Janel Parrish Revealed Who She Wanted The "Big A" To Be On "Pretty Little Liars," Along With 26 More Things We Learned About Her

Last week, Janel Parrish squeezed us into her schedule to talk Pretty Little Liars, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, and, most recently, her starring role as Kathryn in Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical. As a huge fan of all of the above, I couldn't think of a better way to spend a morning. Here's everything we talked about (spoilers ahead!):

1. Do you keep in touch with any Pretty Little Liars cast members?

Oh, yeah. I mean, we worked together for like 10 years, so we’re still a very tight-knit group. We have a group chat that stays pretty alive — I think it’s just called “PLL Fam.”

2. Where do you think Mona is now?

I would like to think that Mona went back to Rosewood to be close to Hanna and be with her and Caleb and the littles, and I hope she found love.

3. If Mona ended up with a love interest on Pretty Little Liars, who would it be and why?

I hope Mona called Mike. I was always a big Mike and Mona fan. I just think they had such a sweet relationship and balanced each other out so perfectly.

4. What do you think is the wildest storyline from Pretty Little Liars?

Honestly, I'm still gonna go with Mona being A. It was such a big moment for me as an actress to get the chance to play such an iconic character, and I feel like it was one of the biggest twists that fans didn't see coming. So, I'm going to go with that.

BuzzFeed: Wait, did you know from the start that Mona was going to be A?

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. I started reading the books and I saw that Mona was A, but Marlene [King, Pretty Little Liars showrunner] was like, “It's not going to go that way. You should just stop reading the books; it's gonna be different.” And then about three weeks before the [Season 2] finale, she called me and was like, “I just wanna prepare you mentally for the role. You're going to be A and it's gonna say you die, but you don't die.” So I found out very, very close to the time we filmed it.

The reveal itself was super fun. The most challenging thing that I lost sleep over was the scene in the car with Spencer where I explain why I was A and say, “You underestimated me. You took my only friend.” I just knew that was a big moment that fans had been waiting for. It was such an iconic moment, and I was like, “Do not mess this up.”

5. When Mona faked her death in Season 5, did you know ahead of time that she wasn’t really dead?

That was actually Marlene being a really great friend, because I went to her and I said, “I have an opportunity to be on Dancing with the Stars. It's gonna take me away for like, if I do well, three months.” And she was like, “Okay, we'll build it into the storyline. Maybe it'll be like, you die, but you don't actually die, and that'll be a big reveal.” And I was like, “I love you. Thank you so much.” She was so supportive throughout all of that experience.

6. Team Peter or Team John Ambrose?

Team Peter. John Ambrose was almost, like, too perfect. Peter was the guy — he was flawed, but he was trying, and he was sweet and funny. He was the “it guy” we all loved in high school.

7. What’s your favorite musical?

That's a very tough question. You're asking a musical theater girl over here! I mean, Les Misérables, because I was in it, is like my heart. I would love to play Kim in Miss Saigon; that’s my dream role. And Phantom of the Opera is the first musical I ever saw, and it made me fall in love with acting. So I’ve got to pick those three.

8. You've played some pretty different characters over the years. Who do you relate to the most out of Kathryn, Mona, and Margot?

I have a new movie coming out on Dec. 17 called Christmas Is Canceled, and I'm really excited for people to see that because I actually feel like my character Brandy is the most like me in real life. I feel like fans haven't really gotten to see, like, a little bit of Janel in the things that I play. Brandy is the most like me. She says what she means, she means what she says, and she loves hard. She may not always say the right thing. She might be a little bit extreme in her emotions, but she always means well. And I got to show my tattoos — in a lot of my projects, they're all covered.

9. What are you currently binge-watching?

My husband and I love space stuff, so we just finished watching Invasion on Apple TV and we loved it. I've got to go back to The Morning Show, and I still have to catch up on You. I know I'm behind!

10. What was it like re-creating that iconic kiss scene between Kathryn and Cecile?

Oh my god, so much fun. I played Kathryn in 2015 with Emma Hunton, who's amazing, and then I played Cecile in 2017. So, I've gotten to do two sides of that iconic kiss. Honestly, it’s a blast. Emma and I are such good friends, and we're so excited to re-create it again. I'm always joking with her, I’m like, “You ready to make out again?” That moment always gets such an amazing response from the audience that's unmatched.

BuzzFeed: Wow, I didn’t realize you had played Cecile too. What was that like?

Playing Cecile was like playing a drunk puppy, and I loved it. It taps into different sides of, you know, different personalities of Janel. Like, I can harness Kathryn feeling powerful, strong, and sexy, and then with Cecile, feeling goofy and innocent and experiencing new things. Both sides were a blast.

11. Kathryn has so many good lines — do you have a favorite one?

I mean, it has to be, “I'm the Marcia-fucking-Brady of the Upper East Side.” It's just such an iconic moment, and it’s so much fun to say it onstage. The audience always applauds. Just playing her character is so empowering. You just feel like the baddest bitch ever.

12. Do you have a favorite on-set memory from Pretty Little Liars?

I think it’s probably, going back to the episode of Mona's reveal as A, Troian (Bellisario, who played Spencer) and I were shooting that scene together, and it was the last day of Season 2, so we had to get everything done. It was a 19-hour day, and by the time we got to that scene, we were both just loopy as hell and laughing about the dumbest stuff. We were slap-happy, basically. Those are the best moments, you know? The moments where it's not work, it's just fun.

13. Is there a role that people would be surprised to find out you auditioned for?

I actually originally auditioned for Spencer on Pretty Little Liars. I feel like usually people are pretty surprised to hear that. I mean, it would be so weird, right? A bunch of us auditioned for different roles, but you can't imagine it any other way. We all ended up with the roles that fit us perfectly.

14. Do you remember your reaction to the Pretty Little Liars twist ending?

We all found out together while we were reading the script together at the final table read and everybody was just like, “Wow.” Marlene was at the helm of the table just like, “That's right. That's right.” [Laughs]

15. If you could have chosen any other character for the big A reveal, who would it be?

I'm biased, but I loved playing A so much. And I know that a lot of people were like, “How amazing would it be if it was Mona this entire time again?” I would have been so down. But I also love the way it ended, so it's really hard to choose.

16. Will you guest-star on the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before spinoff, Love, Kitty?

It’s possible! I mean, I love Anna Cathcart (who plays Kitty), and I will be there any time.

17. Would you be open to guest-starring on the Pretty Little Liars reboot, Original Sin?

If they call me!

18. Which celebrity have you been the most starstruck by?

In my newest film, Christmas Is Canceled, I get to play the girlfriend of Dermot Mulroney. I was so starstruck when I met him, because he was the guy growing up that I watched in My Best Friend's Wedding and Friends, and The Other Family Stone, which is my favorite Christmas movie ever. I was just like, “How am I gonna kiss him and do scenes with him and not be weird?” But he was so sweet, and so respectful, and just lovely to work with.

19. Who’s your favorite fictional villain?

I mean, again, I'm biased, but…I'm pretty good. [Laughs]

20. Have you ever met any of the original cast of the Cruel Intentions movie?

No, but I worked with Roger Kumble, who wrote and directed [the movie], when we were doing the musical, and he was great. I also worked with him on a lot of episodes of Pretty Little Liars, as well as the spinoff, The Perfectionists. I just love Roger so much — I'm always looking for projects that I can bring him on board with, because I would love to work with him again.

21. If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Definitely some type of noodle. But like, an Asian noodle or spaghetti with meat sauce…? Yeah, Chinese girl has to go with chow mein. Chicken chow mein with soy sauce.

22. What do you think Margot is up to now?

I think Margot is finishing up college. I feel like she'd make a really good teacher. So, maybe she's gonna go to grad school, get her master's, and become a teacher. I feel like she's got some cute boyfriend and is just doing Margot things, being extremely responsible.

23. What was the most challenging number to learn for Cruel Intentions?

The most challenging number to learn was actually a mashup that wasn't in the 2015 version that I did. It's pretty genius. Our music director, Zach Spound, created this amazing mashup of like six songs that Kathryn sings. It's called “Kathryn's Turn,” and it's just a moment of her losing her shit. It's definitely challenging, but I like challenges.

24. Do you have a favorite on-set memory with Lana Condor from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before?

I love Lana so much; I can't choose just one! All of my favorite memories were with her and Anna. We got along so, so well. I think all of our favorite memories were in Seoul, South Korea. We got to go for the third film and shoot there and it just was a dream. We went to the Seoul Tower, where they have all these locks that you can buy, and then you write your names on it and put them on this gate full of locks, kind of like a lover's bridge. We got one for the three of us, like [as] “Seoul sisters” with our names, and we put it on there. That’s a great memory.

BuzzFeed: And did you read the books as well?

I didn't read the books…I'm kidding! [Laughs] Jenny Han is a genius. She made a wonderful, iconic world and paved the way for Asian Americans like me who didn't have films like that growing up. It makes me feel seen, and it's great for little girls who are growing up and can see themselves in it on screen. I just think Jenny Han is such a hero. I love her so much.

25. Do you have a favorite Mona quote?

Actually, yes! It's probably not one that people would expect because she has so many iconic quotes, but in the last season, I sneak into Troian’s [Spencer’s] place, and I hit her with a flashlight and say, “Deja vu, bitch.” And it makes me so happy. I think our sound designer came up with that line on the spot. He was like, “How funny would it be if she said ‘Deja vu, bitch’?” And Marlene was like, “Yes, I love it.” It's just such a good moment.

26. What's your go-to coffee order?

I’m boring. I’m a Starbucks girl. Americano with a splash of almond milk, good to go.

27. Finally, what's your wildest fan experience?

It always just surprises me how dedicated they are to meeting us. Like, when we go overseas for PLL conventions, the fans always somehow find out where we're staying. And rain or shine, snow on the ground even, they will line up outside of the hotel and wait for days on end to see us. I'm just like, “Thank you, but I can't imagine standing outside in the snow for anybody!” That's wild to me.

Thanks for chatting with us, Janel! Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical debuts on Sunday, Dec. 19.

Note: Some answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.