Pretty Little Liars Shocker: Did You Notice This Character Was Recast Mid-Series?

If you were a teenager in the 2010s, chances are you tuned into “Pretty Little Liars,” a show centered around four friends trying to solve the murder of one of their own while being stalked by a mysterious entity known as “A,” who threatens to expose their darkest secrets.

While the main focus of the series undoubtedly revolves around these friends – Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna – several other characters grew in prominence as the episodes unfolded, becoming standout figures in the series crafted by I. Marlene King, especially the love interests of the heroines.

Among these characters, today we turn our attention to Toby, the great love of the character played by Troian Bellisario. Initially introduced as a loner and an outsider, Toby was even suspected by the “Liars” of being involved in Alison’s disappearance at the beginning of the series.

There’s More Than One Toby

However, as the first season progresses, it becomes clear that he is actually a victim of his half-sister Jenna, who manipulates him. Eventually, the future police officer starts a relationship with Spencer, a plot twist remembered by all fans of Pretty Little Liars. What viewers often forget, though, is that Toby wasn’t always played by Keegan Allen.

That’s right, in the very first episode, the actor we now associate with Toby was not the one in the role, but rather James Neate! We see the character alongside Jenna at Alison’s funeral, where they make a striking entrance noticed by the heroines. It wasn’t until the third episode that Keegan Allen, later seen in the series “Walker,” took over the role that made him a television star.

It’s not uncommon for a character to be recast between the pilot episode, typically shot months before the rest of the series, and the rest of the show. Usually, their scenes are reshot with the new actor. For instance, in “Sons of Anarchy,” the character of Clay was originally played by Scott Glenn before Ron Perlman took over, or the role of Phoebe in “Charmed” was not initially intended for Alyssa Milano.

In Toby’s case, it was just one scene without any dialogue, so the production likely didn’t see the need to alter the first episode just for that!

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