Top 10 Surprising Roles by Pretty Little Liars Stars

Horror is a great and marketable genre for actors or filmmakers starting out in the business. So, it’s perhaps not that surprising to learn that the second movie on Lucy Hale’s filmography is a direct-to-video thriller that plays out like a cross between "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and "The Usual Suspects." Predating "Pretty Little Liars" by a year, "Fear Island" contains hints of the actress Hale would mature into during the TV series. Considering the plot revolves around a mystery killer hunting down teenagers, "Fear Island" almost feels like a "Pretty Little Liars" audition tape.

The "Fifty Shades" trilogy may not be recognized as high art, but all three films made bank at the box office despite receiving a thorough licking from critics. Landing a bit-part role could boost someone's career, even if it is definitely weird to see the wicked Noel Kahn acting as Ana's bodyguard. Although Brant Daugherty's role mostly amounts to a lot of emotionless standing around, the "Pretty Little Liars" actor delivers a fine enough performance. Considering Daugherty showed himself to be more than capable of turning on the charms as Noel, he honestly feels underutilized in "Fifty Shades Freed".

Starring Kirsten Dunst and Eliza Dushku as cheerleaders, 2000's "Bring It On" opened first at the box office and, despite somewhat mixed reviews, has become something of a teen cult classic. Three direct-to-video sequels later and Ashley Benson shows up as a passionate cheerleader who misplaces a mystical stick and causes the whole squad to be cursed by the "Cheer Gods." Suffice to say, this film approaches "so bad it's good" territory, while also serving as a strange "Pretty Little Liars" alternate reality where Benson's Hanna actually became a cheerleader.

Remember when Emma Roberts had a Nickelodeon show? We bet you didn't realize that your favorite high school hacker from Rosewood guest-starred in two episodes! Prior to landing the part of Caleb Rivers in "Pretty Little Liars", he played a waiter named Nathan in the two-parter “The Perfect Moment” back in 2005. He shares a cute moment with Addie’s BFF Geena when they lock eyes at an event after he drops his food tray. Although nothing really comes of their first meeting, they meet again at the end of a party and share some dessert together. It’s crazy to think that he would play Hanna’s boyfriend only 5 years later!

No surprise will ever top the fact Sasha Pieterse was only 14 when the actress first portrayed Alison DiLaurentis in “Pretty Little Liars,” but a short but sweet turn in a strange Paul Thomas Anderson film comes in at a close second. Understandably overshadowed by the star-studded cast, Sasha portrays a runaway with a talent for snappy one-liners and succeeds in making every second of screen-time count. Sharing a scene with Joaquin Phoenix must be on many actors' bucket lists and Sasha more than holds her own. If you’ve ever wished to see Alison take a trip to the 1970s, "Inherent Vice" scratches that extremely specific itch.

"Pretty Little Liars" ended in 2017, leaving many fans wondering what the future held in store for those moving on from Rosewood. Luckily, Lucy Hale quickly put these questions to bed by showing up in "Blumhouse's Truth or Dare," a horror movie about teenagers stuck in the deadliest trust game ever. Just ten months after the end of the series, Lucy surprisingly resurfaced as the main character in a successful horror film that spent four weeks in the US box office's top 10 highest grossing releases. That’s certainly an improvement from “Fear Island”!

Before causing millions of "Pretty Little Liars" fans to cry ugly tears, a 13-year-old Spencer Hastings became the envy of many '90s kids by starring in a movie alongside the Olsen Twins. An unknown player at the time, Troian Bellisario's 5 minutes of screen-time is mainly devoted to a lot of giggling, although the actress still arguably turns in one of the movie's better performances. It is always a bit weird when a soon-to-be-famous person shows up in a barely remembered throwaway film , but that does not make this blast from Troian's past any less surprising!

Mona has awful luck when it comes to dolls. Way before A conjured up a dollhouse to torment the Liars; Mona's actress, Janel, portrayed the live-action version of a "Bratz" toy in a musical better left forgotten. Bombing commercially and amassing an aggregate score of 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was just about the least flattering debut feature a young actress could ask for. Along with the other three main girls, Janel earned a Golden Raspberry nomination for Worst Actress before ultimately losing out to Lindsay Lohan. Suffice it to say, "Pretty Little Liars" is a massive step up from "Bratz."

If someone is famous and Canadian, at one point or another, they probably have shown up in an episode of "Degrassi." Starting out as a model before transitioning into acting, Shay Mitchell made her television debut in a 2009 installment of "Degrassi: The Next Generation." Portraying a model who dropped out of school, Mitchell apparently made the most of this brief role, as – within a few months – the actress would be cast as Emily Fields in "Pretty Little Liars." The clean and kid-friendly "Degrassi" universe is quite a departure from the betrayal capital exchanged in the world of Rosewood

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Amanda Strazzulla in “Heroes: Slow Burn”
Sasha Pieterse

Nuzo's Daughter in “Last Rites” (1988)
Troian Bellisario

Marjorie in “Aquamarine” (2006)
Tammin Sursok

Acting as a counterbalance to Rosewood's plethora of backstabbers and schemers, Ashley Benson's Hanna stands out as a genuinely nice and stylish person. However, in a previous life, the innocent Hanna found herself embroiled in a deadly murder mystery involving witches, demons, and the Winchester brothers. Her character of Tracy Davis in "Supernatural" is about as far removed from "Pretty Little Liars'" Hanna as realistically possible. After seven years of the caring and sweet Hanna, going back in time to see her as a witch trying to raise a little (or rather a lot of) hell is a bit too shocking of a change to fully accept.