Spencer Hastings (2024)

Spencer Jill Hastings is one of the Liars and main protagonists of Pretty Little Liars on Freeform. She is portrayed by Troian Bellisario.

She is an extreme perfectionist who likes to please her wealthy family and her friends. She is very competitive, and an overachiever. Spencer is strong-willed, smart, and kind towards everyone around her, but isn't afraid to take down someone who is a threat to something she cares about.

Biography

Spencer Hastings was born on April 11, 1994, at Radley Sanitarium. Her birth mother, Mary Drake, was a patient at Radley while she was pregnant. Jessica, Mary's sister, told Veronica Hastings that Mary was pregnant with Veronica's husband, Peter Hastings's child. Veronica couldn't stand the thought of the child being forgotten, so she agreed to adopt her. Immediately after Spencer's birth, a nurse gave Spencer to a man who then gave her to Veronica, who was waiting outside the sanitarium in a car. Spencer was never told that she was adopted.

Unbeknownst to anyone else at the time, Spencer had a twin who was born a few minutes after her. However, the twin, who was named Alex, was given away to an English family, then abandoned, and lived a hard life.

Years later, Spencer's family can prove to be difficult. Her parents are very demanding, while her aggravating sister, Melissa, is constantly outshining her and winning their parents' scarce approval. Sometime in junior high, Spencer was chosen along with Hanna Marin, Emily Fields, and Aria Montgomery by the queen bee Alison DiLaurentis to be in her close-knit clique. Spencer witnessed how Alison bullied her outcast classmates, especially Mona Vanderwaal and Lucas Gottesman, giving them cruel nicknames. While Spencer disapproved of Alison's antics, and was the most critical of Ali, she didn't stop Alison's bullying.

At some point during her freshman year of high school, Spencer kissed her sister's boyfriend, Ian Thomas, which was witnessed by Alison who was secretly in a relationship with Ian. Alison used this secret against Spencer to threaten her on numerous occasions, until Alison disappeared at the end of the summer of freshman year. Despite remaining confident after Alison's disappearance, Spencer does begin to show a bit of strain when she and her friends start receiving strange texts from the mysterious "A".

Personality

Spencer is a highly intelligent, overachieving and wealthy young woman. Her intellect is considered intimidating by her peers yet adored by her elders. In high school, she constantly balanced many jobs; such as internships, charity work, being part of the field hockey team, and after-school clubs. Spencer enjoyed academic competitions and ran for class president. She was confident, calculating and would stand up to Alison when no one else could, showing her determination and courage. She held a strong moral compass and a sense of right and wrong.

Because her family didn't accept anything but perfection, Spencer became hyper-vigilant and hyper-aware of her academic and personal achievements. Her fear of disappointing her parents or falling into her sister's shadow drives her to do questionable things. Such as, stealing Melissa's paper so her grade will remain high, and abusing prescription drugs to manage both her academic and personal life.

She was admitted to Radley Sanitarium at the age of seventeen after suffering a mental breakdown upon discovering the staged death of her boyfriend. Spencer does have a fragile mindset and is susceptible to many behavioral issues such as drug abuse and personality disorders. After years of torture and blackmail at the hands of A, Uber A, and A.D., Spencer has PTSD and trouble trusting others. She briefly had an identity crisis after discovering her adoption and finding her biological family.

With her love for learning combined with her logical thinking, Spencer is considered the intellect among her friends. As an adult, Spencer has an interest in politics. She is defensive and protective of her loved ones and friends, willing to do whatever it takes to protect those she cares for. Spencer has learned to manage all aspects of her personality and has become sure of who she is and what she wants out of life.

Physical Appearance

Spencer has a very slim face complemented with high cheekbones, thin lips, and almond-shaped eyes. She has a peaches-and-cream complexion and long, medium brown hair usually worn down in waves. Spencer has a very slim and athletic figure from playing field hockey, tennis, and other sports that keep her image and figure perfectly intact.

Series

Pretty Little Liars

• Season 1
• Season 2
• Season 3
• Season 4
• Season 5
• Season 6
• Season 7

The Perfectionists

In Sex, Lies and Alibis, Mona reveals that Spencer and Toby eloped.

Appearances (160/160)

Pretty Little Liars

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin

Season 2

• Chapter Fifteen: Friday the 13th (Name only)

Relationships

Ian Thomas: Spencer and Ian kissed and briefly dated before "Pilot". Ian made an advance on Spencer and they began having an affair behind Melissa's back. They ended things when Alison threatened to tell Melissa about the affair if Spencer didn't break it off.

Wren Kingston: (See "Wrencer") They had a relationship that started in "The Jenna Thing" and ended in "Can You Hear Me Now?" because of Wren's relationship with Melissa. They kissed a few times after their breakup, but were never in a relationship with each other.

Alex Santiago: (See "Spalex") Alex and Spencer dated for a short period of time from "There's No Place Like Homecoming" to "Salt Meets Wound". They broke up when 'A' posed as Alex and got him accepted into a tennis clinic that Alex only told Spencer about.

Toby Cavanaugh: (see "Spoby") Spencer's endgame and longest-relationship in the series is Toby. They had a rough and complicated road. Their relationship was often the target of A and her games. A leveraged Spencer's love for Toby over her and used him to manipulate her. Toby was the first love interest of Spencer's to find out about A. His believed death at the hands of A left Spencer unraveling for months until she learned the truth and was able to reunite with Toby through the A-Team. They remained a strong couple into their college years, but broke up after a pregnancy scare made them realize they wanted different things. They never stopped loving each other and reunited five years later. Toby's feelings for Spencer made him fall prey to Spencer's evil twin sister Alex Drake, leading to an affair that he thought was with Spencer. When things were revealed, Toby was the only one who could tell Spencer and Alex apart. Two years later, they eloped in a private ceremony.

Caleb Rivers: (See "Spaleb") Caleb and Spencer's romance began well after high school, when they were both single. They have similar personalities and interests. They grew closer over their pursuit of A.D. and realized how much they had in common. Their similarities led to chemistry and shared feelings. Their relationship didn't last long because of Caleb's history with Hanna. Spencer knew he still loved Hanna and broke up with him, even though it broke both their hearts. They were able to stay friends after.

Marco Furey: Broken up. Spencer met Marco in the lobby of The Radley in "Hit and Run, Run, Run". She was trying to get over her breakup with Caleb and escape the trauma of burying a body earlier that night. She had sex with Marco in the elevator, only learning later that he was a cop. They continued to spend time together - mostly because Spencer used incriminating evidence in the murder that night. They became friends despite her secrets and became a couple in "The Gloves Are On". When Marco begins to suspect Spencer's involvement in Archer's murder, he breaks up with her in "In the Eye Abides the Heart", after she can't tell him the full truth.

Trivia

• Spencer is the main target of "A", being the one they have harassed the most. It is probably because she is the strongest person of the remaining liars and could stand up to Alison, something the other liars could not do (except Hanna, who once tried to defend Lucas from Alison's bullying).
• The name "Spencer" is derived from a Middle English surname meaning "dispenser of provisions."
• She is the most organized and hardworking one of the four.
• She likes cookies.
• According to the Season 7 premiere, she is fluent in French, Italian, and German. She is also conversational in Chinese.
• Spencer was good friends with Alison, even though they fought constantly because Spencer was the only one able to stand up to her. Alison told only Spencer she had a secret boyfriend (later revealed as Ian Thomas) the summer she died.
• Janel Parrish, the actress who plays Mona Vanderwaal, Shay Mitchell, who plays Emily Fields, and Tammin Sursok, who plays Jenna Marshall, also auditioned for the role of Spencer Hastings.
• Spencer finds out Jason is her half-brother in "The Naked Truth".
• After staying with Toby at the motel, he invites Spencer to stay the next night. After sleeping over at Wren's place, he tells her she is welcome to stay anytime. She replies, "I might actually take you up on that", on both occasions.
• Spencer has received 35 individual messages from "A", plus 25 messages sent to all the girls.
• She was the first one to find out who "A" was. She found out Mona Vanderwaal was the Original A in "UnmAsked", and that Toby Cavanaugh was "the betrAyer" in "Misery Loves Company", and also she was the first one who saw Alison as the Red Coat.
• Her favorite childhood game with Melissa was hide and seek because she always won.
• Spencer is the last of The Liars who lost her virginity - she had sex for the first time with Toby Cavanaugh in "The Lady Killer".
  • The first was Alison who lost her virginity even before "Pilot".
  • The second was Hanna who lost her virginity to Caleb Rivers in "A Person of Interest".
  • The third was Emily who lost her virginity to Maya St. Germain in "A Kiss Before Lying".
  • The fourth was Aria who lost her virginity to Ezra Fitz in "If These Dolls Could Talk".
• Spencer is also the last of The Liars who got married - her secret wedding with Toby Cavanaugh was revealed in "Sex, Lies and Alibis".
  • The first was also Alison who married "Elliott Rollins" in "We've All Got Baggage".
  • The second was also Hanna who married Caleb Rivers in "Choose or Lose".
  • The third was Aria Montgomery who married Ezra Fitz in "'Til Death Do Us Part".
  • The fourth was Emily who married Alison DiLaurentis between "'Til Death Do Us Part" and "Pilot (Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists)".
• She and Alison are the only one of The Liars who never killed someone.
• Spencer was the third of the four liars to be visited by Alison. She appears to her in the Hastings' living room in "If These Dolls Could Talk".
• Spencer is very close to Aria. They have always been very close. They usually lean on each other for romantic advice. Bellisario even said that they have "a very close bond". They are also close because they are more cultivated than the other girls; they both love literature. In "Cat's Cradle", on the police board, there was a note on Aria's head pointed to Spencer that said, "would do anything for her".
• Spencer is also very close to Emily, as she was angry at Paige for making remarks about Emily being gay and when Spencer, Hanna and Aria suspected Paige of being "A". They are also close as they both are close to Toby. Bellisario said that, "Shay and I always laugh about our relationship on the show since we're always fighting."
• Spencer is also quite close to Hanna. Bellisario describes Spencer's relationship with Hanna as "very fun". Spencer is constantly correcting Hanna's grammar mistakes, as well as stopping her from doing ideas that could get in her trouble.
• Spencer cheated on Toby twice, by kissing Johnny and Colin while they were still together.
• She often texts 'SOS' to the other girls.
• Both Spencer and Toby have been suspected by the police of hurting or murdering "Alison". In "Taking This One to the Grave", Spencer was arrested for the murder of Bethany Young.
• Spencer kidnapped Malcom in order to prove to Mona that she wants to be on The A-Team.
• In "I Must Confess", her birthday is shown on Dr. Sullivan's files. It is April 11.
• Spencer is the first in the A-Team, as she acted as a double agent.
• Spencer is the third main character to get shot. First being Caleb in "The Lady Killer" and the second one being Ezra in "A is for Answers".
• Spencer's anniversary date with Toby is November 6th, because they kiss the day after Hanna and Caleb first sleep together in "A Person of Interest".
• Her birth mother's line "I was born first, and she was born jealous." regarding her own realtionship with her own twin draws a foreshadowing parallel to Spencer being taken in by her biological father while her twin Alex was passed around the system resulting in jealousy of Spencer's life.
• In every season finale (except fifth and sixth seasons) a character has attempted to kill Spencer.
• It is possible that Spencer has ADHD. In a season 4 episode ("Hot for Teacher "), while Ezra is looking at Spencer's school medical record, it is listed as a note that she has "Medication for ADHD. Doctor's note on file with School Nurse", but it is possible that Spencer faked her ADHD symptoms in order to receive a prescription.
• She is the liar with the most screen time in the entire series, with 2940 minutes of screen time (49 hours).

Book Comparison

Main Article: Spencer Hastings (Book Character)

• Spencer lost her virginity to Wren Kim in the books, while in the TV show, she loses her virginity to Toby Cavanaugh.
• In the books, Spencer has feelings for Wren, and is not sorry for dating him behind her sister's back. In the show, Spencer, although finding him good-looking, doesn't seem as interested in him, and apologizes multiple times to her family for their brief affair.
• In the books, Spencer has dark blonde hair and green eyes and resembles Alison DiLaurentis, while in the series, she has brown hair and brown eyes.
• In the books, Alison and Courtney are Spencer and Melissa's half siblings. In the TV series only Jason is related to Melissa and Spencer. However it's later revealed that Alison is Spencer's cousin through Mary Drake.
• In the books, Spencer never even talks to Toby Cavanaugh, or it is never mentioned she has ever communicated with him before his death. In the TV Series, Spencer has a passionate romance with Toby. Spencer and Toby also got married after the end of the show.
• In the books, Spencer's parents get a divorce because of her father's infidelity. In the TV series, Spencer's parents are still married, though there is a break of trust and a strain is put on the marriage.
• In the show, Spencer attended Rosewood High. While in the books, Spencer attended Rosewood Day, a private school.
• In the show, Spencer is admitted to Radley following a breakdown in the forest after finding Toby's supposed dead body. In the books, this doesn't happen to her instead it happens to Hanna because of A.
• In the books, Spencer dated Andrew. In the TV series her and Andrew were just friends.
• In the books, Spencer is going to attend Princeton while in the show she wanted to attend UPenn. However she doesn't get accepted into UPenn, while she got early admission to Princeton in the books.
• In the books, Spencer is revealed to have a surrogate mother where as in the show she does not. However she was deceived into thinking that Veronica was her birth mother until finding out the truth about her birth in season 7.
  • In the books it was clear she wasn't born a twin but in the TV series she was.

Quotes

Gallery

References

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