Although Lucy Hale's shows were canceled after Pretty Little Liars, there's no denying that the teen drama was a monster hit. The young cast became social media stars and it seemed like they would have their pick of roles. While Ashley Benson had one problem with PLL, the cast generally seems to have enjoyed starring in such a fun and popular series. And that includes Janel Parrish, who was thrust into the spotlight along with her co-stars, despite not playing one of the liars.
Since Parrish, who starred in the 2023 TV movie Family History Mysteries: Buried Past, starred on all 7 seasons of Pretty Little Liars, it's possible that she earned quite a lot of money. Did Janel Parrish make a huge salary for Pretty Little Liars and how did it compare to what her co-stars were bringing in?
What Was Janel Parrish's Salary On Pretty Little Liars?
While Janel Parrish reprised her role of Mona Vanderwaal on the canceled PLL spin-off The Perfectionists, there's no doubt that the character is more interesting on the original show. Mona is a tricky person who seems loyal one minute and completely evil the next. As the first character who becomes "A" and a former best pal of Hanna Marin's, Mona's presence in Pretty Little Liars can't be ignored.
No one knows what Janel Parrish's Pretty Little Liars salary is. However, according to Go Banking Rates, Lucy Hale was paid $42,000 for every episode. If cast members such as Lucy Hale were paid that much, it's possible to guess that Parrish was paid a little bit less.
Although Parrish starred in all 7 seasons of Pretty Little Liars, she didn't appear on screen as much as her co-stars. This might have accounted for her salary.
Janel Parrish's net worth is $700,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That is much lower than the main cast as they each have several million dollars to their names.
According to Backstage.com, Parrish was changed to a series regular in season 3. Because she was considered part of the main cast of Pretty Little Liars from seasons 3 through 7, that might have resulted in a pay raise.
Pretty Little Liars was definitely Parrish's big break. While she guest-starred in one episode of Zoey 101 and The O.C., it was PLL that led to her fame. Her career after PLL went off the air has consisted of season 19 of Dancing With The Stars and several TV movies, including Coyote Creek Christmas, Holly & Ivy, and High School Possession.
The actress did play Margot Covey in the Netflix franchise To All The Boys I've Loved Before based on the young adult books by Jenny Han. This was another minor role, however, so it might not have resulted in a huge paycheck. Her salary for this franchise is also unknown, however.
Who Did Janel Parrish Want To Play On Pretty Little Liars?
Sometimes actors are attracted to a certain character when they read a movie or TV script and they can't picture themselves playing anyone else. And sometimes, that isn't the part that they end up getting at all. Casting directors and showrunners can tell when someone is made to play a certain role, even if it's different from what the actor originally envisioned.
Even though Janel Parrish is perfect as Mona Vanderwaal, Parrish wanted to play Spencer Hastings. This role went to Troian Bellisario, who also played Spencer's terrible twin Alex Drake, who ends up being the show's ultimate villain.
According to Just Jared Jr., she read for Spencer during her audition. She said, “I got a few callbacks and then didn’t book it. I remember being super bummed because I loved the script. But, about a month later they called me in for Mona and that was it."
The actress is so talented that she would have been great as Spencer. Mona and Spencer do have some traits in common. They're both ambitious and smart, although they use their intelligence in different ways.
While Spencer throws herself into schoolwork and achievement, Mona plays games with the liars and becomes part of the A Team. Still, Parrish is great as the scheming Mona and this casting seems like the right decision.
Did Janel Parrish Like Starring On Pretty Little Liars As Mona Vanderwaal?
Even though Janel Parrish wanted to play Spencer Hastings on Pretty Little Liars, it seems like everything worked out well. As the actress told Just Jared Jr., "I’m super happy about that. I fell in love with playing Mona.”
When talking about her career, the actress shared with Buzzfeed that she wasn't aware that Mona was A. She said that she thought that it was going to be a small role at first.
Parrish told Buzzfeed, "No, I had no idea. When I got the role, I was told it was as a guest star, possibly reoccurring. So, I was just happy every time they called."
A big part of Parrish's experience of playing Mona on Pretty Little Liars was discovering that she was A. In an interview with The Huffington Post after Mona was revealed as A in the season 2 finale, Parrish explained that she liked the different facets and layers of Mona's character.
Parrish said, "I'm going to miss playing Queen Bee Mona. I hope there are flashbacks in which I can do all of the above, especially the Dorky Mona scenes. I love them so much. They're so much fun and insightful. It just shows everyone's backstory and why they are the way that they are and everything. So I'm hoping for more flashbacks. I think they're important to the show. But I am looking forward to playing Crazy Mona. It's a new type of part for me. So it was a challenge and it was very, very fun."
The actress also mentioned that she was told that Mona was A seven days prior to filming the episode. She and her co-stars were at the table read for the season 2 Pretty Little Liars finale when they learned what would happen. Parrish also explained that since she had enjoyed the books by Sara Shepard, she was aware that Mona is A in the books, but she wasn't sure if that would translate onto the TV series.
