Lucy Hale was cast as Aria Montgomery in October 2009. Before her breakthrough role, she starred in the Lifetime original movie “Sorority Wars” and the 2008 feature “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.”
The pilot was shot in Vancouver in December 2009 when Lucy Hale was 20-years-old. Born on June 14, 1989, in Memphis, Tennessee, she was just days away from turning 21 when the series premiered on ABC Family on June 8, 2010.
Pretty Little Liars stars Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson at a promotional event in 2012 (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
The series ended on June 27, 2017, when Lucy Hale was 28-years-old. “Till Death Do Us Part,” the series finale of Pretty Little Liars, was the twentieth episode of the seventh season and the 160th overall.
“When people see you on TV every week, they just associate you with that character. They truly believe that I am Aria. People meet me on the street and assume that I’m really naïve and really young. I think people are always shocked to realize, ‘Oh my god, this girl’s a woman, she’s 26 years old!'” she said in an interview with V Magazine in August 2015.
Lucy Hale was 20 when making her debut as Aria Montgomery on Pretty Little Liars in 2010 (Credit: ABC Family)
Auditioning for Pretty Little Liars
Lucy Hale originally auditioned for the role of Hanna Marin. However, the part of Hanna ultimately went to Ashley Benson. Lucy Hale was later cast as Aria, one of the other main characters in the series.
Before starring together in “Pretty Little Liars,” Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson initially met as teenagers through MySpace. In a 2020 Wired Autocomplete Interview, Hale revealed that their connection formed when she was 15, facilitated by mutual friends, including Kendall Schmidt from “Big Time Rush.” Their first in-person meeting occurred at Disneyland, marking the beginning of their friendship.
Lucy Hale played Aria Montgomery from age 20 to 28, navigating high school secrets and growing up alongside the show (Credit: ABC Family)
Keeping Secrets in Pretty Little Liars
In “Pretty Little Liars,” the identity of the mysterious character ‘A’ was a closely guarded secret. It’s rumored that most of the cast members were privy to this secret, except for Lucy Hale. This exclusion was allegedly due to concerns that Hale might inadvertently reveal the secret, as she was perceived as not being particularly adept at keeping secrets.
Lucy Hale initially auditioned for the role of Hanna Marin in “Pretty Little Liars” but was ultimately cast as Aria Montgomery after the part went to Ashley Benson (Credit: ABC Family)
In a 2015 interview on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” Lucy Hale confessed to being known for accidentally spilling secrets.
“They won’t tell me,” she said. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried like listening at doors. I’ve tried, like, bribing the executive producers and writers. Because they know I would sit here with you, Seth, and it would like accidentally come out.”
Lucy Hale at the People’s Choice Awards 2016
In January 2016, Lucy Hale joined Ashley Benson and her other “Pretty Little Liars” co-stars on the red carpet at the 2016 People’s Choice Awards in a Gothic-inspired, lace-up frock.
Pretty Little Liars stars Troian Bellisario, Shay Mitchell, Ian Harding, Lucy Hale, and Ashley Benson pose in the press room during the People’s Choice Awards 2016 (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
At the 42nd People’s Choice Awards, the young actress was nominated for Favorite Cable TV Actress but lost to Sasha Alexander.
Lucy Hale wears her hair up in braids at the People’s Choice Awards 2016 at Microsoft Theater on January 6, 2016, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
She did walk away with one award, however, as “PLL” won Favorite Cable TV Drama, beating out “Bates Motel,” “The Fosters,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” and “Suits.”
The then-26-year-old actress was a fan of vampy looks at the time, which she pulled out in full force at the Los Angeles awards show.
At the People’s Choice Awards, Lucy Hale donned a Self Portrait lace-up flounced column dress, accessorized with a Lee Savage brass East Stack clutch, Vanessa Leu’s Wish Opaque Diamond statement ring and drop earrings, and Brian Atwood Besame pumps (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
The “Privileged” star embraced gothic glamour in a black Self Portrait dress, which showed some skin behind its lace and corset-style ribbons.
The ankle-length dress featured a cleavage-baring lace-up neckline and a textured sheer-paneled skirt.
A closer look at Lucy Hale’s captivating lace-up detail on her chic black lace Self-Portrait dress, an embodiment of intricate design and style (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
Lucy furthered the goth vibe by styling the dress with all-black accessories, including a pair of Vanessa Leu earrings, a matching ring, and a Lee Savage clutch.
The Wizards of Waverly Place actress wore her dark locks up in a chic Victorian-inspired braided updo, and she added dark red lipstick for a sultry pop of color.
Lucy Hale styles her black Self-Portrait dress with a pair of Brian Atwood heels (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
Lucy showed off her small feet in black calf hair Brian Atwood “Besame” pumps.
A detailed view of Lucy Hale’s fashionable choice in footwear: Brian Atwood pumps, adding a sophisticated touch to her ensemble (Credit: Brian To / Adriana M. Barraza / FayesVision / WENN)
These four-inch heels feature scalloped exterior sides and pointed toes:
Brian Atwood “Besame” Wave-Side Pumps, $865