By Lesley McKenzie
Photography by Dennis Leupold
Styled by Dani Michelle
“With acting,I’d feel like I could hide behind whatever I was doing,and I’d feel almost like I was a different person.” —Lucy Hale
“I have to have some sort of secrecy and mystery about me,” says “Pretty Little Liars” star Lucy Hale.
Sipping on an iced coffee outside the studio in Burbank, California, where the Freeform (formerly ABC Family) show is filmed, the 5-foot, 2-inch brunette is weighing the pros and cons of social media. And with 15 million followers on Instagram alone (@lucyhale), there’s no denying the 27-year-old Tennessee native has mastered the art of capturing her life in snapshots.
“You have to set your own personal boundaries, what works for you and what doesn’t; what you want to share and what you don’t want to share,” says Hale, dressed in Lululemon workout gear. “I feel like there’s no need for people to be with me when I’m eating or at the gym or at my doctor’s appointments.”
It’s a line Hale has learned how to draw over the years since being cast as Aria Montgomery, a fan-favorite character in the teen drama loosely based on the Sara Shepard book series of the same name. Now in its seventh and final season, “PLL” will air its last episode in 2017, and Hale will say goodbye to the career-defining role that spanned her twenties. “It will be weird not dressing up in Aria’s wardrobe and saying her lines,” says Hale, recalling her character’s signature bohemian style. “I’ve spent more time with the [“PLL”] cast and the crew than I have my actual family these past seven years. We’ve literally experienced births of babies, we’ve had deaths, and highs and lows.”
As reluctant as Hale is to say farewell to Aria and her “PLL” cast-mates, she’s also ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead for her as an accomplished actress and musician. The youngest of two, Hale’s musical talent was evident early on while growing up in Memphis. It wasn’t until she enrolled in acting classes at age 13 that her gift for performing became apparent, too. “I was always shy,” she explains. “With acting, I’d feel like I could hide behind whatever I was doing, and I’d feel almost like I was a different person.”
When she turned 15, Hale packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles with her mother to take her chances in Hollywood. “I think if I would have been a little older or had more knowledge about how difficult it really is, I never would have come out here,” Hale reflects. “I’m so grateful that we were just blinded by it all.”
Christian Siriano suit, available at Neiman Marcus at Bal Harbour Shops, christiansiriano.com; Giuseppe Zanotti pumps, available at Bal Harbour Shops, giuseppezanottidesign.com; Gabriela Artigas choker, gabrielaartigas.com; earrings are stylist’s own.
Their naivete paid off. Within a year, Hale landed a small part on the Nickelodeon show “Drake & Josh.” At age 18, her big break came when she was cast in the short-lived NBC series “Bionic Woman” (2007), followed by roles in “Wizards of Waverly Place” (2007) on Disney Channel and comedy-drama series “Privileged” (2008) on The CW, before landing her “PLL” role in 2010.
While hard work definitely played a part, Hale also believes that luck factored in to her career path. “I have friends who have been out here the same amount of time and are still living paycheck to paycheck and going to 20 auditions a week,” she says.
“PLL” may have been Hale’s main focus for the last seven years, but her musical aspirations were never too far in the background. In 2014, Hale released her first studio album, “Road Between,” a well-received collection of country songs.
“I think a lot of people put me in a box and thought it would be easier for me,” she says, recalling some of the challenges she faced winning over music fans as an already established actress. Ultimately, people “could tell that this wasn’t just someone paying me to release a record. This was something I really cared deeply about.”
When she’s not on set or in studio, Hale is most likely working out (she’s an admitted SoulCycle fiend), hiking or enjoying alone time in her new house in L.A. (“It’s my sanctuary”). On long weekends she flies to visit family and soak up the slower pace of life in Memphis, which she still considers home. She spent a lot of time in Florida during family vacations to Destin, where her sister later got married. (“Florida is very special to me,” she says.) But ultimately, it’s L.A. where she has found her niche.
“I feel like this is a town of creative people that I never had growing up,” she says. “I never felt like the friends around me got it. I always got teased a little bit for singing and wanting that. Everyone else was a cheerleader or whatever it was and nobody really got it.”
As the end of “PLL” draws near, Hale is open to the types of projects she hopes to pursue in the future, from musicals to horror flicks—even another TV show if the right opportunity comes knocking. Until then, Hale devotees can get their fix with the upcoming film, “Dude,” which Hale shot over 20 days on hiatus from “PLL.”
“It was 18-hour days, but so much fun, with a lot of up-and-coming actors and actresses,” she says of the indie “dramedy” centered around four best friends from high school. “It was so free.”
Hale may even find herself behind the camera, too, “maybe producing, definitely writing,” she says. “I don’t say ‘no’ to anything.”
Emilio Pucci embroidered top, available at Aventura Mall, emiliopucci.com; Alexis Bittar earrings, available at Bloomingdale’s at Aventura Mall, alexisbittar.com.
Boss Hugo Boss dress, available at Aventura Mall, hugoboss.com; vintage earrings.
AQ/AQ top, aqaq.com; Ralph Lauren Collection pant, available at Bal Harbour Shops, ralphlauren.com; Chanel brooch, available at Bal Harbour Shops, chanel.com; Alexis Bittar cuff, available at Bloomingdale’s at Aventura Mall, alexisbittar.com; Loeffler Randall sandal, available at Nordstrom at Aventura Mall, loefflerrandall.com.
Photographer: Dennis Leupold/No Name Management
Stylist: Dani Michelle/No Name Management
Stylist assistant: Rum Brady
Producers: No Name Management
Photographer’s assistants: Joe Perez and Winston Kingston
Hair: Kristin Ess
Makeup: Kelsey Deenihan
Location: McCaddenSpace
Originally appeared in the Fall 2016 Issue.
