Why Was Jason Recast in Pretty Little Liars?

While Alison, Hannah, Spencer, Aria, and Emily may have been the protagonists of Pretty Little Liars, they had plenty of supporting characters like Jason DiLaurentis, who added to the drama and mystery of The CW show. Jason was Alison’s elder brother who returned to Rosewood after the investigation into her disappearance started revealing parts of the truth about what happened to her. Pretty Little Liars was based on the novel series of the same name by Sara Shepard, which revolved around young and mysterious Alison DiLaurentis, who went missing one summer and was presumed dead. On the day of her funeral, Alison’s closest friends started receiving threatening messages from someone named “A,” who stalked and harassed them incessantly.

Jason DiLaurentis played an important part on the show, as he got hauled into the Liars and their group because he was related to Alison. For a while, Alison and Jason had shared a loving relationship with each other, but their teen years introduced a rift between the two. They snapped at each other and grew apart, but Jason always cared for his younger sister. As he kept up with the investigation, and after Alison turned up in the flesh, the elder DiLaurentis also learned some family secrets that made him doubt his entire existence. However, most would have noticed that this vital character was played by two different actors between Season 1 and Seasons 2 to 7. This recast was an important one that fans picked up on immediately.

Jason DiLaurentis’ Character Changed Drastically

Jason DiLaurentis first appeared in Pretty Little Liars Season 1 episodes “Please, Do Talk About Me When I’m Gone” and “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Lie, Lie Again.” He had been away from Rosewood with the rest of his family, but Alison’s memorial and some disturbing photos sent to him by A brought him back to the small town. In these episodes, Parker Bagley played the role of Alison’s brother, who was a strait-laced, preppy young man in search of the truth. He was a posh-looking young man with dark blonde, short-cropped hair. However, the next time Jason returned to Rosewood in Season 2, Drew Van Acker had taken over from Bagley. This recast happened mainly because showrunner Marlene King felt that the demands of the role had increased, and Van Acker would be more suitable for the new direction that the character was taking.

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Instead of appearing perfunctorily for a couple of episodes, Jason was now a full-fledged part of the show. Not only was he eager to find out what happened to his sister, but his roguish appeal also attracted one Liar to him — Aria. Finding out A’s identity was the crux of Pretty Little Liars, and Jason became an integral piece towards solving that puzzle. At the same time, he grew closer and closer to Aria, who was already in a relationship with Ezra Fitz. Jason had battled substance abuse and addiction, which was something Aria’s brother, Mike, was also going through himself. Jason tried to help Mike and Aria with this, which turned into a close bond between him and Aria. Their dangerous flirtation was a highlight of the PLL romances, which could often be toxic but exciting, but Jason was actually a lot more age-appropriate for Lucy Hale’s Aria. Jason’s role increased considerably in the second season alone, and showrunners felt that Van Acker, who had several large credits under his belt, would be a better fit than Bagley, who was a younger actor with less experience. The former was able to convey both the light and dark parts of Jason’s character, as he found out about them. Moreover, Drew Van Acker shared sizzling chemistry with Lucy Hale, which made his recast a great decision overall.

Pretty Little Liars Was Notorious For Recasting Characters

Jason Dilaurentis was not the only recast character in Pretty Little Liars. The teen mystery show was infamous for changing actors after just one or two episodes, but these recast choices were impeccable. Toby Cavanaugh, the shy young man who was Jenna Marshall’s adoptive brother, was played by a different actor in the pilot episode of Pretty Little Liars. The moody, reticent man was first played by James Neate, but then the role was recast, and Keegan Allen took over till the last season. Similarly, Ian Thomas, who dated and then married Spencer’s sister Melissa, was played by a different actor in the pilot — Carlo Marks was replaced by Ryan Merriman, who was able to convey the creepiness and genuineness of the character at the same time. Even Alison’s mother, Jessica DiLaurentis, changed face at some point in the series. Initially portrayed by Anne Marie DeLuise, she was then recast by Andrea Parker​​​​​​. She was considered the true villain of the series. Natalie Floyd also played Kate Randall in Pretty Little Liars before being replaced by Natalie Hall. This was because the actor suited the later arc of the character than the former.

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Therefore, Pretty Little Liars was no stranger to recasting its characters. Most of the changes took place between the pilot and the next episode, or like in Jason DiLaurentis’ case, after two episodes. There were varying reasons given for each actor’s change, but it is not uncommon for television shows to change actors after a pilot episode is shot. This could be because of actor availability, shoot scheduling, or filler actors who were due to be replaced anyway. Often, the needs of the character change, which was what happened with Jason’s character. However, the sudden turn from Ivy League, smooth-talking, and intimidating Jason to the free-spirited, sensitive, kind soul of Season 2 did confuse some fans. He was treated like a totally new character, but it worked wonders for the mystery, romance, and family angles that Pretty Little Liars wanted to bring in for Alison’s brother as he grew ever closer to her friends. Drew Van Acker’s portrayal of the confusion, betrayal, love, pain, and grief that his character felt was on point.

Parker Bagley Is No More

While Drew Van Acker shined as Jason DiLaurentis and gained acclaim from his time on Pretty Little Liars, the previous actor in the role did not gain too many acting credits after his stint. Before Pretty Little Liars, Parker Bagley was famous for his television debut as Bobby Macdougal on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. His movie credits included Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), Consent (2010) and Detention (2011). He also appeared in one episode of the TV show Grimm as Barry Rabe in 2011.

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Bagley may have been recast on this CW show, but he had a bright career. Sadly, after some trouble with the law, news came out that Bagley had passed away sometime in 2020. While there was no official news of the death of the actor, close friends of Bagley had shared Instagram posts that mourned his passing. Since then, his IMDb profile has updated the date of his death as June 17, 2020. Many speculate that PLL could have been a big break for Bagley, as it had been for Van Acker, had he not been recast. The two actors portrayed two different sides of the same coin with finesse: Bagley tapped into the sinister, sleek, and preppy man that Jason could be, while Van Acker was able to bring out the more compassionate and human side of Ali’s elder brother, who had gone through terrible pain at the hands of his irresponsible parents.

Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars is a Teen Drama and Mystery series based on the novel by Sara Shepard. The show was created by Marlene King and stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and Holly Marie Combs. The series revolves around four friends who meet back up with one another and begin to receive strange threats from an unknown source simply labeled “A.”

Release Date

June 8, 2010

Cast

Troian Bellisario , Ashley Benson , Holly Marie Combs , Lucy Hale , Bianca Lawson , Laura Leighton , Chad Lowe , Shay Mitchell , Nia Peeples , Ian Harding

Seasons

7