10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Pretty Little Liars

Right from the pilot episode, fans of Pretty Little Liars have been hooked, and with all mystery shows, it seems like there is a lot going on behind the scenes. The writers and producers need to have a blueprint from the very start but of course, there are going to be false starts and red herrings in many episodes.

Pretty Little Liars does a great job of depicting young adulthood and the combination of teenage stories and mysteries makes this an addictive ride. Fans are always curious to learn fun behind-the-scenes facts about this beloved show, and there’s a lot to hear about.

10 Ali’s Last Name Has Special Meaning

When Ali goes missing, her friends and family have no clue about the meaning behind her disappearance, and the entire town is shocked. And as it turns out, Ali’s last name has an interesting meaning.

A fan realized that Ali’s last name DiLaurentis spells “Liars united.” This is fun to hear about, as it explains how Ali’s former friends decide that they should stop at nothing to find out what happened to Ali. They also become much closer in the process.

9 The Six Main Actors Got Tattoos When The Show Ended

The six main female actors got tattoos when the show ended. Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, Sasha Pieterse, Janel Parrish, Lucy Hale, and Ashley Benson wanted tattoos that matched to remember their time on the show. Lucy Hale shared a photo on Instagram and wrote, “We couldn’t not get tattoos to commemorate the show! And obviously on our ‘shh’ finger.”

It’s sweet to see that the actors are close in real life, as fans love watching the friendships that the characters share.

8 Kris Jenner Said Kylie Had A Small Part On PLL

On Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kris Jenner said that Kyle booked a small part on Pretty Little Liars, but because Kyle and Kris were arguing, it didn’t end up happening.

It’s always interesting to see which guest stars are on a TV show, and having Kylie Jenner on PLL would definitely have gotten people talking. The show featured guest stars such as author Sara Shepard and creator/showrunner I. Marlene King.

7 Toby Was Supposed To Die In Season 1

Because Toby dies in the book series, the plan was for Toby’s death to take place in season 1. But viewers really loved Toby and Spencer’s relationship, so he survived.

This is another great behind-the-scenes fact about Pretty Little Liars, as it’s true that Toby and Spencer’s love story is a big part of the series, and while fans love watching the mystery change in each episode, it’s also entertaining to watch the juicy relationships.

6 Pretty Little Liars And Gilmore Girls Were Filmed On The Same Set

It’s cool to learn that PLL and Gilmore Girls were filmed on the same Warner Bros. set, which apparently included the town square’s gazebo, the church with a white steeple, and even some stores and homes that were used again. Both shows feature adorable small towns that look like nice places to live, although Stars Hollow is much less creepy than Rosewood.

In many ways, Rosewood is a scary place for someone to call home, but it’s also got charm with its cute stores and nice streets, and that’s all thanks to the set.

5 Tyler Blackburn Supported Caleb And Spencer’s Romance

Toby and Spencer don’t have a relationship without flaws, but many fans ship them and are glad to know that they end up living happily ever after. That’s why it was such a big shock when Spencer and Caleb confessed their feelings for each other.

The cast of Pretty Little Liars got together for an interview in 2020 and talked about what it was like filming the show. Tyler Blackburn said that he liked when Spencer and Caleb dated. He said “I’m obviously a Haleb shipper” but he still liked the relationship.

4 Troian Bellisario Says The Show Was Compared To Gossip Girl At First

Troian Bellisario told Cosmopolitan that those making PLL figured that fans of Gossip Girl would like, it, too, but as the show continued, Twin Peaks was a better comparison.

Bellisario said, “Our show starts out saying, ‘Hey, if you liked Gossip Girl, you’ll like this!’ But over time, you get to say, ‘Just kidding, we’re actually trying to do Twin Peaks for teens, and we can be as weird and dark as we like.'”

3 Sara Shepard Heard A Lot About Kidnapping When She Was Younger

Hearing the inspiration behind a book is always fascinating, and fans are curious to know how PLL got started. The story of Ali disappearing and her friends solving the mystery is so juicy that it’s hard not to want to know about the show’s origins.

Sara Shepard, who wrote the Pretty Little Liars book series on which the show is based, shared that her mom used to tell her about a neighbor who was kidnapped in the past. She heard a lot about kidnapping, and she started to think about what would happen to someone in that tragic situation.

2 Janel Parrish Auditioned For The Role Of Spencer

Mona hurts a lot of people, from creating the A-Team to being a master manipulator. But she also has shades of kindness and compassion as she cares about Hanna and the liars, at least when she’s not making them miserable.

When asked by Variety about what other role she’d like to portray, Janel Parrish shared that she auditioned for Spencer. She said, “I love how Spencer is always the team leader and the detective of the group.” This is fun to hear about since actors often audition for multiple roled or there’s another part that they originally are interested in.

1 Troian Bellisario Was Told In Season 5 About Alex Drake

Fans wondered if the ending of Pretty Little Liars would include a twin, and in the series finale, it was revealed that Spencer had a twin named Alex Drake who was A.D.

Troian Bellisario shared in an interview that I. Marlene King told her she would be portraying Uber A in season 5. The actress said that when people asked who A was in interviews, she would say it was her, and no one thought that she was being truthful.

About The Author

Aya Tsintziras
(1737 Articles Published)

Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer who writes about pop culture and TV. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. She loves coffee, reading, working out, and watching TV. She lives in Toronto with her husband.

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