Alison DiLaurentis
So these our the interviews with the cast, but these interviews are'nt by us, I have asked Lucy Hale and Shay Mitchell if I caould interview them, they have not responded yet, but wish me luck!
Sasha Pieterse
Q: Tell us a little bit about your character Alison DiLaurentis.
A: She is very feisty. She’s the queen bee of the school, and the girls. There’s five best friends, and she kind of rules over them. She’s like Regina George [from Mean Girls]. She’s very manipulative, but at the same time, she’s got a really sweet side too. She really does care for the girls, but she kind of has them under her thumb.
Q: Are you anything like her at all?
A: Um, I like her style, and I kind of like the way she does things. She’s fun to play. I can kind of relate to her, I guess.
Q: You have read the books. What about the books have you taken and brought to Ali? And what did you enjoy most about the books?
A: First of all, I love Sara [Shepard's] writing. Everything is so, so detailed and graphic. You can visualize everything, and I love that about it. And I love how she describes every characters so immensely — it’s just amazing how she does [it]. It’s kind of nice just to bring Alison alive. Because in the books, too, she describes her and so to put a face to Alison is really important because there are a lot of flashbacks in the books. And I think the show is a better understanding of who Alison is, which is good. I think the fans will really enjoy it
Q: Do you have a favorite moment from filming the show so far?
A:There’s been a few. In Vancouver [where the pilot was filmed], it was freezing, it was like negative seven degree weather, which was crazy. And there’s one scene where Troian [Bellisario, who plays Spencer] and I are in our bathing suits outside. It’s supposed to be this nice summer day, we have all the lights on, it looks summer-y from the camera side. And then there’s snow falling in Troian’s hair and my hair but you can see more in Troian’s. So they had to cut the taping, and put something over her. We had to put a canopy over us so you couldn’t see the snow. And then we’re breathing really hard, so you can see the air, so we had breathe through our noses and all that kind of stuff. It was fun, actually.
Q: Has playing Ali been a challenge to you at all? Since to the viewers, we’re not sure if she’s alive or dead.
A: I think every role is a challenge, and Ali for sure, because you really have to get all of her layers, because she has so many. And right now, no one really knows if she’s dead or alive, or who’s sending the messages. There’s so many secrets, so you have to play it in a way that you don’t give away anything, but at the same time, people really get Ali. So yeah, it’s a challenge, but it’s fun and I love it.
Q: You’ve been acting since you were very little. What makes this show different from others you’ve worked on?
A: Actually being in a series is great because it’s different every week. There’s so many secrets and so many details that you never get bored. You’re always doing something different, and there’s always different circumstances and different areas and things that you wouldn’t normally see. There’s a lot of shows [where] the same thing sort of happens every week. I think especially in teen shows too because it’s the drama and the boys and the clothes. And this has that aspect, but because there’s so many secrets, and because it’s almost like a murder mystery, it’s a Mean Girls/Gossip Girl/Desperate Housewives sort of feel for teens. I think it’s really cool for the viewers and for us because we’re never bored, they’re never bored, you’re always doing something different and seeing something different which I think is really good.
Q: And are you all friends off set as well?
A: Oh yeah. I know the girls hang out all the time. They go shopping, and so do I. We all have busy schedules but we make time to check in and see each other when we’re not filming. We’re a good little family.
Q: What TV are you watching lately and what are your favorite TV shows?
A: Oh my gosh. I love So You Think You Can Dance. My parents are professional dancers, so we all sit down and watch it. The show is just amazing, and the talent is absolutely incredible. I love the comedies. I love Big Bang Theory, New Adventures of Old Christine. I love Two and a Half Men.
Hanna Marin
Ashley Benson
Q: When you first signed on to this show, did you have any idea of what kind of level of success it would bring, how big of a show it would become?
A: No, not at all. When I first went to the cable, they were telling us that it was going to be; they just thought it was going to be successful and me and the other girls were kind of like, we hope for it, we hope for it, but you never know. So, we filmed the pilot and we waited to hear if it got picked up and it did, and then we filmed and started airing it and it just went out of control, so I had no idea. But it’s pretty amazing to be part of something that you think could be successful and then it starts to actually happen and go above and beyond is unreal, so it’s really awesome.
Q: What has been the most challenging aspect to the role for you?
A: Everything kind of goes pretty easy. Going into Hefty Hanna — what really helped me was getting the fat suit on. When I have it on, I just feel like her and it’s a lot easier to play and all that.
Q: Do you have a favorite moment from filming the show so far?
A: Probably just working with the girls. It’s so nice to come to work and like the cast. We all get along so well. We have the best crew and the best producers and they make it a lot of fun.
Q: What’s the best lie you ever told?
A: The best lie? I don’t know, I don’t tell lies! I would say homework lies. When I was in school, I never did my homework and I always told my mom that I did. I tell white lies.
Aria Montgomery
Lucy Hale
Q: Would you say your anything like Aria at all?
A: Yeah, we’re both really stubborn. I feel like when Aria gets something in her head, she can’t drop it or let it go, and that’s definitely me in real life. And we’re both very headstrong. I don’t think I was quite as mature as Aria at 16. But we definitely have a lot of similarities, and not a lot of differences.
Q: Are you like any of the other characters?
A: think I can identify with bits and pieces of each girl. With Hanna, she has insecurities. I feel like every girl has those. Spencer is always trying to live up to something. Her sister got all the attention, so she’s trying to live up to some unknown standard. I feel like a lot of people go through that. And with Emily, she’s confused. She’s confused about her sexuality. A lot of people go through that. So I feel like people can pick and choose from all the different storylines and be like “Oh, I’m going through that” or “I’m dealing with that” so it’s really great.
Q: What would you say has been the biggest challenge to the role for you so far?
A: It’s definitely interesting when I do all the scenes with the girls where we’re basically being stalked. At some point, we’re like “This person’s going to kill us.” So it’s interesting and difficult tapping into that whole mindset of not knowing not necessarily if we’re going to live but just knowing that something happened to our best friend and knowing that the person is still out there, because I’ve never experienced that in real life. The whole murder aspect is a little more challenging.
Q: So, are you Team Mr.Fitz or Team Noel Kahn?
A: Fitz! Fitz!
Q: Do you have a favourite episode?
A: I really liked the pilot and the finale. Because I went back and re-watched some of the episodes, and the pilot was so well done. We introduce the characters and I feel like everyone really made an impact. And the finale for obvious reasons was just insane.
Emily Fields
Shay Mitchell
Q: What originally drew you to the role? I know you originally tried out for the role of Spencer.
A: Everything from just hearing the title. I got the call from my manager and she was like I have this pilot called Pretty Little Liars and I was like “Stop. How cool is that title?” She’s like “I know, but let me tell you more about the storyline.” So really, I didn’t know too much about it when I auditioned for it. I had my character’s background, and that’s kind of where I got the whole idea of what it was. After getting further along in the audition process, I did a Google search and a whole bunch came up at me. I got that it was a book series, and had a very big popular fan base. So that’s kind of where I found out about all that. I only really knew about my character, but the title was amazing.
Q: Yeah well, it's a really good title! And are you anything like Emily at all?
A: There are some qualities about Emily — especially when she’s with her four friends — sometimes the things she does, I’m like “Oh, I’d be that same way.” I think she has a lot of respectful qualities about her. One: she’s extremely loyal to her friends. She can keep a secret. I’m sure that if you were to tell your secret to someone, you should tell it to Emily. She’s the smoother-over. She wants everything to be good, so she tries to keep the peace in her group of friends. I like that about her, and I try to do the same in my group of friends, so those qualities.
Q: Have you gotten a lot of feedback on the Emily and Maya storyline?
A: I have. Some of the most amazing comments I’ve been getting was that the show has really helped them out a lot, they’ve been able to find themselves a little bit more. And from the older fan base, they’re messaging me saying they wish the show as on ten years ago when they were in high school, it really would have helped them out to know that someone else is going through the same thing. And I think it’s awesome. The fact that teens are watching this, sometimes with their family, the subject may be a little bit easier to talk about, or start talking about, because it’s right there, and we’re not hiding from it. I think it’s very cool. So yes, I have been getting very good feedback.
Q: You read the books. Did you take any of what you read and bring it into your portrayal of Emily?
A: Oh totally. I think for an actor to have such an amazing back story, with the books being written about her and any other character, it’s amazing to go in with. That’s who the fans loved when they heard about Pretty Little Liars. They got to love the Emily that was written about, so of course I had to take that on, along with other things to make it a little bit different. Because I am playing it and it’s coming from my imagination on the show. So yes, I did take a huge, huge chunk of what Sara had written about her. And from reading it, I feel like her spirit came into me and that’s what I’ve been playing with. Not all the events are the same that happen in the books, so with that, I have to do my own take on what I feel Emily would do. And that’s kind of been what I’ve been doing.
Spencer Hastings
Troian Bellisario
Q: When you first signed on to the show did you anticipate it would be such a huge phenomenon?
A: Everybody was very excited about it, and they seemed to be behind closed doors like “This is going to be huge” And then outside of those closed doors they’d be like “Let’s hope!” So you never really know and I think everybody was really excited about it and really excited to work on it. But you never know.
Q: Are you anything like Spencer at all?
Q: Yeah well, it's a really good title! And are you anything like Emily at all?
A: There are some qualities about Emily — especially when she’s with her four friends — sometimes the things she does, I’m like “Oh, I’d be that same way.” I think she has a lot of respectful qualities about her. One: she’s extremely loyal to her friends. She can keep a secret. I’m sure that if you were to tell your secret to someone, you should tell it to Emily. She’s the smoother-over. She wants everything to be good, so she tries to keep the peace in her group of friends. I like that about her, and I try to do the same in my group of friends, so those qualities.
Q: Have you gotten a lot of feedback on the Emily and Maya storyline?
A: I have. Some of the most amazing comments I’ve been getting was that the show has really helped them out a lot, they’ve been able to find themselves a little bit more. And from the older fan base, they’re messaging me saying they wish the show as on ten years ago when they were in high school, it really would have helped them out to know that someone else is going through the same thing. And I think it’s awesome. The fact that teens are watching this, sometimes with their family, the subject may be a little bit easier to talk about, or start talking about, because it’s right there, and we’re not hiding from it. I think it’s very cool. So yes, I have been getting very good feedback.
Q: You read the books. Did you take any of what you read and bring it into your portrayal of Emily?
A: Oh totally. I think for an actor to have such an amazing back story, with the books being written about her and any other character, it’s amazing to go in with. That’s who the fans loved when they heard about Pretty Little Liars. They got to love the Emily that was written about, so of course I had to take that on, along with other things to make it a little bit different. Because I am playing it and it’s coming from my imagination on the show. So yes, I did take a huge, huge chunk of what Sara had written about her. And from reading it, I feel like her spirit came into me and that’s what I’ve been playing with. Not all the events are the same that happen in the books, so with that, I have to do my own take on what I feel Emily would do. And that’s kind of been what I’ve been doing.
Spencer Hastings
Troian Bellisario
Q: When you first signed on to the show did you anticipate it would be such a huge phenomenon?
A: Everybody was very excited about it, and they seemed to be behind closed doors like “This is going to be huge” And then outside of those closed doors they’d be like “Let’s hope!” So you never really know and I think everybody was really excited about it and really excited to work on it. But you never know.
Q: Are you anything like Spencer at all?
A: I definitely [am] — my school work was really important to me, and I was definitely a perfectionist growing up. But she’s so much more put together than I ever was.
Q: Are we going to see any more cracks in her perfection?
A: Oh yeah! I think that’s really all you’re going to see on this show.
Q: Do you have a favourite moment from filming the show so far?
A: I do, but I actually can’t talk about it. It’s this one scene that’s just beautiful and such a cool moment between Spencer and somebody you would never expect.
Q: And what has been the biggest challenge for you?
A: My biggest challenge is always whenever we shoot flashbacks because we seem to be in the least amount of clothing possible, and it always seems to be at night. And so my biggest challenge is trying to act warm. That’s the hardest thing for me.
Q: Are you interested in branching out into movies?
A: Oh definitely
