Leaving their mark. Pretty Little Liars followed the lives of five best friends who receive threatening messages from a mysterious person named “A” — but it was their onscreen romances that really had fans talking.
In 2010, Freeform introduced the teen drama based on the book series of the same name written by Sara Shepard. The love story between Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz was a major topic of conversation due to their age difference.
Ahead of the show’s finale, Ian Harding weighed in his approach to the “taboo” romance. “For me, there wasn’t a lot to get over. You just said, ‘OK, well, this is a love story.’ It’s made easier by the fact that Lucy Hale is a very beautiful, twenty-something-year-old woman,” he told Glamour in May 2017. “You just play the love of these two people, and it’s the same sort of trials and tribulations that some relationships have. Like, ‘Should we do this? Should we not?'”
Harding continued: “I think people really identify with that. The fact that it’s the teacher relationship is an added taboo that is either titillating or gross, depending. But I try to play the love story to the best of my abilities.”
At the time, the actor also reflected on the next chapter of his life following the end of PLL. “It’s been a wonderful transition. I mean, this show was a part of my life for a near-decade, and it feels almost like my second stint in college,” he continued. “My real college experience was really lovely, and I have those friends until this day, but to the same comparison, I had days where I was in college and could not wait to leave. The same is true for Pretty Little Liars.”
Keegan Allen, for his part, also reflected on the impact his character, Toby Cavanaugh, continues to have on him.
“I’m always wondering what Toby is doing in the stratosphere because that character’s so close to me. I’m always interested in revisiting that as a new thing, because it’s something — that’s like a forever character, in a weird way, that’s a forever kind of like experience because so many people keep it alive,” the No Escape star told Glitter in February 2017. “They watch it. They dissect it, their views on it, and we’ve all grown up during that show. That’s an interesting show that I would definitely be interested in revisiting and just seeing pop in my head, and like, ‘What’s going on over here.'”
Scroll down to see what the love interests from Pretty Little Liars have been doing since the TV series came to an end:
Since wrapping up the role of Ezra, Harding has continued to appear on television with projects including Chicago Med, Magnum P.I. and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. The actor also starred in Office Uprising, Ford v Ferrari and The Hater. In August 2021, Us confirmed that Harding married his longtime girlfriend Sophie Hart. The couple tied the knot in 2019 after eight years of dating. MediaPunch/Shutterstock
After playing Toby, the California native published two photography books titled life.love.beauty and HOLLYWOOD: Photos and Stories from Foreverland. In 2017, Allen also started his "Foreverland" podcast. The musician booked roles on Major Crimes, What/If, Rick and Morty and currently stars opposite Jared Padalecki on The CW's Walker. Stewart Cook/Shutterstock
After guest starring on Charmed, Blackburn went on to score the role of Alex Manes on Roswell, New Mexico. The California native has also released several songs with the band Novi and his single "Can't Love Me" was featured on The CW series in 2019. That same year, Blackburn came out as bisexual. Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Following his time as Wren on PLL, the England native has appeared on Man in an Orange Shirt, The Morning Show, The Good Fight and Hallmark's A Royal Queens Christmas. In December 2021, Morris announced that he married Landon Ross after 18 years together. Stewart Cook/Shutterstock
Since his brief stint as Ezra's brother Wes, Sulkin has booked lead roles on Faking It, Runaways and Pretty Smart. The England native has also appeared on the big screen in A Mouse Tale, Don't Hang Up, Status Update, A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish, This Is the Year and is set to star in Oh, Boy!. Off screen, Sulkin dated Bella Thorne and was linked to Lexy Panterra. In October 2018, he made his relationship with Michelle Randolph public. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The New York native went on to appear on Training Day, Devious Maids and Titans. Acker has also starred in Spy Intervention, Last Survivors and the upcoming film Crimson Blues. Broadimage/Shutterstock
Following Maya's shocking death, Lawson starred in The Vampire Diaries, American Horror Story, Teen Wolf, Witches of East End and Rogue. The California native currently plays Darla on Queen Sugar. Broadimage/Shutterstock
Since playing Paige, the Nickelodeon alum scored roles on Suburgatory, Faking It, Hers and History and Lucifer. The Nebraska native was linked to her 10 Things I Hate About You costar Ethan Peck but they called it quits in 2010. In July 2021, Shaw announced that she was taking a break from social media after receiving backlash for comments she made about a dance on TikTok that was made popular by Black creators. Devon Werkheiser, who worked with Shaw on Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, showed support for his former costar. Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
After her time as Samara, the Australia native moved on to playing Rebekah Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries, The Originals and Legacies. Holt also starred alongside David Duchovny and Grey Damon on NBC's Aquarius. On the big screen, the actress booked roles in 47 Meters Down opposite Mandy Moore, The Divorce Party, A Violent Separation and Untitled Horror Movie. Holt was married to Matthew Kaplan from 2016 to 2017. Following her divorce, the Mean Girls 2 star moved on with Andrew Joblon and the pair exchanged vows in August 2018. Five months ahead of their nuptials, Holt revealed that she suffered a miscarriage. The former CW star welcomed son James in March 2019 and daughter Elle in September 2020. Shutterstock
Since playing Noel, the Ohio native starred in Dear White People, Freakish, Lost Star and a role in the film Fifty Shades Freed. Daugherty later transitioned to Hallmark projects including Timeless Love, Mingle All the Way, The Baker's Son and A Royal Runaway Romance. In 2019, Daugherty got married to Kimberly Hidalgo. They twosome announced that they were expecting their first child one year later. Their son Wilder arrived in March 2021. Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
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