This isn’t unusual, of course.
TakeOne Tree Hill,for instance.
The star of the series, Chad Michael Murray, played 16-year-old high school student Lucas Scott.
However,Murray was 21when the series premiered.
AlthoughPretty Little Liars' cast were not actually high schoolers in real life, the show was stillsuper successful.
Though it ended in 2017, the series has remained in the hearts of fans everywhere.
Nevertheless, we can’t help but think about the OG cast.
Thankfully,Lucy Halewasn’t actually 16 years old when she secured the role as Aria.
By the time the show premiered in 2020,Hale was 20 years old.
They truly believe that I am Aria.
People meet me on the street and assume that I’m really naive and really young.
(viaTeen Vogue).
Clearly, playing a high schooler for so long really effected the way that people viewedLucy Halein real life.
In an interview withMarie Claire,Bellisario explained that she had a complicated relationship with her character.
“But the more I grow, the more I grow away from her.
“Bellisarioadded that she went to a physical high school, which gave her some perspective.
They are involved in circumstances I’d hopefully never be involved with, though,” she said.
Played byAshley Benson, Hannah had previously struggled with her weight and fitting in with her peers.
While Benson herself was 20 by the time the show premiered,Hannah was just 16.
Still, Benson wasn’tthatfar removed from her teenage years at the time.
Although Alison wasn’t in many of the episodes of the earlier seasons (because spoiler!
And, as it turns out,Sasha Pieterse was actually muchyoungerthan her character in Season 1.
In an interview withCosmopolitan,Pieterse explained that the age difference was always interesting to her.
But, after a few years had passed, Pieterse outgrew Alison.
“And now I’m older than Ali is supposed to be,” she continued.
Playing both older and younger than her actual age surely presented a challenge for the actor.
But, a challenge that she totally nailed nonetheless.
However, many would argue that the relationship was stillinappropriate.
Despite the controversyEzriacaused, Harding was able to get to know his similarly aged character.
In an interview withThe Advocate,Blackburn explained how it all went down.
“I felt the pressure from all sides to have (it) figured out,” he revealed.
“And I think for the longest time, I suppressed more of my attraction to men.
Yes, she ended up being a lot more intense than viewers initially imagined.
Lawson has actually been playing a teenager since the 1990s.
I’m like, ‘Right, but Ireallyam this age,'” Lawson explained in an interview withComplex.
Playing a teen might not have been Lawson’s ideal role, but she certainly made it work.
Mona was played byJanel Parrish, who really was the perfect actor for the part.
“You just have to have confidence in yourself and be strong.
I think young girls can definitely relate to the show.
“Janel Parrishjustgotteenage girls, despite the fact that she wasn’t one when she played the role.
Paige, played by Lindsay Shaw, was another interesting character.
And with her romantic interests and susceptibility to become a villain, she didn’t seem all that young.
That makes sense, given Shaw was already 22 when she first appeared onPretty Little Liarsin 2011.
However, that wasn’t the first time Shaw played someone younger than herself.
Around that time, Shaw was interviewed byThe Star Scoop.
She explained that she liked playing a younger character.
Interestingly,Sursokwas 27 years old when the series premiered, meaning she was a fulldecadeolder than her character.
Nevertheless, she got a little tired of playing a teen.
Additionally, Sursok explained that she wanted to play more mature roles.
“And I have different fears and pain that isn’t that of a teenager.”
Sursok’s frustration with being typecast is understandable, but her role as Jenna was still remarkable.
This includes Lucas Gottesman, the somewhat nerdy friend of Hannah Marin, played byBrendan Robinson.
Robinson was 20 years old whenPretty Little Liarspremiered, making him only four years older than his character.
But one thing that confused viewers was how old CeCe was supposed to be.
That said,Raywas actually 31 when she started filming the show.
“There was more to her than just being a villain.”
Ray said she starting asking questions, like “When did she become victimized?
How did she become a villain?”
