‘Pretty Little Liars’: Where the Cast and Characters Are Now

‘Pretty Little Liars’: Where the Cast and Characters Are Now

“Friends share secrets. That’s what keeps us close,” Pretty Little Liar leader Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) would say to her group of best friends: Aria Montgomery (Lucy Hale), Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario), Hanna Marin (Ashley Benson) and Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell). 

Pretty Little Liars, based on Sara Shepard’s books, premiered on ABC Family (now Freeform) 15 years ago this summer. We saw the Liars trying to uncover what happened to their best friend Alison (aka “Ali”), all while receiving anonymous text messages threatening to expose their secrets and being stalked by “A,” and that continued, even after Ali is revealed to be alive and returns to Rosewood.

After seven years and seven seasons, PLL ended in 2017. Since then, there’s been spinoff Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which starred Pieterse and Janel Parrish (who played Mona Vanderwaal), and its reboot/sequel spinoff, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

In honor of the show’s 15th anniversary, castmembers and creator, Marlene King, spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the finale, the final “A” reveal, burning questions around the most talked-about couples, their spinoff regrets and a potential reunion project.

Now, THR breaks down below what the main cast has been up to since the show wrapped, while castmembers Hale, Bellisario, Benson, Mitchell, Pieterse, Ian Harding, Tyler Blackburn and Keegan Allen share with THR what they think their characters would be up to today.

Lucy Hale played Aria Montgomery, the writer and artsy one of the group. She also had one of the most talked-about romantic storylines with her English teacher, Ezra Fitz (Ian Harding). The couple eventually overcame Ezra knowing who Aria was before they met (explained in season four) and the fan-favorite pair dubbed “Ezria” (Aria and Ezra) ended up marrying in the series finale. In the finale, it was also revealed that Aria is infertile, so they were going to look into adoption. In Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, it was noted they were interested in adopting Imogen Adams’ (Bailee Madison) child, though it didn’t happen.

Hale told THR of Aria today: “Wherever she is, I hope she’s happy out of Rosewood, has brought back the pink streaks and is cooking a nice homemade dinner for Ezra. For some reason, I feel like she and the girls are up to no good, though.”

After the show ended, Hale has appeared in many films, including Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island as well as movies The Unicorn, Dude, A Nice Girl Like You, The Hating Game, Borrego, Big Gold Brick, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Inside Man, Puppy Love, Which Brings Me to You, Running on Empty and F*** Marry Kill. She also starred in The CW’s shows Life Sentence and Riverdale‘s spinoff, Katy Keene.

Ashley Benson’s Hanna Marin was the “It Girl” in Rosewood after Ali went missing. Fashion-obsessed and known for her witty lines and sense of humor (Remember “Jenna can’t hear you, she’s blind!”), she also dated Caleb Rivers (Tyler Blackburn) for most of the show’s run. “Haleb” (Hanna and Caleb) get married in a courthouse in the final season and reveal they are expecting a baby in the series finale. (Unlike their characters, the actors confirmed they never dated in real life, despite speculation.)

Benson told THR she thinks Hanna and Caleb today are “in New York with their kid. Maybe they had another one, and are working in New York and Europe. I think she’s still in fashion. Maybe she has her own fashion line, and maybe she started a magazine. And Caleb is just being cute somewhere. Maybe they started their own company together. He could be managing the online stuff. I think they’re definitely based in New York, and I see them going back and forth for work in Europe with their kid.”

Since it ended, her acting credits have included 2018’s Her Smell (to which she also lent her vocals on its soundtrack), as well as the films The Birthday Cake, Private Property, Alone at Night, The Loneliest Boy in the World, Angry Neighbors, Mob Land and McVeigh and the 2023 series Wilderness.

Shay Mitchell’s Emily Fields was the sporty one of the Liars. She was a swimmer on Rosewood’s team until her shoulder injury, and later became Rosewood High’s swim coach. In the first season, Emily came out as gay, and the cast and King told THR that was the storyline they were most proud of. They had twins and in the series finale, Emily and Alison get engaged. However, in the spinoff Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, “Emison” (Emily and Alison) break up as Ali signs divorce papers.

Mitchell told THR where Emily is today: “I don’t know why I just compare it to my life, I’m like, ‘She’s traveling the world.’ I do think that she would be traveling, though. I feel like a lot of those girls are now jet-setters and exploring the world. They’re out of Rosewood, some of them. Emily would definitely be going to Wimbledon. She would be into that, taking the kids to immerse them in sport, culture and travel.”

Following the show, Mitchell played Peach in 2018’s season one of You, starring Penn Badgley and portrayed Stella in two seasons of Hulu’s Dollface from 2019-22. Her additional credits include The Possession of Hannah Grace, The Heiresses, Trese, Miracle Workers, Something from Tiffany’s and Velma. Besides acting, Mitchell has become an entrepreneur. She founded the travel brand Béis and co-founded Onda Tequila.

Sasha Pieterse played Alison, the iconic mean girl and leader of the group who went missing and was presumed dead. She returns to Rosewood in season five, however, and later becomes an English teacher at Rosewood High. Ali experiences much growth in the later seasons, and proposes to Emily in the season finale. They also have twins. But the couple divorced in The Perfectionists, which Pieterse has been vocal about, calling it a “mistake.”

Pieterse told THR she thinks Alison would be back in Rosewood. “She and Emily are still together,” she says. “They figured out their space; distance is hard for a lot of couples. She came back to Rosewood, and they figured it out. Their kids, those twins, are probably in sixth grade. They’ve built a house on a nice plot of land and they’re doing great. I think Emily’s a swim instructor on the side because she loves it so much. And Alison is probably an online professor.”

Following the series, the actress remained in the PLL world by starring in its spinoff, The Perfectionists, which premiered in 2019 and ran for one season. She’s also been in The Honor List, Epic Night, Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance, Ivy + Bean: The Ghost That Had to Go, The Image of You and A Carpenter Christmas Romance. Pieterse co-founded the beverage brand Hippie Water and hosts the Women In The Nude Podcast, which PLL co-stars Hale, Bellisario and Parrish have been on as guests.

Troian Bellisario’s Spencer Hastings was the highly intelligent overachiever, skilled at uncovering the clues from “A’s” messages. After the time jump in season six, Spencer is working in politics. She has several relationships throughout the series but the most beloved is between her and Toby. After breaking up and getting back together a few times, viewers hear in the series finale that they are reuniting and their romantic future looks promising. “Spoby” (Spencer and Toby) being endgame was confirmed in The Perfectionists when Hanna calls Mona to tell her that Spencer and Toby eloped. But it’s hard to believe they were ever not going to be endgame after Toby was able to tell Spencer apart from her evil twin, Alex Drake, in the series finale, which revealed that the elusive “A” (or A.D.) is Alex Drake, Spencer’s twin sister she never knew she had.

Bellisario told THR of Spencer now: “Spencer was going to definitely have a public-facing job, whether that was being a lawyer or working in politics, as she did with her mom. But they would also have this getaway that was very Toby, where he built all of the furniture and they could have a very private life.”

After PLL, Bellisario stepped behind the camera to direct 2020’s short film, Life on Mars. She also directed season seven, episode 15, of Pretty Little Liars, “In the Eye Abides the Hear.” Her additional acting credits include Feed, Clara, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Stumptown, Bite Size Halloween, Ways & Means, Doula and Plan B. Bellisario is currently starring in the Prime Video series On Call.

Ian Harding’s Ezra Fitz is an English teacher at Rosewood High School where he teaches all four of the Liars. He meets Aria before she begins her junior year at a college bar. The next day, Aria shows up in his class as one of his students and the two continue a relationship throughout the series. In season four, there were clues he was “A.” But that storyline turned out to be a red herring when it’s revealed Ezra actually knew Alison before she disappeared, and knew who Aria and the Liars were and first started talking to Aria to learn more about Ali’s disappearance for a book he was writing. After they break up and date other people, they get back together and marry in the series finale.

Harding had defended the couple previously to THR, and adds about what Ezra’s up to now: “I hope he’s doing well. I hope he’s not in jail. And I hope that he’s living a life that’s like the one that I’m living right now: he has a little family, he is able to pursue writing, the thing that he loves, and yet also has time to really appreciate life and appreciate all that’s happened to him. I hope he is content. That’s what I want for my boy Ezra.”

His additional projects include many shows, films and TV movies like Thin Ice, No Apologies, Chicago Med, Good People, Magnum P.I., The Hater, Long Slow Exhale, Ghosts of Christmas Always, The Magic of Lemon Drops and Holidazed. Last year, he starred in the Netflix movie Our Little Secret alongside Lindsay Lohan and Kristin Chenoweth.

Tyler Blackburn played Caleb Rivers, an online hacker who used his technical skills to help the Liars outplay “A.” One of the most memorable messages the Liars received from “A” was: “Call off your techno-boy-toy or I tell the cops what your mom keeps in the lasagna box.” Caleb was also a foster child who began dating Hanna. In the later seasons, he briefly dated Spencer. But he and Hanna were endgame as they married in the final season. In the series finale, viewers learned they were expecting a child.

Blackburn told THR where “Haleb” is now: “They probably have a couple of kids. Hanna’s probably doing some sort of fashion design, and Caleb’s probably in IT, or maybe he developed his own company. My whole thing was, ‘Why don’t you get the hell out of Rosewood, you guys?’” (Laughs.)

During the show’s run, Blackburn left during season four to star in his own spinoff, Ravenswood, but returned to PLL in season five after it was canceled. Since it wrapped, Blackburn starred as Alex Manes alongside in four seasons of Roswell, New Mexico, from 2019-22. He’s also appeared in Hello Again, Charmed and Capsized: Blood in the Water. However, he told THR that one of his dream projects is The Last of Us.

Keegan Allen’s Toby Cavanaugh is the step-brother of Jenna Marshall (Tammin Sursok) and was initially an outcast due to the community thinking he was involved in Ali’s murder. He later became a police officer and was also a carpenter. And fans loved his romantic relationship with Spencer. At one point, he was in the “A-Team,” but it was later revealed that he only did that to protect Spencer. In the series finale, Toby tells Spencer apart when she’s next to her twin — the final “A,” Alex Drake. It’s mentioned in the last scene with the Liars that they’re giving their relationship another go as Toby is staying in Rosewood. In The Perfectionists, it’s mentioned that they eloped.

Allen shared with THR where his character is now: “I think Toby lives somewhere quiet, probably coastal, surrounded by pine and fog, fixing up boats or restoring old motorcycles. He’s probably still carrying a notebook in his back pocket, half filled with sketches and half with thoughts he never says out loud. As for him and Spencer, I don’t think they ever fully let go of each other. They might not be in the same place, but they’re on the same page. In some parallel timeline, they’re living in a house filled with books, mystery novels, and antique compasses, still decoding the world together, just without all the danger. Maybe a few kids, dogs, and nights out on a patio, reading out loud and listening to oldies… that would be my hope. I want the best for them.”

Following PLL, Allen starred in The CW’s Walker for four seasons alongside Jared Padalecki (Supernatural). His additional projects have included Major Crimes,What/If, Zeroville and Follow Me. Outside of acting, Keegan has published two photography books, life.love.beauty in 2015 and Hollywood: Photos and Stories from Foreverland in 2018.

Janel Parrish’s Mona Vanderwaal was the original “A” in the books and the first “A” in show, revealed in season two’s finale. She was also best friends with Hanna and, later in the series, became allies with the Liars.

Since then, Parrish starred alongside Pieterse in The Perfectionists spinoff and was in the beloved Netflix films, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and To All the Boys: Always and Forever. Her other credits include I’ll Be Watching, Trespassers, Tiger, Mighty Oak, Holly & Ivy, Right in Front of Me, Coyote Creek Christmas, Christmas Is Canceled, Run & Gun, Until We Meet Again, Magnum P.I., Family History Mysteries: Buried Past, Never Been Chris’d, Haunted Wedding, Sugarplummed, XO, Kitty and Return to Office.

Torrey DeVitto played Melissa Hastings, Spencer’s older sister. She was also a big red herring throughout the series of being “A,” though she was involved with the “A-Team.”

Outside of the show, she’s known for playing Dr. Natalie Manning on six seasons of Chicago Med as well as Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire. DeVitto’s also appeared in Write Before Christmas, The Christmas Promise, Rip in Time, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, Love’s Greek to Me and Skelly.

Drew Van Acker’s Jason DiLaurentis was Alison’s half-brother and Spencer’s half-brother, as his biological father is Spencer’s dad. He returns to Rosewood in season two and is romantically interested in Aria, but she chooses to be with Ezra. However, they had a brief relationship during the five-year jump in season six.

The actor’s also appeared in Training Day, Life Like, Titans, Spy Intervention and Last Survivors. Last year, he was the love interest in Addison Rae’s music video for “Diet Pepsi.”

Julian Morris’s Wren Kingston was another character that viewers suspected was “A.” But he was involved with the “A-Team.” The doctor was engaged to Melissa in the first season. But then, he pursued Spencer. However, in the series finale, the audience discovered he was in love with Alex Drake. However, she killed him when he wouldn’t help her take Spencer’s identity. He is also revealed as the biological father of Alison and Emily’s twin daughters. Morris has appeared in other TV shows like The Morning Show, Little Women, Man in an Orange Shirt and The Good Fight. His additional credits post-show include Viper Club and The Presence of Love.

Tammin Sursok’s Jenna Marshall was blinded by the Liars, led by Alison. Jenna was another “A” suspect. She wasn’t one of the major “A” reveals, but she was involved with the “A-Team.”

Since the show, Sursok has acted in the TV show’s Aussie Girl, Joe vs. Carole and the Australian soap opera Neighbours. She’s also been in Killer in Red, Braking for Whales, Love and Penguins, Blood, Sweat and Cheer, Mommy’s Stolen Memories, Kane and starred alongside her PLL co-star, Brant Daugherty (who played Noel Kahn) in 2024’s Trivia at St. Nick’s. Sursok co-hosted the Pretty Little Liars: True Crime podcast, a rewatch podcast, with Lindsey Shaw (who played Paige McCullers).

Brant Daugherty played Noel Kahn, the rich bad boy in Rosewood. Noel was also involved with the “A-Team.” He dies in season seven by accidentally falling on an axe and is decapitated.

Following the show, Daugherty played Dakota Johnson’s bodyguard in 2018’s Fifty Shades Freed. He’s been in many Hallmark movies like Mingle All the Way, Timeless Love, The Baker’s Son, #Xmas, Joyeux Noel and Trivia at St. Nick’s, alongside his PLL co-star Tammin Sursok.

Lindsey Shaw’s Paige McCullers was one of Emily’s love interests in the show. Paige tried to drown Emily in season one, but they later had an on-again-off-again relationship. Ultimately, they called it quits in season five.

Shaw’s credits since have been in 1/1, Reboot Camp, Lucifer and As Certain as Death. She used to co-host the Pretty Little Liars: True Crime podcast with Tammin Sursok. Before PLL, Shaw played “Moze” in Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide. She currently co-hosts that show’s rewatch podcast with Devon Werkheiser and Daniel Curtis Lee.

Read THR‘s interviews with the cast and creator of PLL for its 15th anniversary.