Did you know that before she became Spencer Hastings, Troian Bellisario was just another actress in Los Angeles taking roles in USC student films, like this 14-minute short about two teenage girlfriends who um, go to school and smoke weed in the junkyard? I didn’t either! Then I stumbled upon Girl’s View, a collection of (mediocre) lesbian short films and was oh-so-surprised to see Spencer’s face on the cover!
Bellisario, who plays 16-year-old Spencer Hastings in Pretty Little Liars, is 28 in real life and comes from a Hollywood family and grew up in Los Angeles. Thus she began acting as a kid, doing stuff like an episode of Quantum Leap written by her Dad. As a very small child, she was besties with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson and now calls Shane Coffey, who plays Holden on Pretty Little Liars, her best friend. She was an undergraduate at University of Southern California when she returned to the “screen” in 2006 as “Jani” in Unspoken, directed by Fie-Fie Wang. According to imdb, the movie’s topic is as follows: “two high-school, lesbian girlfriends deal with the intrusion of two teenage boys, jealousy, betrayal and drugs.”
However, the synopsis doesn’t mention that Gabby, Jani’s girlfriend, has a shit-ton of glitter on her face and should dial it down a notch. Fun fact: The woman who plays Spencer’s Mom in the movie, Deborah Pratt, is actually Troian’s Mom in real life!
I find it excruciatingly painful to watch most lesbian films, let alone a lesbian-themed short film that I’ve never heard of, because most lesbian films are terrible. Really, they are. (These don’t suck though, and neither do these.) But I was so intrigued by the “Spencer Hastings with a girlfriend” situation that I made it through the entire thing without stabbing my eyes out! I’m not saying it’s good, or anything, but you know — well. See for yourself:
Heh….yeah, I saw this a while back. I don’t remember how I discovered it, probably from a PLL fan’s link.
I held my breath while watching it, I was afraid it would be a stinker but it was actually….okay. Seeing Spencer smoke weed and make out with a girl was worth checking out, I can spare 15 minutes of my life for that.
Wow, how is that Troian Bellisario looks exactly as she did back in her undergraduate years? Amazing. Thanks for sharing this gem. The story was less than ideal but I think Troian did a great job. It’s so easy to imagine that this character is Spencer. : )
i know right? i really felt like it was young spencer, but i may have been projecting.
I felt the same way. I think because Spencer is so needy.
Not gonna lie, clicked on this article because I thought it was going to be about Spencer Carlin…
(great piece nonetheless, as always Riese)
R.I.P
Spashley
she’s 28??? Hollywood is crazy.
I hate that I know this but she’s 26, not 28.
impressive :)
*covers face*
Yes. She will be 27 in October.
still the oldest little liar trying to make it in tv high school…
Troian kissing just looked… awkward.
That is an INSANE amount of glitter. Girl needs help.
I’ve decided that GlitterGal is Alison DiLaurentis… blonde hair, manipulative, rebellious. Now shipping Spalison (Ancer? DiHastings?) Whatever, it was hot.
Also, I know AS doesn’t do a lot of trigger warnings, but could you maybe put one for the video? The scene with the guy groping her while she was passed out and then trying to coerce her into hooking up would’ve been super triggering for me if I was having a bad day. Thanks!
She was once just a struggling actress. Then one day she woke up and remembered that she was 20 different kinds of hot, has the sexiest voice known to man, and that her dad is a television producer.
I remember watching an episode of NCIS and being super excited to see that she was cast as McGee’s little sister.
Yes!! That voice. Jesus.
I hope that someday I wake up and realize I’m 20 different kinds of hot, have the sexiest voice known to man, and that my dad is a television producer.
Seems unlikely though.
checked out your lists of lesbo films. i’ve seen most of them, and here’s a bit of truth…they suck. even the best of the best aren’t very good, but we make excuses for them because of lack of choice. we can force ourselves to overlook the mostly poor production value and be entertained enough, but the only reason we do it is for lesbian content.
which is fair enough really, i don’t want to be too harsh. budget constraints are real,so power to the creative folks involved, in most of those films you can find a story line or performance or enough of a draw to justify a few bucks for admission. but maybe not more than that.
nope, I couldn’t finish it. I gave it a try ’cause riese said so. but no.
I might give it a try again when it’s a lil later in the day and a more appropriate time to consume some of the stuff they are apparently consuming in ths masterpiece.
“I find it excruciatingly painful to watch most lesbian films.”
Maybe trim your fingernails?
ba-dum-tshh *canned laughter*
yeahhh
Even if it’s horrible I’ll pretend it’s not and watch it anyway.
About halfway through watching this I realized I’d already seen it years ago, during my Watch-Every-Queer-Girl-Film-Ever-Made-Because-I-Haven’t-Admitted-To-Myself-That-I’m-Bi-But-Do-Know-That-Ladies-Be-Super-Hot phase.
hahahaha oh meeee god! that was hilariously bad. i love how they tied it all together by going back to the car! (super sarcasm) Hated that blonde girl but will always love you, Troian.
Two thoughts about this thing. OMG THOSE NAILS AND THAT GLITTER! And holy crap, she is not wearing a bra and it looked chilly.
I just watched D.E.B.S. because of that other link, and I’m pretty sure that’s the best movie in the history of ever.
Why do all lesbian films involve one of them sleeping with a guy at some point?
Well, who said either one of them was a lesbian? Looked like Troian’s character was more emotionally invested in the relationship than the other character was but it was never established that either one of them was gay.
Crying and mastubating. That’s pretty much how I got through high school. I get you, Jani.
Did anyone else see “Produced by: Amber Beard” as “Produced by: Amber Heard” or was it just me?
Ya, saw this a couple of years back. Just as bad as it was when I watched it the first time. but hey, now I can finally remember where I saw spencer from originally
I hate how people (especially queer people) are always saying that lesbian films are bad when all they ever do is sit and watch horrible AMERICAN lesbian films (i.e not to say that sometimes there aren’t a FEW good ones). There are hundreds of films, even thousands (its 2013!!!) being released every year from around the world that are fantastic. They have great scripts, fab acting, filming, editing etc…they just aren’t made in North American most times. I can’t tell you the last time I saw a couple end up with a man in a lesbian film…jezz, that’s so ’90s.
Sorry for the rant and I am not a US hater (just saying). BTW as for the short. To blow everyone’s mind. The other actress is 42 now, so yea Hollywood is crazy! If you wanna see ok, good or great lesbian shorts…check my blog Lezreel. (Google it)