In a shocking departure from his heroic roots, actor Josh Dallas trades his prince's crown for the tools of a monster in the latest episode of NBC's The Hunting Party. The series, which follows an elite team hunting escaped super-criminals, featured Dallas in a guest role that completely subverts his image as the noble Prince Charming from Once Upon a Time and the steadfast Ben Stone from Manifest.
A Chilling Reunion
Dallas's appearance on the show marks a thrilling reunion with his former Manifest co-star Melissa Roxburgh, who leads the series as Agent Bex. In an exclusive interview, both actors revealed they'd been campaigning to work together again since the show's first season. "I have been hounding Melissa since the day this show premiered," Dallas confessed. Roxburgh echoed the sentiment, noting that scheduling finally aligned, bringing Dallas to a "freezing cold New York City" to film the disturbing episode.
The character Dallas portrays, Elliot Carr, is a uniquely twisted creation: a luxury shoemaker who uses human skin to perfect his craft. After enduring brutal "therapy" in the show's prison system known as the Pit, Carr emerges with a warped sense of morality, believing his gruesome actions are a form of atonement. "He still tries to come from a good place," Roxburgh explained, "it just got really messed up along the way."
Why the 'Nice Guy' Makes the Perfect Villain
Roxburgh specifically championed Dallas for this dark role precisely because of his established wholesome persona. "We know Josh Dallas as Prince Charming and Ben Stone. We know him as this wholesome, good guy," she said. "That's part of why I wanted him on the show. You've got to switch it up and play the bad guy." She argues this contrast makes his performance even more unsettling. "He is nice, which almost makes it harder to understand. It's creepier because it comes across as good."
The episode's tension is amplified by a parallel storyline involving Bex's partner, Shane (Josh McKenzie). Shane grapples with the explosive revelation that the enigmatic figure Lazarus (Kari Matchett) is his mother, forcing him and Bex into impossible choices as the season barrels toward its finale.
Exploring a Warped Psychology
For Dallas, the most fascinating aspect of Elliot Carr was the character's psychological transformation. "He wasn't just imprisoned in the Pit, he was completely reformatted," Dallas described. The experience left Carr with a distorted need for remorse, channeling his obsessions with craft and ritual into a horrifying new outlet. Dallas's dive into this complex villain joins the ranks of other compellingly twisted characters, much like those explored in our feature on cinema's most bone-chilling villains.
The actor even joked that his wife, actress Ginnifer Goodwin, would also make a fantastic serial killer on the show. "It would be incredible to see her as a serial killer. Are you kidding? That would be so great," he laughed, suggesting it as a pitch for next season.
Looking to the Future
Beyond the skin-crawling case of the week, the interview also touched on the enduring legacy of Manifest. Both stars expressed openness to revisiting the story of Flight 828. "There could still be life in possible Manifest stories," the discussion revealed, sparking hope for fans who followed the epic mystery. Roxburgh even pondered which character she'd play if there was ever a reboot of Once Upon a Time, the series that first made Dallas a household name.
As The Hunting Party builds toward its season climax, this episode stands out as a masterclass in casting against type. It proves that sometimes, the most terrifying monsters are the ones who look like heroes, a theme also examined in analyses like the challenges of villain-centric storytelling. Dallas's haunting performance ensures viewers will never look at a pair of dress shoes—or Prince Charming—the same way again.
