'Blue Bloods' Star Vanessa Ray 'Thrilled' About 'Pretty Little Liars' Reboot (Exclusive)
Before Vanessa Ray won the role of Officer Eddie Janko on Blue Bloods, she starred as Charlotte DiLaurentis on Pretty Little Liars. Now that the beloved Freeform series is getting a reboot courtesy of HBO Max, Ray told PopCulture in a recent exclusive interview that she is "thrilled" to see the franchise get another lease on life. Although her character didn't get a happy ending, Ray noted that "anything can happen," especially in the world of Pretty Little Liars.
"I'm very excited" about the reboot, Ray said, noting that people often ask her if she would be returning to the show. "Then everyone's been asking me if I'm going to be on the series, but I genuinely cannot remember if I died or not," Ray said. "I don't know if my... I know I was in a casket once, but I think it was like, I took a sleeping pill, and I was still alive. So, my point is, anything can happen. It's Pretty Little Liars." Ray later noted she is "very, very thrilled that they're doing another series."
Charlotte DiLaurentis was introduced in the Season 2 finale, with Ray making her debut as the character in the Season 3 premiere. Although her character did not survive the sixth season, Ray continued to appear as the character in flashbacks during the seventh and final season. While she was still on Pretty Little Liars, Ray was cast as Eddie on Blue Bloods, joining in Season 4.
The new Pretty Little Liars series is called Pretty Little Lairs: Original Sin and comes from Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and his Chilling Adventures of Sabrina collaborator Lindsay Calhoon Bring. Original series creator I. Marlene King, who brought Sara Shepard's novels to the small screen, is not involved in the project. Original Sin features an entirely new cast and is set in Upstate New York. The main cast features Bailee Madison, Maia Reficco, and Chandler Kinney. HBO Max has not announced a premiere date.
As for Ray, she will be back on Blue Bloods, which kicks off its 12th season on CBS at 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 1. When Ray joined the show, she was only supposed to star in three episodes at first, and another show was also interested in bringing her on. The Blue Bloods producers decided to make her a series regular, and it worked out since the other show ended in two years. "Blue Bloods is like the gift that keeps on giving," she said. Past episodes of Blue Bloods can be streamed on Paramount+, while all seven seasons of Pretty Little Liars are available on HBO Max.