Lucy Hale has played her fair share of parts, from the humble beginnings of side characters in hit shows like Wizards of Waverly Place, to starring as the lead role in series like Pretty Little Liars. Her career is a perfect example of how good performances can lead to more prominent roles over time, so join us as we unearth some of her more prominent roles, as well as some you might have missed!

9. Wizards Of Waverly Place — Miranda Hampson

Wizards-of-Waverly-Place-1

An earlier appearance of Lucy Hale, she played a side character in two episodes of the popular Disney show Wizards of Waverly Place. Hale played Miranda, a romantic interest for Justin (played by David Henrie), in the first season. While this role was quick to come and go, it was part of a solid early career that no doubt came as a welcome addition to her credits.

8. Riverdale — Katy Keene

Lucy Hale- Riverdale

While Lucy Hale's appearance in Riverdale was short-lived, the seeds she planted with her performance in the show eventually led to the creation of a spinoff series named after her character. This makes the brief appearance seen within Riverdale feel like a teaser for what was to come from the actress. As for her appearance within Riverdale itself, Katy Keene was a good friend of Veronica Lodge (played by Camila Mendes) until the latter moved away from New York. Despite the move, they have since kept in touch. In Season 4, Katy meets up with Veronica when she takes a trip back to New York, and the two catch up on their lives. While Lucy Hale has credits for making brief appearances in many shows, this particular instance was a great precursor toward the future when she reprised the role in the spinoff series, Katy Keene, released in 2020.

7. How I Met Your Mother — Katie Scherbatsky

How I Met Your Mother

One role you might recognize Lucy Hale from is her appearance in the show How I Met Your Mother, in which she played Katie, the sister of Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders). Once again taking a role that only saw a few appearances, Hale still managed to prove her acting capabilities through her role, and this was another case of taking a small role in a big show to further solidify her credits. Her primary performance came from an episode found within the second season of the show, in which the group attempts to dissuade Katie from having sex for the first time with her boyfriend. The episode offered a touching look at how the entire group cares for Katie’s well-being, and by the episode’s end she decides to instead wait before having sex.

6. Life Sentence — Stella Abbott

Life Sentence

After Stella Abbott finds out that her terminal cancer is cured, she ends up having to figure out how to live with the consequences of the actions she took while under the presumption of her impending death in Life Sentence. While the show did not receive great reviews, Lucy Hale took center stage as Stella and provided a unique story about just how radically our lives can change when things do not go as planned. The result is a show full of drama that is lined with comedy to help ease viewers away from the darker tone that comes from discussing serious topics like cancer.

5. Katy Keene — Katy Keene

Katy Keene

Coming back to Lucy’s role as Katy Keene from Riverdale, this was the fruit that blossomed as a result of her performance in that show. In this spin-off, which takes place five years after the events of Riverdale, Katy Keene is attempting to make it big in New York City as a fashion designer. The show only lasted one season, but Lucy Hale offered an excellent performance throughout 13 episodes as audiences got the opportunity to learn so much about the person that was briefly shown within Riverdale. The show also took a step away from the grittier tones of its parent show, instead opting for a more comedic tone that Lucy Hale slipped perfectly into as Katy Keene.

4. The Hating Game — Lucy Hutton

The Hating Game

The Hating Game is what one might call a classic case of a love-hate relationship as Hale takes the role of an executive assistant forced to work with Joshua Templeman (played by Austin Stowell) after two companies merge. The two characters are polar opposites, and yet they can’t help but find themselves attracted to one another, which complicates things immensely. Lucy Hale showed a great ability to play off of Austin, and the film garnered positive reviews overall, proving that you don’t necessarily have to make something new to make something good as long as you can improve on an old concept.

3. Ragdoll — DC Lake Edmunds

Ragdoll

Premiering on AMC+ in 2021, Ragdoll is a limited, six-episode psychological thriller about a serial killer who sews the bodies of their victims into “The Ragdoll.” Lucy Hale stars as Lake Edmunds, a former LAPD officer turned detective constable. Her character fits the position as the new recruit assigned to find and stop the Ragdoll Killer before they can claim more lives, and Lucy does a good job at portraying someone who isn’t afraid to say what nobody else is brave enough to say. She is able to portray a more serious character in this series, which is a welcome change of pace to the lighter roles that she has been known to play such as in Katy Keene and the next entry in our list, Jesse from The Unicorn.

2. The Unicorn — Jesse

The Unicorn

Taking a step back into lighter territory, Lucy Hale’s next performance on the list comes from the 2018 comedy film The Unicorn. In the film she plays the role of Jesse, one of the “unicorns” that the starring couple of Malory and Caleb (played by Lauren Lapkus and Nick Rutherford respectively) find on their journey to revitalize their relationship through the act of having a threesome. Designed to be a younger woman in her twenties, Jesse proves to be a challenge for the two to keep up with as she invokes a strong sense of self-confidence. Lucy Hale provides a fun, flirty character that is sure to leave audiences stumbling for words just like the couple presented before her.

1. Pretty Little Liars — Aria Montgomery

Pretty Little Liars

Of course, what list discussing the many roles of Lucy Hale would be complete without a mention of Pretty Little Liars? Her performance as Aria Montgomery stands as a strong pillar in the career of Lucy Hale, one of if not her most memorable roles. In the show, Aria Montgomery is seen as the artsy one in her group of friends, and she is immensely caring for both her friendships and her family. There is no doubt that those who know Lucy Hale as an actress know of her time as Aria in this teen drama show, and with seven seasons total, it isn’t hard to see why. This may just be the role that Lucy Hale is remembered for the most, but we welcome the idea that one day Lucy might topple this entry and become a part of something even more memorable.