Troian Bellisario actually grew up in the spotlight! Before becoming the star of Pretty Little Liars in 2010, the actress was a child star. In fact, almost her entire family is in the entertainment industry, so it’s no surprise that she made it big.
After starting her career at the age of three, Troian nabbed a few smaller parts before PLL came along and the character of Spencer Hastings was introduced to the world. She played the role for the show’s entire run, from 2010 to 2017.
“It’s been a blast these seven years,” the actress told E! News in September 2016. “I’m so excited to be closing out this chapter on Spencer, to be closing out this chapter on the world, and to be closing out this chapter on my life. Everything is going to be wrapped up. It’s so exciting.”
Years after the show came to an end, Trioan looked back at the its legacy, revealing that — at its core — PLL was “about women supporting women.”
“What was enduring about Pretty Little Liars is that it’s about women supporting women being who they are, and protecting them against outside forces, whether that’s a fellow classmate who’s blackmailing them or whether that’s a much more grounded experience that another woman might be experiencing in everyday life,” she told Teen Vogue in July 2022. “I think it’s all about the friendship of those core girls and how they operate as a unit in the world.”
Once the show officially wrapped, Troian spent time with her husband, Patrick J. Adams, and their two kids. The actress also started to share more about her mental health struggles.
“They’re teaching me a lot about boundaries and a lot about limits. I’ve always operated as if the limit does not exist, and I will just push myself and push myself and push myself until I have nothing left to give and my body collapses or [I] get sick,” Troian told Wondermind in September 2022 of her children. “With kids, you can’t do that. I’ve come up against my bottom and realized that I can’t push myself because it’s not safe for them. I can’t only devote myself to serving and caring for them because if the bottom drops out on me, that’s an unsafe environment for them.”
Click through our gallery to see Troian’s transformation over the years.
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