All The New Cast Joining We Were Liars & Where You Know Them From

Telling the story of the super rich Sinclair family over the course of two summers, We Were Liars follows teenager Cady as she struggles to remember the events that lead to a terrible accident. 

The first season saw both Cady and the audience try to piece together the puzzle of her life and try to understand exactly what happened. The truth was a devastating shock that got everyone talking. Based on the book by E. Lockhart, We Were Liars is actually only the entry point into the world of the Sinclairs, with there being three books in total. 

Based on the popularity of We Were Liars, a second season is underway, with prequel book Family of Liars the main source of inspiration. The official logline reads: “In an effort to confront her truth, Cadence returns to Beechwood. As she digs deeper into family secrets, she learns about the Sinclair Sisters’ summer of 1999 — a summer rife with first love, rivalry, and even murder. In flashbacks, we see Carrie, Penny, and Bess navigate their own teenage summer, as they come to terms with their past in the present day.”

Given the gut-wrenching content of We Were Liars’ first outing, we cannot wait to see what the second season has up its sleeve. While we await the new season, some casting news has broken. The younger versions of each Sinclair sister, their parents, and a new character, have all been revealed. Whilst most of the names might not be familiar, their faces certainly are. Here is a round-up of who's playing who, and exactly where you know them from.  

Josh Dallas as Young Harris

In We Were Liars, Harris Sinclair sits at the head of the family. It is his wealth upon which everyone else relies and he was seen having a terse relationship with each of his daughters. The jump back in time for the new season will almost certainly shine some light on the reason for his behaviour. 

Taking the reins from David Morse is Josh Dallas. One of the bigger new casting announcements, viewers know Dallas from his role as Prince Charming in fairytale show Once Upon a Time. Dallas also had a brief stint in the MCU playing Fandral in Thor, and plays the lead in hit series Manifest. 

The official character description for Young Harris mentions “Harris often finds himself cast in the shadow of his even more charming — and far more reckless — older brother, the only person standing in the way of the future he envisions…” Now my memory might be foggy, but I don’t recall Cady having a Great-Uncle in We Were Liars, so might he be the victim of the aforementioned murder?

Peyton List as Young Tipper

Alongside Josh Dallas, Peyton List is a new name that is immediately recognisable. The actress has made a career out of high-profile television shows, and has quite the resume. From starring in The Rookie, The Tomorrow People, The Flash, and Gotham, where she played Poison Ivy, List appears to have an appetite for action-focused shows. Her casting in We Were Liars, then, is a little against type, as although the show has some big moments, it is much more of a drama as opposed to police procedurals or superhero shows. 

Peyton List has signed on to play Harris Sinclair’s wife, Tipper. During the first season, Wendy Crewson’s Tipper was the heart of the Sinclair family and — spoiler alert — her death was one of the most impactful gut punches of the series. There'll be no such tragedy this time around, though her character profile teases that “this year, a family crisis exposes her sharp edges, her icy temper, and her dirty little secrets.”

Parker Lapaine as Young Carrie

Carrie Sinclair is the oldest of three sisters, and was played superbly by Mamie Gummer during the first season. Gummer’s acting prowess should come as no surprise given that her mother is none other than Meryl Streep. Anyone stepping into Carrie’s shoes, then, has a lot of pressure on their back.

The person tasked with this challenge is Parker Lapaine, a relative newcomer to the world of acting. Lapaire’s key credit at the moment is an appearance in one episode of House of the Dragon. With a role as juicy as Carrie, Lapaine is going to have plenty of opportunity to shine. Carrie’s involvement this time around is linked to the arrival of a new boy on the island. Her character description points to a summer romance, but one that will most likely end in heartache.

Elysia Roorbach as Young Penny

Another newcomer to the world of acting is Elysia Roorbach. The young actress, whose credits thus far feature a two-episode stint on The Pitt, will undertake the role of Young Penny. Played by Caitlyn Fitzgerald in her older form, Penny is Cady’s highly-strung mother. A woman revealed to be struggling with having to be the perfect daughter and sister. 

The origins of her need for perfection will be explored in the new season with much of her character description honing in on body image issues and a burgeoning panic disorder. With We Were Liars this time flashing back to 1999, the body image plot feels especially relevant, and it’s going to be interesting getting a better glimpse of the character outside of her forcefield of perfection. 

Madison Wolfe as Young Bess

Rounding out the young variants of the Sinclair sisters is Madison Wolfe. Most recently seen in The Hunting Wives, and having also appeared in Mayfair Witches, Madison Wolfe is probably best remembered for her work as Janet Hodgson in The Conjuring 2. Unlike her on-screen siblings, Wolfe’s list of credits is formidable, and potentially points to the central story focusing on her character of Young Bess. 

Bess was notably played by The Vampire Diaries alum Candice King in adult form, who heavily implied involvement in something dangerous in her past. The character synopsis for Bess backs this up and it is definitely the juiciest of the three; “the summer she turns 16, Bess dreams of being a songwriter, an adventurer, and most importantly… nothing like her mother. Desperate to fit in with the older kids, especially the three college-age boys who have unexpectedly moved into the guest house, Bess will do anything to impress them… including some things she’ll live to regret.” 

Costa D’Angelo as Pfeff

While the bulk of the newly announced cast are the younger versions of established characters, one is entirely new. Revealed simply as Pfeff, this new addition to the cast appears to be one of the college kids that Bess is going to find herself tangled up with. If his description is anything to go by, Pfeff is going to cause chaos for all three sisters: “Pfeff is observant, soulful, and wounded in the most compelling way. When he shows up on Beechwood Island, he doesn't really intend to upend the Sinclair sisters' lives — but it’s an inevitability.”

This new role is to be played by up-and-comer, Costa D’Angelo. Soap fans will recognise him for playing dastardly villain Eden in the Neighbours reboot. Those not up on their Aussie soaps might know him from his role in the recent Hulu series Tell Me Lies, or Netflix shark movie Thrash. 

You can catch all of We Were Liars Season 1 on Amazon Prime Video right now.