Spencer Hastings can truly do it all. That girl can speak multiple languages, pick locks, quote Shakespeare and play field hockey like nobody’s business. It’s no surprise that the actress who plays her is just as multi-talented. Besides giving arguably one of the best acting performances on the show, Troian Bellisario can now also add “director” to her list of Pretty Little Liars credits. The 30-year-old sat down in the director’s chair for episode 15 of season 7, “In the Eye Abides the Heart,” and her cast and crew couldn’t help but share their excitement for her.
Bellisario’s episode of PLL won’t air until season 7b, but at least we got a taste of what it was like for her and all the other Liars when she stepped behind the camera. Lucy Hale (who plays Aria Montgomery) was the first of the Liars to get directed by Bellisario and she shared her support on Instagram.
I’m lucky enough to get to act in Troian’s first scene as a director. I’m proud proud proud 🌟 @sleepinthegardn (ps thank you @patrickjadams for the coffee cart!)
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Show creator I. Marlene King echoed Hale’s sentiment by sharing the same photo. Shay Mitchell (who plays Emily Fields) and Ashley Benson (who plays Hanna Marin) both took to Snapchat to share their excitement during the episode’s table read. The video below (from Benson’s Snapchat) shows the cast and crew erupting in applause when Marlene King says, “directed by Troian Bellisario” at the episode’s table read.
[VIDEO] Ashley Benson on snapchat 15 August #BensonUpdates pic.twitter.com/YUOG4vpba6
— Ashley Benson Spain (@AshBenzoSpain_) August 15, 2016
The boyfriends of PLL didn’t shy away from sharing their love for Troian either. Keegan Allen (who played Spencer’s longtime boyfriend Toby) also shared a photo of his on-screen ex at the start of her directing week. He didn’t share a photo from on-set, which only adds fuel to the theory that Toby dies off in season 7. Whether that’s the case or not, his sentiment to his co-star was touching. Team Spoby always.
Troian Bellisario Actor, Writer, and now my new favorite Director 🌟 very proud of this mega talented human
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No photo was shared by her latest on-screen ex, Caleb Rivers (played by Tyler Blackburn), but he did mention how excited he was about it on Twitter.
So stoked for her!! 🎬 https://t.co/Th8c4U60ac
— Tyler Blackburn (@tylerjblackburn) August 17, 2016
Even Ian Harding (who plays Ezra Fitz) jumped on the support train. Though Harding played the Liars’ teacher, not much of an age gap actually exists between them. That being said, you might think there’s a big one between them after reading his cute, dad-trying-to-be-hip caption:
T Bells doing her thang. So excited and so happy to have her at the helm. #director #killingit #iamnotworthy @sleepinthegardn
Bellisario wears a jacket which reads “What Would Patti Smith Do?”. The singer-songwriter is her long-time icon, according to Just Jared Jr.
As fans, we can’t help but be just as excited as the cast and crew seem to be about Bellisario’s upcoming episode. We already know she’s a pro at the acting game, and seven years on the series would definitely have offered her some perspective in directing. No one would know the show better, and we can’t wait to see her take on Pretty Little Liars.
Day 3. Im in almost everything today so Kenny rigged me this apparatus for my iPhone to watch my rehearsals. Everyone is killing it around me. (Which makes me look so much better) #director #actor #spencer
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Pretty Little Liars airs Tuesdays at 8pm on Freeform.
(Images and video courtesy of Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV