You probably know Troian Bellisario as Spencer Hastings from the ABC Family hit TV show Pretty Little Liars, but the 25-year-old actress has been in the business since she was three. She's currently starring in a WIGS web-series called Lauren as a soldier in the army reporting a rape. BuzzFeed got the chance to talk to Troian over the phone when she was on a quick break while filming the next season of Pretty Little Liars.
You only had two days to prepare for your role in Lauren. How did you get ready to actually become a soldier, with all the intricacies like walking and saluting properly?
You know, my father was in the military and one of the first things I said was was that I need somebody who is military trained, who can teach me how to walk and salute like a soldier and who will not placate me, or be like, "that was really good for an actor!" I was like "No Bullshit! I need to know when I'm looking bad and when it's wrong and when I'm doing it right."
As you mentioned, you work with Lesli on Pretty Little Liars. What's the set life like? Are you really close with the other girls?
Yeah, super close. It's so funny whenever anybody asks, "Do you hang out with them on your off time?" There literally is no "off time." I hang out with them all the time because we're here [on set] all the time and and when we actually have a day off I have to see my family. But they feel like sisters to me. I can tell from the way Shay [Mitchell] is walking 5 feet in front of me if she's having a bad day or I can tell by the way Lucy [Hale] sighs that she's thinking about something and I know what to ask. We have so many inside jokes right now, we just don't even have to talk to each other we just crack up laughing. We give the look.
One of your earlier roles was in Billboard Dad, a Mary Kate and Ashley Movie!
Oh my god. Actually it was really funny because I grew up across the street from them so we used to play all the time. Then they moved and we went to different schools and I hadn't heard from them I think since I was 6. I went in for an audition for Billboard Dad, and I don't even think I was aware that it was a Mary Kate and Ashley movie cause I was so young. Then I got cast and I showed up on set and I came out of my trailer, and they came out of their trailer and it was just like "What are you doing here!?" It was really weird.
The Olympics just ended — Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte?
When I close my eyes all I see are like two identical sets of abs. I don't know whose abs are friendlier, but they both have lovely smiles so I don't know, I couldn't say.
What's your favorite song right now? Call me Maybe?
[Laughs] Yeah right. Actually I've been listening a lot to old Billie Holiday songs. When I go home, she's all I want to put on right now.
And since we here at BuzzFeed love animals, are you a cat person or a dog person?
I was raised with dogs, but I don't have the aversion to cats like most people. But I'm definitely like a dog person.
You can catch Pretty Little Liars Tuesdays at 8/7C on ABC Family, and the first episode of Lauren is available on YouTube now, with the second and third episodes coming out this Wednesday and Friday.