When I heard Troian Bellisario of Pretty Little Liars was going to be in town for ETC, I told Dinna Vasquez of Manila Standard I wanted to be there.
Dinna hooked me up with Ed Uy who invited us to the press conference at Marriott Resorts World this afternoon.
Truth to tell, I watched and enjoyed Season 1 of Pretty Little Liars. Not sure if I finished Season 2, but I stopped because the show was stressing me out. When I watch a “whodunnit” show, I want to know who did it. I don’t want to keep waiting in suspense. I just can’t.
Admittedly the show’s target market is about half my age—from teens to 20s.
Based on the popular book series by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars is about four friends trying to solve the mysterious disappearance of their queen bitch frienemy, Alison DiLaurentis.
(L-R: Shay Mitchell, Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale)
Of the four cast members, only Ashley Benson (the blonde) hasn’t been to the Philippines.
Last year, Lucy Hale was here to promote Bench
Shay Mitchell is currently in Manila to open American Eagle at Bonifacio High Street tomorrow!
By coincidence, Troian Bellisario is traveling in Asia with her boyfriend Patrick Adams who is here to promote Suits on ETC.
Photo: Dinna Vasquez
Of the four, Troian Bellisario is my favorite. I prefer her character, Spencer Hastings, the straight-A student and overachiever from a family that expects the best, as she discovers are far from perfect.
I prefer Spencer’s boyish wardrobe and her choice of men (Toby) to the other characters’.
I also think she’s the prettiest.
Standing 5’7″ with much ligher hair in person, I spotted her at the hallway leading to the Marriott’s Garden Room.
Though she was already being ushered in, I saw her take time to accommodate some eager fans asking for a photo op.
She wore a little sleeveless dress with pumps. Her oval face really reminds me of the Virgin Mary.
Troian said she is really lucky to have met her boyfriend Patrick Adams before both of them became famous in their respective hit shows.
She answered the requisite questions about Filipino food. As a vegetarian, she couldn’t try anything with chicken or pork, but said she enjoyed durian after getting over its smell.
Asked if she had plans to meet up with Shay Mitchell at some point, she said, “Yes, because how can you not see each other if you’re both halfway around the world?”
Also on her itinerary is to visit one of the country’s beautiful beaches with her boyfriend.
I was just thankful the press they invited today seemed to be real fans of the show. They asked all the right questions and avoided asking anything Manny Pacquiao or Charice.
At one point they ushered in the Bellisarians of the Philippines.
“Now where did you get that name?” Troian asked her most loyal fans in the Philippines.
At first I couldn’t help but laugh at how cute they were trying to behave around Troian when we all know they just wanted to scream (they all got hugs from her). Blogger Rod Magaru was cracking me up in the next seat.
But when one of the fans read a heartfelt letter to Troian, I found myself smiling and crying at the same time.
Even Troian looked very touched by the words.
Now on its third season, Pretty Little Liars airs on ETC every Saturday at 8PM. It is match-aired with the U.S., which means the series is up-to-date as it is shown.
While the season finale will air on March 23rd next month, fans will be happy to know the show has been confirmed for a fourth season.
