 'Breaking Bad' will also appear in the recurring role of the Magic Mirror in 'Once', as TV Line reported earlier this month.

UPDATE: ABC has confirmed that 'Vampire Diaries' and 'Alias' actor David Anders will play a doctor in an upcoming episode of 'Once Upon a Time.'

I spoke to Kitsis and Horowitz at length in their 'Once' office (where I admired the 'Lost' posters you see below), and I'll publish the majority of that interview closer to the show's Oct. 23 premiere date. But I can't resist sharing a little of what they had to say about the show's central concept, which features characters in a fairy tale kingdom where the evil queen is up to no good, and characters in a modern-day town where things are stranger than they first appear.