When "Pretty Little Liars" premiered on (then) ABCFamily in 2010, no one expected that this mystery surrounding a group of fashionable high schoolers would hit a chord with audiences and leave them wondering who "A" was for years. The stars behind the show have been busy since the series ended after seven seasons in 2017. Find out what they have been up to since then and take a stroll down memory lane to see how far they've come...
Troian Bellisario, Then
Troian Bellisario was the oldest member of the main cast of high school students. Bellisario played a 16-year-old girl in season one, when she was actually 25 at the time. In the seventh season of the show, she made her directorial debut with the episode "In the Eye Abides the Heart."
Troian Bellisario, Now
Since "Pretty Little Liars," Troian Bellisario has been featured in a number of films and shorts. She got married to fellow actor Patrick J. Adams in 2016 and the two had a child together, a baby girl, in 2018. Like her character Spencer, Bellisario is no dummy, and recently upcycled her wedding dress to wear to the Golden Globes.
Ashley Benson, Then
Ashley Benson almost lost out on the role of Hanna when her future cast mate Lucy Hale auditioned for the role. But, Benson and Hale were already friends after having grown up together. Benson also worked with the show behind-the-scenes, suggesting "Secret" by The Pierces to be the theme song.
Ashley Benson, Now
After finishing playing Hanna, Ashley Benson went on to star as Roxie in the punk-rock movie "Her Smell." She's currently dating none other than Cara Delevingne, and the two have been together for just over a year. Recently, she surprised Deleveigne with a trip to Morocco for her birthday. That's not the only excitement in Benson's life— she just sold her home in Los Feliz for a cool $2.14 million.
Lucy Hale, Then
Almost every cast member knew who A was except Lucy Hale. Her cast mates were afraid to tell her the well-kept secret for years because she had a habit of letting the cat out of the bag. Hale once mentioned in an interview that she was annoyed with the final cut of the show's introduction because when she shushed, her finger was off center on her mouth.
Lucy Hale, Now
Lucy Hale has been busy busy busy since playing Aria. Not only was she in TV show "Life Sentence," but she's also starring in the upcoming series "Katy Keene," a spinoff of the highly successful "Riverdale." She split with boyfriend Anthony Kalabretta in 2017, made obvious by the two deleting all mentions of each other from their social media profiles. But she's doing just fine in the love department. She is currently dating "Life Sentence" co-star Riley Smith.
Shay Mitchell, Then
Shay Mitchell was also considered for other roles before producers found where she would fit best in the cast. She originally auditioned for Spencer Hastings, but the part went to Troian Bellisario. Before "PLL," Mitchell was best known for her appearances on "Degrassi: The Next Generation"
Shay Mitchell, Now
In 2018, the actress who played Emily went through a hard time. Shay Mitchell miscarried and she shared her heartbreak publicly, posting about it on Instagram. She was later blessed with joyous news, however. She got pregnant again, and recently gave birth to a baby girl.
Sasha Pieterse, Then
Unlike the rest of the cast, Sasha Pieterse was actually younger than the character she was portraying on the show. Although her character was in high school, Pieterse was just 12 years old when she scored the role of Alison (making her a full 12 years younger than Troian Bellisario) and she was 13 when the pilot was filmed. But, she lied to her cast mates at the time and told them that she was 14. Like her cast mate Tammin Sursok, Pieterse was also born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sasha Pieterse, Now
In 2018, Sasha Pieterse, aka Alison, married longtime boyfriend Hudson Shaeffer. Pieterse also went on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2017 and placed 10th. On the show, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. The star talked about how the hormonal disorder had caused her to gain weight, saying "I think truly loving yourself is one of the hardest things we as humans can do."
Ian Harding, Then
Although the plot line where Ezra, the English teacher at Rosewood High, (played by Harding) had a relationship with Lucy Hale's character Aria, a student in his class, was totally cringey, Ian Harding is only 3 years older than Hale in real life.
Ian Harding, Now
Ian Harding has also had a full calendar! Since his time as Ezra, he has appeared in the movie "Ford v. Ferrari" as well as the series "Chicago Med." He's also doing voice work for the upcoming animated series "Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts" on Netflix. It was also recently announced that he would star in a comedy pilot alongside "2 Broke Girls" creator Whitney Cummings.
Laura Leighton, Then
Before her time on "PLL," Leighton was best known for playing Sydney Andrews on the '90s series "Melrose Place" and its recent revival series. After she left "Melrose," she moved onto "Beverly Hills 90210" and starred in many movies before becoming known to a new generation as Ashley Marin on "Pretty Little Liars."
Laura Leighton, Now
This television mother is also a mother in real life. In May 1998, she married her "Melrose Place" co-star Doug Savant and the couple has two children together, Jack and Lucy. Recently, she shared on Twitter that her step-daughter Maddie got engaged. She also reunited with her "Melrose Place" cast just before the holidays.
Janel Parrish, Then
Before landing the role of Mona on "PLL," Parrish honed her acting chops on Broadway, playing Young Cosette in the 1996 production of "Les Misérables" when she was eight years old. She also appeared in the 2007 film "Bratz," where she played Jade.
Janel Parrish, Now
Native Hawaiian Janel Parrish went home to celebrate something special recently. The actress who played Mona got married to Chris Long in Waikane. Her most recent acting stint was on the stage instead of the screen. She appeared on stage in the musical "A Walk to Remember" in 2017 and she played Sandy in "Grease" in 2018.
Tyler Blackburn, Then
Tyler Blackburn began acting professionally in 2004 and one of his first roles was on the Nickelodeon series "Unfabulous" alongside breakout star Emma Roberts. In 2010, he also appeared on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives" before he was cast as Caleb, Rosewood's resident bad boy on "PLL."
Tyler Blackburn, Now
Tyler Blackburn, who played heartthrob Caleb, has been opening up about his personal life. In a recent interview, he talked about being bullied and came out as bisexual. “I just want to feel powerful in my own skin, and my own mind, and in my own heart,” he said. He said his experiences helped him understand his character, Sgt. Alex Manes, on "Roswell, New Mexico." The character is a gay veteran.
Keegan Allen, Then
In the first episode Toby Cavanaugh appears in, he is played by James Neate, but was replaced by Keegan Allen for the rest of the series. Allen's first acting role was in an episode of the Nickelodeon series "Big Time Rush," shortly before he got his role on "PLL." But, his passion usually leads him behind the camera, as he has had ambitions to be a photographer and cinematographer since he was young.
Keegan Allen, Now
The actor who played Toby has recently used his profile for good. Keegan Allen, who has 6.5 million Instagram followers, recently teamed up with Cameo. Cameo is a service that allows you to pay celebrities to send personalized shoutouts. Allen is on the platform, but is sending all of his proceeds to help those affected by the wildfires in Australia.
Holly Marie Combs, Then
Before playing Ella on "Pretty Little Liars," Combs was famous for playing one of the Halliwell sisters on "Charmed" alongside Shannen Doherty and Alyssa Milano. Combs was a series regular on "PLL" for its first three seasons, before being credited as a special guest star from season four onwards.
Holly Marie Combs, Now
Recently, ABC had an initiative called "Forged from the Previous," where stars from famous finished series had cameos on new series. Combs appeared alongside "Charmed" co-star Alyssa Milano in an episode of "Grey's Anatomy." Just like on "Charmed," the two played sisters. Combs also married restaurateur Mike Ryan in September 2019.
Chad Lowe, Then
Chad Lowe, who played Byron Montgomery, Aria's father, directed quite a few episodes of "Pretty Little Liars." He has also directed episodes of "Bones, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and the feature film "Beautiful Ohio." The character of Bryon had previously been played by actor Alexis Denisof.
Chad Lowe, Now
The actor who played Aria's father Byron has gone on to the superhero realm. He appeared on the series "Supergirl" in 2017. He also voices Captain Marvel on the animated series "Young Justice." He had played the role simultaneously to appearing on "Pretty Little Liars," but "Young Justice" continued for two years after "PLL" finished.
Lesley Fera, Then
Lesley Fera has been a very successful character actor for decades. Before "PLL," she appeared on shows like "3rd Rock from the Sun," "Cold Case" and "House M.D." and on stage in dozens of plays in Los Angeles before she was cast as Veronica Hastings, Spencer's mother, on "PLL."
Lesley Fera, Now
Lesley Fera is another "Pretty Little Liars" alum who has moved from screen to stage. The actress who played Veronica recently appeared as Detective Audrey O'Connor in "Between Riverside and Crazy." The play, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, won a Pulitzer in 2015. Fera describes herself as a "theatre fanatic."
Tammin Sursok, Then
Tammin Sursok originally auditioned for the role of Spencer Hastings but was cast as Jenna Marshall instead and soon became infamous online for her portrayal of the blind flute player. Before she was cast on "PLL," she appeared on the Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana" in 2010, where she played Jackson's girlfriend Siena.
Tammin Sursok, Now
Tammin Sursok, who played Alison's rival Jenna, shares an unfortunate bond with fellow cast member Shay Mitchell. Like Mitchell, she has suffered a miscarriage. Not only that, but she suffered two, back-to-back. Like Mitchell, she soon got pregnant again, and recently gave birth to a baby daughter.
Lindsey Shaw, Then
Before Lindsey Shaw appeared on "PLL," she was most famous among Gen Z audiences for playing Jennifer "Moze" Mosely on the Nickelodeon series "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" from 2004 - 2007. After that series ended, Shaw played a lead role on the ABCFamily sitcom based on the movie of the same name "10 Things I Hate About You."
Lindsey Shaw, Now
Lindsey Shaw, who played swimmer Paige McCullers, is still making a splash in the TV world. She's set to appear in the upcoming comedy "Reboot Camp." The show follows two brothers who aim to create a fake life advice guru. Their fake guru then becomes a runaway success.
Andrea Parker, Then
Andrea Parker started performing professionally when she was 15 years old as a ballerina with a touring dance company. She quit after three years of touring to focus on her acting career, which included roles on shows like "Desperate Housewives," "Seinfeld" and "Married… with Children."
Andrea Parker, Now
Andrea Parker, who played Mary Drake, isn't just a pretty face. She's a regular in celebrity poker tournaments. She keeps her personal life pretty quiet on Twitter and Instagram, but often gives shoutouts to producer husband Michael Birnbaum. The two have been married since 2007.
Torrey DeVitto, Then
Torrey DeVitto started acting professionally in the late '90s on series like "Dawson's Creek," "Scrubs" and "The King of Queens." Aside from her role on "PLL," she is best known for playing Dr. Meredith Fell on the fantasy drama "The Vampire Diaries" and Carrie in the CW series "One Tree Hill."
Torrey DeVitto, Now
When Torrey Devitto was playing Melissa, Spencer's strong older sister, the actress was also busy elsewhere. She was also appearing on "Chicago P.D." and "Chicago Med." In both, she plays the same character, Dr. Natalie Manning. In real life, she's involved in a number of charitable organizations, and is even a hospice ambassador.
Nia Peeples, Then
Nia Peeples has had a successful career as a dancer, as well as an actress. When she was younger, she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas while she was attending UCLA. She actually started her career as a musician in the group The Young Americans who reached #35 on the Billboard charts with their single "Trouble."
Nia Peeples, Now
After "Pretty Little Liars," Nia Peeples, who played Pam, Emily's widowed mother, appeared in TV series "The Fosters" for two seasons. She recently wrote a children's book, "The Little Apple Tree." To promote the book's launch, she went to an elementary school in Albuquerque to work with the students there. The book is meant to lead children "into a deeper understanding of self love, dignity, and authenticity."
Drew Van Acker, Then
The role of Jason DiLaurentis was originally portrayed by Parker Bagley, but Drew Van Acker took over the part after season one. He had just a few professional acting roles before his stint on "PLL," appearing on the drama series "Castle," the ABCFamily comedy "Greek" and the short-lived Canadian Cartoon Network live-action series "Tower Prep."
Drew Van Acker, Now
Drew Van Acker is another "PLL" alum who has moved into the superhero realm. After appearing as Jason, Alison's older brother, he went on to appear on the short-lived TV drama "Training Day." From there, he appeared in "Titans" as Aqualad. Most recently, he starred alongside Poppy Delevingne in the action comedy "Spy Intervention."
Brendan Robinson, Then
When Robinson originally auditioned for "Pretty Little Liars," he didn't get the part. He first auditioned for the role of Mike Montgomery, but when he didn't get that role, he auditioned for Lucas Gottesman. While he was on "PLL" he also made appearances on other shows like "Weeds," "Good Luck Charlie" and "How I Met Your Mother."
Brendan Robinson, Now
Brendan Robinson, who played A-Team member Lucas Gottesman, found his post-"Pretty Little Liars" success on Instagram. He shares branded content to his nearly 830,000 followers. Robinson worries about its future viability, however. “I’ve had that worry laying at night thinking ‘Oh shoot’ — is this going to go away in two years?” he said. “I’m bracing myself for the influencer marketing industry to change, and maybe it’s something you can’t make a living from any more.”
Cody Christian, Then
Although playing Mike Montgomery on "PLL" was Christian's breakout role, he got his start in acting at age 11 in movies and small television roles. He appeared on episodes of "True Blood" and "Grey's Anatomy" before landing his role on "Pretty Little Liars" in 2010.
Cody Christian, Now
Cody Christian, who played Aria's little brother Mike, has kept up his TV fame. He was recently on the series "Teen Wolf," where he played Theo Raeken. Currently, he's on CW series "All American" where he plays high school football player Asher Adams. The show was just renewed for its third season.
Nolan North, Then
Nolan North played Peter Hastings on the show, the biological father of Spencer and Melissa, who was also a tough lawyer. North's other live-action credits before "PLL" include "Malcolm in the Middle," "Modern Family" and "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide."
Nolan North, Now
If you feel like you've been hearing the voice of the actor who played Peter Hastings, you're not imagining things. Nolan North is a prolific voice actor. He has lent his voice to many video game characters, like Doctor Edward Richtofen in the "Call of Duty" series, Vossler in "Final Fantasy XII" and Ghost Rider in "Marvel: Ultimate Alliance." He's also done voiceover work for movies and TV shows. For example, he does a slew of different voices for "Rick and Morty" and stars as Blaze on the Nickelodeon children's show "Blaze and the Monster Machines."
Brant Daugherty, Then
Brant Daugherty started acting professionally in 2008, with a role in the short film "Suspended." By the time "PLL" premiered, Daugherty wasn't sure he would make an impression with audiences. But, the first time he appeared on the show, his character's name trended on social media, leading Daugherty to say, "It was crazy -- I was just sitting on my couch, kind of freaking out. What was even cooler was that happened eastern time when “Pretty Little Liars” aired, it hadn't even aired here on the West Coast yet, so I took a breath knowing I'd made a good impression."
Brant Daugherty, Now
Unlike his party-boy character Noel Kahn, Brant Daugherty has settled down in real life. He recently got married to fellow actress Kim Hidalgo after the two first connected on a dating app back in 2016. Stars Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale were her bridesmaids at the ceremony.
Bryce Johnson, Then
Bryce Johnson's big break came in 1999 when he was cast as Josh Ford on Ryan Murphy's series "Popular." After that show ended, he continued to appear on teen dramas like "Dawson's Creek" and "Gilmore Girls." By the time he reached his mid-20s, he said that he wanted to try to steer clear of the teen genre, but soon scored a role as a cheerleader in "Bring It On Again." Thankfully, by the time he joined the cast of "PLL," he played the role of Detective Darren Wilden, although he was still surrounded by a teenaged cast.
Bryce Johnson, Now
Bryce Johnson played recurring, and not well-liked, Officer Darren Johnson. He has since shown up in various series since the finale of "Pretty Little Liars." He's been on "Son of Zorn," "Code Black," "Doubt," and "The Good Doctor." Currently, he's hosting the Travel Channel's "Expedition Bigfoot."
Yani Gellman, Then
Older viewers of "PLL" immediately recognized Officer Garrett Reynolds for his role in 2003's "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Yani Gellman is known for playing Paolo Valisari, the lip-syncing Italian pop star in the movie, although Gellman is actually of Spanish and Jewish descent.
Yani Gellman, Now
Canadian actor Yani Gellman has also kept up his TV appearances. After playing Officer Garrett Reynolds, he's shown up in many shows, including "Dynasty" and "Bosch." He's not only an actor, but a writer and director. His short film, "Greetings, From the Planet Krog" is a Slamdance selection.
Bianca Lawson, Then
Bianca Lawson has been acting since she was 7 years old, and has kept her youthful glow well into her 30's. She has played high school students in three different decades, including on '90s series "Saved by the Bell," '00's series "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and '10's series "Teen Wolf." When she appeared on "Pretty Little Liars," she was 31 years old.
Bianca Lawson, Now
After her character Maya was killed off on "Pretty Little Liars," actress Bianca Lawson went on to other things. She was on series "The Vampire Diaries," "Teen Wolf" and "Witches of East End." Most recently, she starred in the OWN drama series "Queen Sugar." Here's a fact you might not know: Lawson's father, Richard Lawson, is married to Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles. Lawson and Beyonce are stepsisters!