Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Pretty Little Liars?

"Pretty Little Liars" has spawned multiple spinoff TV series since the mystery teen drama concluded on Freeform in 2017. Although the first and second spinoffs, "Ravenswood" and "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists" both only lasted one season each, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin," which debuted in July 2022, was well received, quickly picking up a second season (per The Hollywood Reporter). 

"Original Sin" takes the "PLL" franchise in a new direction as a slasher horror series with a much darker tone. However, despite being vastly different from its predecessors, "Original Sin" is infused with plenty of Easter eggs which hark back to the original series — like fan-favorite couple Aria (Lucy Hale) and Ezra (Ian Harding) adopting Imogen's (Bailee Madison) baby. Though Hale and Harding haven't appeared in the series yet, the name drop left viewers wondering what they and the rest of the original "PLL" cast have been doing since the show ended.

Hale, Harding, and co-stars Sasha Pieterse, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario, Shay Mitchell, Janel Parrish, Tyler Blackburn, and Keegan Allen were catapulted into fame during the show's seven-season run, but what have they been up to since? Some stars have settled into family life, others have found movie fame and business success, and a couple of former "PLL" stars have left the entertainment industry. Here's what the main cast of "Pretty Little Liars" has been doing since 2017.

Without Sasha Pieterse's character Alison "Ali" DiLaurentis, there would have been no "Pretty Little Liars." Though Ali appeared mostly in flashbacks for the first three seasons, the former it-girl was an integral part of the show — with her long-time friends Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily determined to find out what happened to her. 

Pieterse originally vied for the role of Hanna before scoring the role of Ali, which had fewer working hours since she was just 12 years old when she filmed the pilot. She was much younger than her co-stars, but despite the age difference, the other actors never made her feel out of place, she told Teen Vogue. Starring in the show so young meant she was a mere 21 years old when it ended. Pieterse had a busy few years afterward, first marrying her long-time beau Hudson Sheaffer, then starring in "The Perfectionists," the second "PLL" spinoff.

Petierse told Hollywire that she chose to share her love of hosting and party planning by publishing a cookbook and how-to manual called "Sasha in Good Taste," before giving birth to her son Hendrix. As of 2022, Pieterse has returned to acting, starring in Netflix's family-friendly flick "Ivy & Bean." Speaking about the film, she told Teen Vogue: "I'm happy that Hendrix will be able to see me in something. Because he sure as hell can't see 'Pretty Little Liars' or 'Inherent Vice' yet."

When "Pretty Little Liars" ended, Hanna Marin actor Ashley Benson turned her attention to music. In December 2017, she released a single titled "Stars Go Out" under the stage name Cindy Ultra but hasn't continued with the moniker since then. Benson released more music in 2018 alongside the cast of "Her Smell," which included supermodel Cara Delevingne, who she met on set and started dating (per Us Weekly).

After starring in "Her Smell" and a short film titled "Ask Me If I Care?" in 2018, Benson took a three-year break from acting. Meanwhile, she also embarked on a two-year relationship with Delevingne. An inside source told People in 2020, "Cara and Ashley always had their ups and downs before but it's over now. Their relationship just ran its course." Benson later began dating G-Eazy after a music collaboration turned romantic. The rapper admitted to ET after working with Benson, "She's an exceptionally talented person in many different spaces. She's a special one. ... It just blew me away that you could have such a hidden, special talent that the world doesn't get to see as often."

In 2021, Benson reignited her passion for acting, starring in Jimmy Giannopoulos' crime thriller "The Birthday Cake." As of 2022, she has a string of films in production and an upcoming TV role in Amazon Prime Video's "Wilderness."

While starring in "Pretty Little Liars" as Spencer Hastings, Troian Bellisario had smaller roles in movies like "C.O.G." and starred in several short films. By the time "Pretty Little Liars" came to an end, Bellisario was focusing more and more on independent projects and stayed busy writing, producing, and directing.

By her side throughout her creative endeavors is her husband and fellow actor Patrick J. Adams, who is best known for starring in Aaron Korsh's legal drama, "Suits," which Bellisario also guest-starred in. She told People, "It's just always so much fun to get to play around with your partner, because you have so much in life to draw on, and you have so much trust," she explained. The couple has been together since they met on the set of the 2009 play "Equivocation" — bar a brief break up in 2011, which ended after Adams guest-starred on "PLL" (via Us Weekly). They tied the knot in 2016 and have two children, Aurora and Elliot. 

Bellisario and Adams have collaborated together on several other projects, including the short film "We Are Here." They both penned the script and starred in the film, with Adams directing. As of 2022, Bellisario and Adams last reunited on screen in 2018 for the science fiction film "Clara," but given how much they adore working together, there's a high probability they'll be sharing the screen again soon. For now, they cheer each other on via Instagram, with Bellisario starring in the 2022 film "Doula," produced by Chris Pine.

Years on from playing Emily Fields in "Pretty Little Liars," Shay Mitchell has taken on new titles. She has been busy growing her family with her partner Matte Babel, who she's been with since 2017, and launching two businesses — her travel luggage line Béis and her tequila seltzer brand, Onda. The "Mother's Day" star and Canadian TV host live together in their family home in L.A. with their daughters Atlas (born in 2019) and Rome (born in 2022). Mitchell says she isn't really interested in marriage.

Mitchell is also thriving in her acting career. In 2019, she took on the role of Stella Cole in Hulu's "Dollface" alongside Kat Dennings, Brenda Song, and Esther Povitsky. She returned for the show's second season, which aired in 2022. While being interviewed for "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," she gushed about the comedy, which celebrates strong female friendships. Mitchell described "Dollface" as a nice complement to shows made for other generations of women — like "Sex and the City," "The Sex Lives of College Girls," and "Euphoria." "It's so much fun. It's literally the most relatable show I think I've seen, just because it's, you know, kind of hyperrealism, it's mixed with friendship, we're going through our 30s, and I just feel like it's that perfect tier," she said. 

The actor told Variety, "You don't have to have it all figured out when the clock strikes midnight on your 30th birthday. ... I've had the best years of my life in my 30s."

"Wizards of Waverly Place" guest star Lucy Hale was no stranger to the small screen when she took on the role of little liar Aria Montgomery in 2010. She'd already appeared in a handful of popular shows, including "How I Met Your Mother" and "The O.C." When "Pretty Little Liars" ended, Hale took the opportunity to test the waters in a variety of different TV and film genres. After starring in "Life Sentence" and the "Riverdale" spinoff "Katy Keene," Hale found movie success with "Truth or Dare," "Fantasy Island," and "The Hating Game." The actor and singer openly admits her love of all things horror and gore, but refuses to be typecast, hence her varied filmography.

Opening up to People in 2021, Hale said, "After ['Pretty Little Liars'] ended, it was a dark time in my life. It made me realize, 'Oh God, I actually don't know what I like about myself.'" Hale explained that as a result, she really had to put in the work to get to know herself again, adding, "I'm at a point now where I love what I do, but I also like who I am outside of that. That, to me, is a big accomplishment because I didn't know if I'd ever be able to say that about myself."

In "Pretty Little Liars," actor Ian Harding played Ezra Fitz, Aria's long-time love interest and former high school teacher. After seven seasons, the pair eventually got married during the series finale. The "Original Sin" spinoff revealed that "Ezria" is still going strong. Off-screen, Ian's love life is thriving, and he married Sophie Hart in a private ceremony in 2019 but didn't announce it until 2021. The couple welcomed a son in 2022, but did not announce his name.

As "PLL" was coming to an end in 2017, the actor penned a memoir titled "Odd Birds," in which he discusses his childhood, early Hollywood career, his love of birding, and, of course, his time on "Pretty Little Liars" (via Cosmopolitan). Although he'd probably rather be birding (as his book title suggests), Harding has continued to act, joining fellow "PLL" alum Torrey DeVitto in the "One Chicago" franchise as a doctor on "Chicago Med," before taking on a starring role in Spectrum Originals' short-lived sports drama "Long Slow Exhale."

Speaking to Gayety, Harding couldn't help but draw on the parallels between "Long Slow Exhale" and "PLL," but explained that he's in his element when embroiled in this kind of mystery drama and scandal series: "I love these shows. I love a good mystery and down to the books that I read, the ones that keep me going are mystery and how does this unravel, especially when things are presented, sort of, towards the beginning."

Janel Parrish's character Mona Vanderwaal — aka the first "A" — had the biggest transformation on "Pretty Little Liars" and eventually starred as one of the protagonists on the spinoff "The Perfectionists" alongside Sasha Pieterse in 2019. The former "PLL" star has been busy off-screen, too. Like many of her co-stars, she got married after "PLL" ended. Parrish tied the knot with her long-time beau Chris Long in Hawaii in 2018. "We feel so lucky we found each other in this crazy world," she told Us Weekly. "Marrying my dream man in my home of Hawaii surrounded by family and friends was a dream."

In the same year, she landed a supporting role in Netflix's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" film franchise, playing Lana Condor's character's sister in three movies. Since the franchise ended, Parrish has found a home on the Hallmark Channel, starring in a ton of their made-for-TV movies, including "Holly & Ivy," "Right In Front of Me," and "Coyote Creek Christmas." In the latter, Parrish starred opposite "General Hospital" actor Ryan Paevey. Speaking on a Facebook Live interview, Parish honed in on how much she adored her character, Paige, a successful event planner. "I feel like she is what I should strive to be but am not. She was so organized and very eloquent and knew exactly what she wanted and the timeline for which she had that set... I could learn a little bit from Paige," she joked.

Tyler Blackburn played Hanna Marin's love interest and eventual husband in "Pretty Little Liars." Although he initially joined the cast in a recurring capacity, he quickly became a main character and even gained his own "PLL" spinoff, "Ravenswood," for one season. When "PLL" ended, Blackburn continued acting, nabbing another main role on The CW's "Roswell, New Mexico," as well as guest-starring on several shows, including the "Charmed" reboot. Though it was a smaller role, Blackburn was excited to switch sides and portray a bad guy on the supernatural series. He played Viralis, a 100-year-old virility demon who sacrificed women in order to survive. "I'd never played a villain before, especially one that's a demon. ... It was nerve-racking, but it was also liberating," he explained to TVLine. 

The actor continued discussing his newer roles, saying, "After playing the same character for seven seasons [on 'Pretty Little Liars'], you crave something different. Part of what attracted me to 'Roswell' was that Alex was so different from Caleb, except that he can also hack computers. I don't know why I keep getting these roles where I can hack into computers!"

Blackburn has also opened up about his personal life in the years since "PLL" ended, revealing to The Advocate that he's identified as bisexual since his teen years. "I just want to feel powerful in my own skin, and my own mind, and in my own heart," he added proudly.

Like his "Pretty Little Liars" co-star and long-time friend Tyler Blackburn, Toby Cavanaugh actor Keegan Allen found a home on a popular CW series when the teen drama ended. In 2021, he joined the cast of "Walker," playing Liam, the younger brother of "Supernatural" alum Jared Padalecki. Speaking to the Nerds of Color, Allen admitted that this is a special role for him, and not just because he immediately bonded with his on-screen brother. Having never really watched "PLL" when it was airing, "Walker" is a completely different experience for Allen because he actually views the show when it comes on. "I shoot the episode, I'm in it, I'm watching it being shot, I'm very aware of what the show is about, then I watch the episode and I watch it place like a little puzzle piece in the storyline," the actor explained. He learns a lot by consuming the show, he said, and this impacts how he portrays his character.

In between the end of "PLL" and joining "Walker," Allen scored guest roles on other popular shows like "Major Crimes," "What/If" and "Rick and Morty." Off-screen, Allen has been dating model Ali Collier since at least 2016. The pair like to keep their relationship low-key on social media, but in a romantic post on Instagram, Allen wrote, "The gift of my lifetime is @ali_collier."

"The Vampire Diaries" actor Bianca Lawson — or the actor who doesn't age – has become well known for her youthful looks, which have allowed her to continue playing teenage characters well into her 20s and 30s. In the '90s, she was on "Saved by the Bell: The New Class" and "Sister, Sister" before appearing on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." After she recurred as teen Shawna in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," 31-year-old Lawson joined "PLL" to play Emily's 16-year-old girlfriend Maya St. Germain. However, when her time on "Pretty Little Liars" ended in 2012 after her character was murdered, Lawson snagged a role in "Teen Wolf" as a guidance counselor named Marin Morrell, a character closer to her own age. Her current role as Darla Sutton in "Queen Sugar" has followed suit.

It's certainly no secret that Lawson has had a long and varied career, playing everything from teenager roles to a powerful witch, to a mother and recovering drug addict. Because of this, Lawson said she's never felt typecast or forced into teen roles. "It may seem on the outside like I was typecast, but in terms of the work I was doing, I was doing all kinds of ages during that time. There were just maybe things that people weren't talking about as much, and they weren't maybe as popular... It just so happens that those are the things that became pop culture [staples]," she explained to ET.

Holly Marie Combs might have played Aria's mom Ella Montgomery in "Pretty Little Liars" and been inducted into the "PLL" Wine Moms club, but to her long-standing fans, she's still known best for playing Piper Halliwell in "Charmed." Though her role in the magical drama ended years before she joined "PLL," Combs has spent decades keeping the show's fandom alive, attending all kinds of panels and fan events.

In 2022 she launched a "Charmed" rewatch podcast called "The House of Halliwell" with her former co-stars Brian Krause, who played Piper's husband Leo Wyatt, and Drew Fuller, who played the adult version of their son, Chris Halliwell. Combs teased on the podcast trailer that she was trying to retire quietly, but she couldn't resist another "Charmed" project. The actor didn't say whether this meant she'd also be returning to acting, though, and as it stands, Combs' last TV role was a guest appearance in "Grey's Anatomy" in 2019. In the episode, which was appropriately titled "Reunited," she played Heidi Peterson alongside her "Charmed" co-star Alyssa Milano, who played her sister once more.

Regardless, Combs has definitely taken a step back from acting to focus on her personal life, but perhaps she'd return for a "Charmed" reboot? In 2022 she celebrated her third wedding anniversary with restaurateur Mike Ryan.

When Pretty Little Liars ended, Byron Montgomery actor and occasional director Chad Lowe slid into the recurring role of lawyer-turned-cult leader Thomas Coville in The CW's "Supergirl" from 2017 to 2020. He first appeared in the show's third season and directed two episodes of the superhero series. Lowe also switched up his busy TV schedule in favor of the 2019 comedy feature film "7 Days to Vegas," in which he played the sheriff.

After that, he turned his focus back to directing. Between 2021 and 2022, he directed three episodes of the procedural drama "9-1-1: Lone Star," which stars his brother Rob Lowe as the main character, Captain Owen Strand. The "PLL" alum also bagged a special one-episode guest role opposite Rob. "As you can imagine, it wasn't a huge stretch to play brothers," he joked to Entertainment Weekly. "But having the opportunity to bring all the history that we have with one another into these moments was really one of the highlights of my career as an actor," the "PLL" alum added. He continued to gush about his brother, calling him one of the best actors he's ever worked with.

Virenia "Nia" Peeples played Emily's mom Pam Fields on "Pretty Little Liars." She started out as a main cast member but appeared more in a recurring capacity by 2017. When the show ended, Peeples earned a recurring role on "The Fosters" and starred in a string of TV movies, including "Dying for a Baby" and "Badland Wives." However, sometime before or after appearing in projects involving "PLL" — the "Pretty Little Wine Moms Re-watch Podcast" and "Homeward Bound: Surviving the Coronavirus: Wet Suits, Mary Poppins, and Pretty Little Wine Moms" — Peeples decided to leave the entertainment industry behind after 30 years. On her website, the actor and singer explained: "I stepped off the entertainment 'wheel of fortune,' and went on walk about to listen to my heart, for I believe that there and only there can one discover her deepest desires born of love and truth."

Instead of acting, she explained that she prefers to spread her message through literature and TED Talks. According to her IMDb page, as of October 2022, the "PLL" alum has several acting projects in post-production. So, perhaps she's making a return to the entertainment industry while still focusing on her other roles as an author, singer, speaker, and mom.

Before she took on the role of Ashley Marin, Laura Leighton rose to fame playing Sydney Andrews on "Melrose Place" in the '90s. She returned when the series was rebooted in 2009. There were only a few months between this chapter of the "Beverly Hills, 90210" franchise ending and "Pretty Little Liars" saga beginning, but Leighton found herself in a completely unique role with her new gig. "It was just such a vastly different point of view, to be the older generation, watching the younger generation navigating their hit show, but through the lens of social media and all that," she told Decider in 2021.

When "PLL" ended, Leighton reunited with her "Melrose Place" co-star and on-screen neighbor Grant Show for an episode of The CW's "Dynasty" reboot. Leighton played SEC officer Corinne Simon in the show's fourth season. "It was a quick in-and-out, but I did get to see Grant. He's perfect in this role. It was really fun to see him in that Blake Carrington vibe and dynamic. ... I loved catching up with him. ... When he first found out about my casting, he shot me a text and was like, 'Did I just hear that you're coming to Dynasty?'" she told TVLine. Additionally, the actor found time to guest star on other popular shows such as "L.A.'s Finest" and "Fantasy Island."

Lesley Fera is best known for playing Spencer and Melissa's high-powered lawyer mom Veronica Hastings in "Pretty Little Liars." When the teen drama ended in 2017, the longtime TV star began publicly pursuing her dream of writing. She started the 2020 podcast "Pretty Little Wine Moms Re-Watch" after having former co-stars as guests on another podcast project, "Homeward Bound: Surviving the Coronavirus," which she created with husband Ned Mochel.

Fera told Glitter magazine about the "PLL" rewatch podcast, "I thought not only would it be a lot of fun; it would provide some much-needed escapist entertainment for our fans." Some listeners paid for additional content on Patreon, and Fera donated a portion of podcast earnings to various charities. According to Redditors, co-hosts Nia Peeples and Holly Marie Combs revealed on a Zoom call that they had ownership disputes with Fera. The "Wine Moms" podcast disbanded and was pulled from audio platforms.

Fera has claimed a couple more acting credits, portraying Dr. Franklin in "Animal Kingdom" and Stacey in "Seven Days," but writing has remained her focus. In 2022, she was the runner-up for the Script Pipeline TV Writing Contest. "What an adventure!," Fera wrote on Instagram in celebration. "Thank you for acknowledging INCONCEIVABLE. I'm excited and grateful to have the support of the incredible team at #scriptpipeline," she added. With that said, hopefully Fera's fans can expect to see one of her scripts on the small screen in the future.

Andrea Parker started out playing Alison's grieving mom Jessica DiLaurentis in "Pretty Little Liars." However, by the time the series ended, a host of new plotlines had sprung into action. She ended her time on the show by taking on the role of Jessica's mysterious — and manipulative — twin sister Mary Drake, who was instrumental in "PLL's" final season.

Parker joined the cast of "PLL" in Season 2. She told TVLine, "It really has just been such an incredible experience from start to finish." The actor shared that she was expecting to appear in just a couple of episodes. However, "It's really unfolded into one of the best gigs of my career. I've had such a blast, not only playing these characters, but the relationships I've formed with all of the actors who are really beautiful people," she added.

So, what comes after the role of a lifetime? For Parker, acting has been off the table since "PLL" ended. Instead, the star of "The Pretender" seems to be enjoying marital bliss and semi-retirement, although she hasn't posted on Instagram since early 2020.

Vanessa Ray went by a lot of names in "Pretty Little Liars," including "Charlotte DiLaurentis" and "Uber A," but she first appeared on the show as Alison's mysterious older friend CeCe Drake. Ray's character was killed off the teen drama in "Of Late I Think of Rosewood," the dramatic first episode from Season 6B. She continued to appear in Season 7 through flashbacks, though, proving she hadn't changed as much as supportive sister Alison believed she had.

When the teen drama ended, Ray opted to play a completely different character. Now she's on the other side of the law as Officer Eddie Janko-Reagan in "Blue Bloods." Speaking to the Nerds of Color, she said: "I loved this role immediately because when we first met her she was a rookie, but it was obvious she was following a calling to service. She was eager, messy, and flawed."

Ray has settled into her role as Eddie, but she's also thinking about what the future might hold for her career, and there are a few other types of roles she wants to do. "I'd want to play a superhero! Marvel, call me? I'd also be open to doing a sitcom with a live audience," she explained. These two options are pretty different from her past roles, showing her desire for a varied career. However, Ray admitted that she'd never close the door on the past completely. "I'd always love to revisit CeCe Drake on 'Pretty Little Liars.' It's nice to play a complicated villain."

Julian Morris' "Pretty Little Liars" character kept viewers (and characters) guessing, since no one could really figure out whose side he was on. The final season revealed once and for all that he was Alex Drake's lover and part of her evil plan, but he met his untimely end when he couldn't fully get on board, so she killed him. "Loved every moment of playing Wren. Grateful to the friends I've made and to the incredible cast and crew with whom I had the honour to work. And to all of you," Morris wrote on Instagram alongside a snap of his character, when his time on the show had come to an end.

Between his recurring stints on "PLL," the British actor played Prince Philip in "Once Upon A Time" and had a recurring role on "New Girl." Latterly, he's had a ton of guest roles in popular TV series like "The Morning Show" and "The Good Fight."

The actor also publicly celebrated his decades-long relationship with artist Landon Ross for the first time. He posted a series of pictures of them and wrote in 2021, "18 years together, and they were the best ones because they were with you. I love you @landonross," adding a heart emoji on Instagram. However, Morris had previously posted pictures on his page alongside Ross without officially announcing their relationship. He thanked fans for supporting him later in an Instagram Story (via Entertainment Weekly).

Before he fell for Spencer, and then her twin sister Alex Drake, Wren Kingston dated her older sister, Melissa Hastings, played by actor, model, and activist Torrey DeVitto. DeVitto's appearances on "Pretty Little Liars" were often shrouded in mystery, but they were less frequent during the final seasons, due to the fact that she took on a starring role in "Chicago Med." DeVitto joined the third installment of the "One Chicago" franchise as ER doctor Natalie Manning in 2015. She continued in the lead role until 2021, departing from the show at the beginning of Season 7 to pursue other projects.

After her final scenes aired, DeVitto shared an Instagram post for fans, writing: "All good things must come to an end. It has been such an honor and pure joy to bring Dr. Natalie Manning to life for all of you for the past 6 seasons. But it is now time for her and me to bow out and say goodbye. Thank you to all you loyal watchers who adored her as much as I did." The "One Chicago" alum quickly landed main roles in made-for-TV movies including "The Christmas Promise" and "Rip in Time."