List of Pretty Little Liars characters

Last updated

Some of the female cast of the show from left to right: Sasha Pieterse, Shay Mitchell, Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson and Janel Parrish Pll cast.png
Some of the female cast of the show from left to right: Sasha Pieterse, Shay Mitchell, Lucy Hale, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson and Janel Parrish

Pretty Little Liars is an American teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King for Freeform. It is based on Sara Shepard's novel series of the same name. Some of the characters appeared in the spin-off shows Pretty Dirty Secrets , Ravenswood , Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists and Pretty Little Liars (2022). Below is a list consisting of the many characters who have appeared throughout the original series' seven-season run.

Contents

Overview - main series

The following table contains an overall look on the main, recurring and guest characters. The guest characters, marked in blue, have appeared in one or two episodes per season they are denoted. The recurring characters, marked in red, have appeared in three or more episodes in the season they are denoted. The main characters, marked in green, are those whose portrayer has had received ensemble cast billing in at least one episode in the season they are denoted.

CharacterPortrayed byAppearances
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Season 4 Season 5 Season 6 Season 7
Main characters
Spencer Hastings Troian Bellisario Main
Alex Drake Does not appearMain
Hanna Marin Ashley Benson Main
Ella Montgomery Holly Marie Combs MainRecurringGuest
Aria Montgomery Lucy Hale Main
Ezra Fitz Ian Harding Main
Maya St. Germain Bianca Lawson MainRecurringDoes not appear
Ashley Marin Laura Leighton Main
Byron Montgomery Chad Lowe MainRecurringGuestRecurringGuest
Emily Fields Shay Mitchell Main
Pam Fields Nia Peeples Main [lower-alpha 1] RecurringGuestRecurringGuest
Alison DiLaurentis Sasha Pieterse Main [lower-alpha 2]
Caleb Rivers Tyler Blackburn RecurringMain
Mona Vanderwaal Janel Parrish RecurringMain
Jessica DiLaurentis Andrea Parker [lower-alpha 3] GuestDoes not appearRecurringMain
Mary Drake Does not appearGuestDoes not appearGuestMain
Recurring characters
"A" Stand-in Recurring
Toby Cavanaugh Keegan Allen [lower-alpha 4] Recurring
Mike Montgomery Cody Allen Christian RecurringDoes not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Melissa Hastings Torrey DeVitto RecurringGuest
Darren Wilden Bryce Johnson RecurringGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Ian Thomas Ryan Merriman [lower-alpha 5] RecurringDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Wren Kingston Julian Morris RecurringGuestDoes not appearGuest
Meredith Sorenson Amanda Schull RecurringGuestRecurringDoes not appear
Jenna Marshall Tammin Sursok RecurringDoes not appearRecurring
Sean Ackard Chuck Hittinger RecurringDoes not appear
Peter Hastings Nolan North RecurringGuestRecurringGuest
Noel Kahn Brant Daugherty RecurringGuestDoes not appearRecurring
Veronica Hastings Lesley Fera Recurring
Mrs. Welch Jill HoldenRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Alex Santiago Diego Boneta RecurringDoes not appear
Lucas Gottesman Brendan RobinsonRecurringDoes not appearRecurringGuestRecurring
Barry Maple Jim Titus RecurringGuestRecurring
Wayne Fields Eric Steinberg RecurringGuestRecurringDoes not appear
Paige McCullers Lindsey Shaw RecurringGuestRecurringDoes not appearRecurring
Garrett Reynolds Yani Gellman RecurringDoes not appear
Tom Marin Roark Critchlow GuestRecurringDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Kate Randall Natalie Hall [lower-alpha 6] GuestRecurringDoes not appear
Jason DiLaurentis Drew Van Acker [lower-alpha 7] GuestRecurringGuestRecurringGuest
Samara Cook Claire Holt GuestRecurringDoes not appear
Jackie Molina Paloma GuzmánGuestRecurringDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Anne Sullivan Annabeth Gish Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Holden Strauss Shane Coffey Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appearGuest
CeCe Drake Vanessa Ray Does not appearRecurringGuestRecurring
Ted Wilson Edward Kerr Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appearGuest
Lyndon James Sterling SuliemanDoes not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Wesley Fitzgerald Gregg Sulkin Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Malcolm Cutler Teo Briones [lower-alpha 8] Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Maggie Cutler Larisa Oleynik Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Shana Fring Aeriél Miranda Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Jamie Doyle Bernard Curry Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Arthur Hackett John O'BrienDoes not appearGuestRecurringGuestDoes not appearGuest
Gabriel Holbrook Sean Faris Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Linda Tanner Roma Maffia Does not appearRecurringGuest
Carla Grunwald Meg Foster Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appearGuest
Travis Hobbs Luke Kleintank Does not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Jake Ryan Guzman Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Kenneth DiLaurentis Jim AbeleDoes not appearGuestDoes not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Andrew Campbell Brandon Jones Does not appearGuestRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Cindy Melanie MorenoDoes not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Mindy Monica MorenoDoes not appearRecurringGuestDoes not appear
Sydney Driscoll Chloe Bridges Does not appearRecurringDoes not appearRecurring
Cyrus Petrillo Jake Weary Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Talia Sandoval Miranda Rae Mayo Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Jonny Raymond Will BradleyDoes not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Rebecca Marcus Lauren Tom Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Archer Dunhill Huw CollinsDoes not appearRecurring
Yvonne Phillips Kara Royster Does not appearRecurring
Sara Harvey Dre Davis [lower-alpha 9] Does not appearRecurringGuest
Liam Greene Roberto AguireDoes not appearRecurringGuest
Jordan Hobart David CoussinsDoes not appearRecurringGuest
Nicole Gordon Rebecca Breeds Does not appearRecurringGuest
Lorenzo Calderon Travis Winfrey Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Sabrina Lulu Brud Does not appearRecurring
Clark Wilkins Titus Makin Jr.Does not appearRecurringDoes not appear
Marco Furey Nicholas Gonzalez Does not appearRecurring
Guest characters
Ben Coogan Steven Krueger GuestDoes not appear
Isabel Marin Heather Mazur GuestDoes not appear
Mr. Sheldrake Keith PillowGuestDoes not appear
Coach Fulton Paula Newsome GuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Logan Reed Tilky Jones GuestDoes not appear
Regina Marin Betty Buckley Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Mr. Tamborelli John Marshall Jones Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Duncan Albert Lachlan Buchanan Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Harold Crane Travis RichleyDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Zack Steve Talley Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Dianne Fitzgerald Mary Page Keller Does not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Miles Corwin Andrew Elvis MillerDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Eddie Lamb Reggie Austin Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
May Horowitz Cathy Ladman Does not appearGuestDoes not appearGuest
Nigel Wright Wyatt Nash Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Hector Lime Jed Rees Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Robert Vargas Joseph ZinsmanDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Louis Palmer Nick Tate Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Dean Stavros Nathaniel Buzolic Does not appearGuestDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Big Rhonda Ambrit MillhouseDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
James Neilan Charles CarpenterDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Lesli Stone Elizabeth McLaughlin Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Colin Oliver Kieran-JonesDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Douglas Sirk Christopher GroveDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear~
Addison Derringer Chiara Aurelia Does not appearGuestDoes not appear
Ava AllanDoes not appearGuest
Rhys Matthews Caleb LaneDoes not appearGuestDoes not appear
Notes
  1. In the first season, Peeples is initially credited as a series regular in Pilot (1.01); however, from the next episode onward, she is credited as a guest star.
  2. In the first season, Pieterse is credited as a guest star in Pilot (1.01); however, from the next episode onward, she is credited as a series regular.
  3. Jessica was portrayed by Anne Marie DeLuise in Season 1.
  4. In the series' pilot episode, Cavanaugh was portrayed by James Neate. Subsequent episodes featured Allen in the role.
  5. In the series' pilot episode, Thomas was portrayed by Carlo Marks. Subsequent episodes featured Merriman in the role.
  6. Kate was portrayed by Natalie Floyd in Season 1.
  7. Jason was portrayed by Parker Bagley in Season 1.
  8. In "Single Fright Female", Cutler was portrayed by Flynn Morrison. Subsequent episodes featured Briones in the role.
  9. In the third, fourth and fifth seasons, Harvey was portrayed by doubles and stock photos.

Main characters

The following list features characters that are considered fundamental to the series' storylines, consisting of the central group deemed as "the Liars" and the main antagonist "A."

Spencer Hastings

Considered the "de facto leader" of the group, Spencer Hastings, portrayed by Troian Bellisario, is intelligent, extremely ambitious, and strives for perfection in everything she does in an attempt to live up to the high expectations of her parents. Spencer's biggest rival is her older sister, Melissa, and the two are constantly fighting over something. Their relationship is often strained by the fact that Spencer has a habit of crushing on Melissa's boyfriends. In the first season, she begins a relationship with fellow student and strained Rosewood student Toby Cavanaugh. Throughout the series, Spencer is revealed to be the biological daughter of Mary Drake and the sister of Charlotte Drake.

Aria Montgomery

Considered the "alternative" one of the group, Aria Montgomery, portrayed by Lucy Hale, is more outgoing in fashion and what she sees as acceptable behavior. She moves back to Rosewood with her family after living in Iceland for a year. Before Alison's death, she and Alison discovered that Aria's father was having an affair with one of his former students, Meredith, who became his coworker at Hollis College. Alison encourages Aria to tell her mother the truth, but instead, Aria reluctantly agrees to keep her father's secret. On top of that, she finds herself involved with her high school English teacher, Ezra Fitz, after making out with him in a pub bathroom and discovering he was her English teacher on the first day of school.

Hanna Marin

Pretty and fierce, Hanna Marin, portrayed by Ashley Benson, is the diva and "it girl" of the group, having taken Alison's place as the most popular girl at Rosewood High. Prior to Alison's death, Hanna suffered from bulimia, which Alison frequently teased her over. Since her parents divorced, Hanna permanently lives with her mother. She feels betrayed by her father, who has remarried, and she does not get along well with his new wife and daughter. When Hanna's mother falls upon financial hardship, she steals thousands of dollars from the bank she worked at, which Hanna is forced to keep a secret.

Emily Fields

The "jock" of the group, Emily Fields, portrayed by Shay Mitchell, is a highly competitive swimmer, considered the star of Rosewood's swimming team. She is shown as a sweet and shy girl. For a short time, Emily lives with Hanna, after her mother moves to Texas to live with Emily's father, who is stationed in Fort Hood. She begins to question her sexuality because of her feelings for Alison, but later accepts the fact that she is a lesbian and starts to date girls. She eventually begins a relationship with Sara Harvey, until she discovers that she is an ally of the antagonist.

Alison DiLaurentis

The former "queen bee" of her clique, Alison DiLaurentis, portrayed by Sasha Pieterse, used to be the most popular girl in school before her disappearance and alleged death. Although she cared for her friends, she enjoyed using their deepest secrets against them to keep them in line. Charming and manipulative, Alison was skilled at finding ways to blackmail everyone, and many people hated her. She knew everybody's secrets, but since she's been gone her friends are beginning to realize how little they really knew about her. She is revealed to be alive and on the run from "A."

Mona Vanderwaal

A former "unpopular" girl at Rosewood, Mona Vanderwaal, portrayed by Janel Parrish, longed to be accepted into Alison's group and was continuously mocked by her. After Alison's disappearance, Mona befriended Hanna and they underwent an "extreme makeover" together; as a result, they both became popular students. When "A" appears, Mona becomes jealous of Hanna rekindling her friendships with the other Liars. She dislikes Caleb and makes attempts to break Hanna and Caleb up, though to no avail. She becomes romantically involved with Noel, much to Hanna's disapproval, but is later dumped by him for Jenna. When "A" begins sending Mona threatening notes, she grows closer to the Liars. In the second-season finale, she is in fact revealed to actually be "A" when she and Spencer travel to the Lost Woods Resort to uncover "A"'s lair. She is committed to a mental institution, Radley, after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

"A"

The main antagonist, "A" is stalking and torturing the Liars in relentless and creative ways and also threatens their friends and family. In the second-season finale, it is revealed that Mona is "A". She is also the one who stalked Alison before her disappearance. However, when she is sent to Radley sanitarium, she is visited by CeCe Drake, who offers her a partnership and takes over the team of "A"s, known as the A-Team. The team consists of Mona, Toby, Spencer, Sara, Lucas, Melissa, Wilden, Jenna, Noel, and Wren. Five years later, Alex Drake takes over and becomes Uber A, known as "A.D.", and forms the A.D. Team, consisting of Jenna, Sydney, Aria, Wren, Mona, and Mary.

Acquaintances of Aria Montgomery

The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Aria Montgomery, one of the protagonists of the series.

Family

Friends

Relationships

Other

Acquaintances of Spencer Hastings

The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Spencer Hastings, one of the protagonists of the series.

Family

Friends

Relationships

Other

Acquaintances of Hanna Marin

The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Hanna Marin, one of the protagonists of the series.

Family

Friends

Relationships

Other

Acquaintances of Emily Fields

The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Emily Fields, one of the protagonists of the series.

Family

Relationships

Friends

Other

Acquaintances of Alison DiLaurentis

The following characters are all family members and acquaintances of Alison DiLaurentis, one of the protagonists of the series.

Family

Relationships

Friends

Other

Other characters

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aria Montgomery</span> Fictional character

Aria Marie Fitz is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise created by American author Sara Shepard. Described as an “alternative” and artsy teen, the franchise revolves around Aria and her three best friends being blackmailed, stalked and tortured by an anonymous identity known as “A” after the disappearance of their friend Alison DiLaurentis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna Marin</span> Character in Pretty Little Liars book series

Hanna Olivia Marin is a fictional character created by Sara Shepard for the Pretty Little Liars book series, and later developed for the Freeform television series adaptation by I. Marlene King. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Ravenswood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spencer Hastings</span> Fictional character in Pretty Little Liars

Spencer Jill Hastings is a fictional character, one of the five main characters who appear in the Pretty Little Liars novel series and its Freeform television adaptation. Created by American author Sara Shepard, she is a member of the group known as the Liars, and is best friend to the four other members, who are protagonists of the story. Portrayed by Troian Bellisario, the character was developed for television by the series' showrunner I. Marlene King and appeared in each of the show's 160 episodes during its seven-years-long run, from its premiere on June 8, 2010, to its finale on June 27, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alison DiLaurentis</span> Fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars book series

Alison Lauren DiLaurentis is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars book series, its television adaptation, and the spin-off series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. The character was created by American author Sara Shepard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Hastings</span> Fictional character

Melissa Hastings is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. Created in 2006 by Sara Shepard for the book series, the character was later reworked by I. Marlene King, the developer of the television series, in which she is portrayed by Torrey DeVitto. An antiheroine, Melissa is sister to protagonist Spencer Hastings, and the daughter of Peter and Veronica Hastings. She is a fierce woman who does everything to succeed in her life goals. In print, she is a guest character, while on screen Melissa has a much bigger presence in the story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenna Marshall</span> Fictional character

Jenna Marshall is a fictional character created by I. Marlene King for the Freeform television series Pretty Little Liars and portrayed by Tammin Sursok. The character is based on Jenna Cavanaugh, who was created by Sara Shepard in the book series. Although in the novels Jenna is murdered in Heartless, in the show she is still alive. Jenna is a major recurring character in the first five seasons, acting as a member of the A-Team, while being absent for the sixth, and returning in the seventh, working as a helper to Uber A.

"Pilot" is the series premiere of the American mystery teen drama television series Pretty Little Liars. It introduces each of the main characters, as well as establishes the basic premises of the series. The episode aired on June 8, 2010, on ABC Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Fields</span> Fictional character

Emily Catherine Fields is a fictional character created in 2006 by author Sara Shepard. She is a character in both Pretty Little Liars' books and television series, and initially appears as a "jock girl" and one of the main protagonists of the story. She is part of the group known as the Liars; and is best friends with the four other members, who are also protagonists. Emily is known for her description and shyness, as well as for being part of a conservative family, the Fields.

"A" is a fictional character in the Pretty Little Liars franchise. Created by author Sara Shepard in 2006, the character serves as the main antagonist in both the television and book series. "A" has also appeared in the web series Pretty Dirty Secrets (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'A' Is for A-l-i-v-e</span> 1st episode of the 4th season of Pretty Little Liars

"'A' Is for A-l-i-v-e" is the first episode and premiere of the fourth season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, and is the 72nd episode overall, which aired on ABC Family on June 11, 2013. The episode was written and directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, marking the second episode King has directed for the TV series.

Red Coat (<i>Pretty Little Liars</i>) Fictional character

Red Coat is a fictional character on the television show Pretty Little Liars, which was adapted from the book series of same name. Introduced during the second-season finale, she became the primary antagonist of the third and fourth seasons. In Season 4, it is revealed there are 2 active Red Coat's, one being CeCe Drake, the other being Alison DiLaurentis. In Season 6, it is revealed there is a third red coat, this one being Sara Harvey.

"Hush, Hush, Sweet Liars" is the twentieth episode and the season finale of the sixth season and 140th episode overall on the Freeform mystery drama series Pretty Little Liars. The episode was broadcast on March 15, 2016. It was written by the series' showrunner I. Marlene King and directed by Ron Lagomarsino.

"How the 'A' Stole Christmas" is the thirteenth episode of the fifth season and 108th episode overall of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on December 9, 2014, on the cable network ABC Family. The episode was the series' first Christmas special and aired as part of the programming block 25 Days of Christmas. It was directed by I. Marlene King and co-written by King and Kyle Bown.

"Hit and Run, Run, Run" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on July 12, 2016, on the cable network Freeform. The episode was written by Maya Goldsmith and directed by Michael Goi.

"Original G'A'ngsters" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars, which aired on August 9, 2016, on the cable network Freeform. The hundred and forty-seventh episode of the series, it was directed by Melanie Mayron and written by Kateland Brown. The episode received a Nielsen rating of 0.6 and was viewed by 1.16 million viewers, up from the previous episode. It received positive reviews from critics.

The DArkest Knight (<i>Pretty Little Liars</i>) 10th episode of the 7th season of Pretty Little Liars

"The DArkest Knight" is tenth episode of the seventh season of the American mystery–thriller television series Pretty Little Liars. The installment was directed by Arlene Sanford and written by showrunner I. Marlene King and executive producer Maya Goldsmith. It premiered on August 30, 2016, on the cable network Freeform.

"Unmasked" is the season finale and the twenty-fifth episode of the second season of Pretty Little Liars, which premiered on ABC Family on March 19, 2012. The forty-seventh episode overall, it was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and written by series creator and showrunner I. Marlene King. The episode yielded 3.69 million viewers and a 1.6 demo rating, an increase from the previous episode. It received widespread acclaim from critics, with many noting the satisfying reveal and climactic final scenes, and is often noted as one of the best episodes of the series. In particular, the performances of Janel Parrish and Shay Mitchell received critical praise.

Sydney Driscoll is a fictional character in the Freeform television series adaption of the Pretty Little Liars book series, portrayed by Chloe Bridges. Driscoll is introduced as a false protagonist, only to be exposed as a member of Mona's army and a close friend of Jenna Marshall. Sydney returns in the series' seventh season, later revealed to be a helper of "A.D." and a member of the A-Team.

Till Death Do Us Part (<i>Pretty Little Liars</i>) 20th episode of the 7th season of Pretty Little Liars

"Till Death Do Us Part" is the series finale of Pretty Little Liars, which premiered on the Freeform network in the United States on June 27, 2017. The twentieth episode of the seventh season and the 160th overall, it was directed by showrunner I. Marlene King, who also co-wrote the episode alongside Kyle Bown and Maya Goldsmith. Shortly after the two-hour final episode, a special titled "A-List Wrap Party" was aired, in which the main cast and King talked about the show's end and behind-the-scenes exclusives.

"Escape from New York" is the first episode and the premiere of the fifth season of the American mystery drama television series Pretty Little Liars and the 96th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by showrunner I. Marlene King and directed by Norman Buckley, it aired on June 10, 2014 on ABC Family and was watched by 2.72 viewers.

References

  1. Biedenharn, Isabella. "Pretty Little Liars series finale recap: 'Til DeAth Do Us PArt'". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  2. "PLL Season 2 Episode 14 Recap Baby We Are BACK". Word Press. Word Press. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2017.