Ginnifer Goodwin Shares Why She Once Wanted to Shield Her Kids from the Spotlight

Ginnifer Goodwin at the Golden Globes on Jan. 11, 2026; Goodwin with husband Josh Dallas and their sons, Oliver and Hugo, at the ‘Zootopia 2’ premiere in November 2025.
Credit :

Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Need to Know

• Ginnifer Goodwin shared how her sons Oliver and Hugo might be catching the acting bug.
• The boys recently made their red carpet debut at the Los Angeles premiere of their mother’s latest film, Zootopia 2.
• Goodwin shares her children with her husband, Josh Dallas, whom she met in 2011 on the set of their show Once Upon a Time.

Ginnifer Goodwin expressed her delight in her children’s newfound interest in acting during an exclusive interview at the BAFTA Tea event in Beverly Hills on January 10, 2026.

The star of Zootopia 2 revealed that her sons, 11-year-old Oliver and 9-year-old Hugo, might be following in her footsteps. “They have discovered school plays, and I am delighted,” said Goodwin.

Ginnifer Goodwin with husband Josh Dallas and their sons, Oliver and Hugo, at the ‘Zootopia 2’ premiere in November 2025.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Though initially intending to keep her children away from show business, Goodwin admitted to a change of heart. “I thought I wanted to keep them as far away from show business as possible. Then when they weren’t interested, I was like, ‘What did I do wrong?’” she reflected.

“So, I’m very happy in this place that is, like, let’s focus on school productions,” she concluded, affirming her support for their budding interest.

In addition to their stage performances, Oliver and Hugo made their first red carpet appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of Zootopia 2 last November.

Goodwin emphasized their family’s desire for privacy, stating, “We have never let our children go to Hollywood anything. We’re very private. We blur out their faces on social media,” and added that her sons are not permitted to search for themselves on the internet.

From left: Karolina Wydra, Rhea Seehorn, and Ginnifer Goodwin at BAFTA Tea on Jan. 10, 2026.

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Goodwin, who lends her voice to the lead character Judy Hopps in Zootopia 2, first met her husband, actor Josh Dallas, on the set of Once Upon a Time in 2011, where they played Snow White and Prince Charming. The couple went public with their relationship a year later, marrying in April 2014.

At the BAFTA Tea event, Goodwin praised Dallas’s parenting skills: “Oh my gosh, well, he’s the best father ever, but he’s also the best date ever,” she said. “If he’s not with me, like right now, he’s with the boys.”

Goodwin’s latest film, Zootopia 2, is currently in theaters.