Hayley Erin – Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists

By starrymag | March 20, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) Please tell us the premise for “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.”

A) It’s just a really fun, sexy murder-mystery. It kind of takes the genre and turns it on its head. I think the cast is really funny and it’s really sexy, too. There is so much lust and cool wardrobes. It’s just a really cool show set in a really cool town. I can’t wait for everyone to get to explore Beacon Heights.

Q) How was your character originally described to you?

A) It’s so funny because the character has been kept so secretive from the fans and also from me. I learned a lot about the character as we shot the show. I’d get the scripts and race through them trying to find whatever I could about her.

Q) Was there anything you added to her that may not have initially been scripted?

A) Because it’s been a discovery as we’ve been shooting the episodes, I feel like the character was a collaboration between me and producers and directors. I got to have fun with her. She’s really a fun and different character. She’s so different than any character I’ve played before. I feel like I got to put in my two cents and also take some really cool direction from other people who had great, different ideas than I did. She sort of formed herself and now moving forward, knock on wood for Season 2, you have a good idea of who she is and what she stands for.

Q) What sets “The Perfectionists” apart from the origin show?

A) I think it’s really cool that the main core cast includes male characters now. It’s something that is a little different than “Pretty Little Liars.” There were boyfriends, husbands, dads and brothers, but now some of the main characters are male, which is cool. I think it’s nice that the characters are a little bit older. It’s a college town now. Even though “Pretty Little Liars” is as mature as this show is, it’s nice to have the characters kind of growing up with everyone who has been watching the show.

Q) How is Beacon Heights different than Rosewood?

A) What I loved about this show was that we were on location a lot in Portland. It has a really different feel from Rosewood. First of all, being in the Pacific Northwest it looks totally different. You also get a really good sense of the landscape. It’s so cool the way we’ve been able to go out to state parks and shoot and really build a town – give it a feeling and a sense of a real place out in the world. I really enjoyed that aspect. I think there is a whole new aspect of local haunts and local restaurants and characters filling up the halls of the school. As similar as the tone of the show can be, it’s all very new and I think that’s what is going to be so fun for the shows to experience and explore. It’s a whole new place.

Q) Were you a “Pretty Little Liars” fan before joining this show?

A) I do this thing and it’s really dumb…I will admit. I like to save shows until they are done airing. I don’t know why I do it. I just love to binge things and so “Pretty Little Liars” was one of the shows I knew I always wanted to watch. I saved it specifically because I wanted to be able to sit down and go hard. When I started auditioning for the show, I picked it up and watched like three seasons in a week. I was so deep! [laugh] I always loved following the fashion from the original show. All these magazines I would get as a teenager I always loved seeing the girls and what they were wearing. Now, I feel like I’ve finally been able to sit down and watch it so I have a whole new appreciation for it.

Q) Were you familiar with any of your fellow perfectionists before working with them on the series?

A) I don’t know if Sasha [Pieterse] would remember or not, but we’ve kind of talked about it…We look a little similar and we’re the same age. Sasha and I have both been acting for a pretty decent amount of time and I remember meeting her and her mother at auditions when I was little. They were the sweetest people and I just remember she was so cool and so nice. I always liked running into her. Janel [Parrish] and I actually have some mutual so I’d heard some wonderful, wonderful things about Janel before I was even cast on the show. So, I was really excited I kind of had a built-in friend group there. I was really looking forward to getting to know them better. They are so cool! I love those girls. They are so awesome. And everyone else was really fun to get to know.

Q) Did either of them offer any advice before shooting began?

A) I think the best advice was to really enjoy it. Enjoy the show, enjoy shooting and enjoy every little part. Now we’re promoting it and at the very edge waiting for it to come out. You almost wish these days away because you want to see how it came out and you want the fans to get to see the show. Just to really enjoy every little bit of it was some advice they gave.

Q) Talk about getting to work with I. Marlene King.

A) Marlene is so cool! I was so excited to get to meet her and work with her because I’ve always really expected her as a mogul. She’s created this series that is so iconic and really stands out on its own within the genre of teen soaps. I’ve always wanted to get to see what she was like because she’s such a cool boss lady. She’s nice. She’s a mother and I think that really shines through working with her. She’s our fearless leader and no one would ever hesitate to go to her for advice or if you have a question. You’d never have to worry about going to Marlene for a question or for some guidance. I think that really sets the tone. The cast and crew got along so well and I think that just comes from the top down and Marlene was just an amazing leader. I’m so excited to get to know her even better as we, hopefully, move forward through the seasons.

Q) What were some moments you are most looking forward to to fans seeing on screen?

A) I can’t wait for everyone to meet my character. [laughs] It’s so fun keeping the secret, but I’m also really excited for the secret to be out and to finally talk about everything. I think I’m pretty good at keeping secrets, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. [laughs] It’s a little bit of torture. I’m just excited for everyone to meet my character and really start learning about where the show is going to go.

Q) What were some of your most memorable moments from behind the scenes?

A) I really loved when we got into the last few episodes. The characters are all interacting and everyone would be on the set at the same time. We’d get to hang out backstage. That was something that was really cool. We all got to spend a really good amount of time together because [no spoilers] …I didn’t get a lot of that so it was nice to be able to work with everyone. That was really cool.

Q) Will you be sharing any behind the scenes videos and pictures while the show is on?

A) Absolutely! I have them stockpiled because I haven’t been able to share them. Such torture! I have a whole file in my phone. [laughs]

Q) You are a part of social media. Are you looking forward to that instant fan feedback you will receive?

A) Yeah! I love social media. I think it’s such a great tool of being able to engage with the fans that like ten years ago we weren’t able to do it. I can’t imagine what it was like when everyone was sending things in the mail. We’re so lucky to be able to get to talk to each other and I have a few shows that I follow the whole cast on Twitter. I like to see what they’re saying about their shows. So, I totally get the dynamic and it’s so fun to be able to get to talk to everyone about the show that we’re all so excited about and love.

Q) What do you think it is about “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists” that will make it a fast fan favorite?

A) I think it’s a nice, familiar format that people miss. “Pretty Little Liars” was such an iconic show for my generation – the young people that were watching it at the time. “The Perfectionists” take “Pretty Little Liars” to a whole new level, I think. It’s this really comforting throwback almost. You get to fall back into those feelings of “Who is it? Who’s that? Who is doing this” I think we all miss that. It’s so fun watching the show because it’s like a riddle and you can try and solve the mystery. Sometimes you’re right and sometimes you’re wrong. Something really cool about the show is that it’s such a throwback to when the show was on originally and we were all sitting on the edge of our seats.

Q) We’ve loved seeing you on “General Hospital.” What have you personally taken away from your time on the show?

A) I learned a lot of lines when I was working on that show and didn’t have a lot of rehearsal time. So, it was really fast paced and a kind of sink-or-swim situation. I had to almost readjust when I got to “Perfectionists” because it’s such a different format than what I would shoot. I’d almost forgotten how normal TV works. [laughs] I definitely think it sharpened my memorization skills and I think it helped me to think on my feet because we get one take generally at “General Hospital” and you would want to use it to the best you could. I feel like it helped me. It was boot camp. It was like acting boot camp!

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure to share about “Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists?”

A) I just can’t say enough how much I love this entire cast. I’m so excited for everyone to see what we’ve been working on. It’s been the time of my life and I can’t wait (knock on wood) to do it again. Everyone made that show what it is, so it’s very exciting. I think that some fans will split over whether they like me or not, which is really fun. I’m looking forward to that!

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and the work you do?

A) I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your love and support! It means so much. I see it all over social media and it really means a lot to me. And I’m just really excited that we get to move into this new chapter together. I’m so excited for everyone to get to see the show and what you think of my character!