Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse | |
|---|---|
 Pieterse at PaleyFest, March 2014 | |
| Born | February 17, 1996 Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Spouse(s) | Hudson Sheaffer (m. 2018) |
| Children | 1 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Labels | Dan Franklin Music |
| Associated acts | Dan Franklin |
Sasha Pieterse-Sheaffer (/ˈpiːtərsə/; born February 17, 1996[1]) is a South African-born American actress, singer and songwriter.[2] She is known for her role as Alison DiLaurentis in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars. Upon the success of Pretty Little Liars, Pieterse earned a supporting role as Amy Loubalu in the 2011 Disney Channel film Geek Charming.[3][4][5]
In 2013, she starred in the teen comedy film G.B.F.. In 2017, Pieterse participated in the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars and finished in 10th place.[6][7]
Early life[]
Pieterse was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 17, 1996.[1][8] Moving to the United States in 2001, she was raised in Las Vegas, before moving to Los Angeles.[9] She became accustomed to a career in entertainment at an early age, as her parents were a professional acrobatic dance team who performed internationally.[9] Pieterse was homeschooled and graduated at 14.[10]
Career[]
Modeling[]
At four years old, Pieterse began modeling and appearing in commercials.[11] She appeared in an advertisement for Wenner Bread Products at five years old,[12] and later appeared on a national billboard for hair salon franchise SuperCuts and modeled for Macy's Passport fashion show.[13][14] Pieterse appeared in numerous magazines, including on the covers of BELLO's "Young Hollywood" issue (December 2014),[10] TeenProm (2015 issue),[15] Seventeen (August 2016), Social Life (August 2019).[16]
Film and television[]
At six years old, Pieterse got her start in television, co-starring in 2002 as Buffy on The WB's remake of the CBS sitcom Family Affair (1966–1971). She guest starred in the Stargate SG-1 episode “Grace” with Amanda Tapping as a little girl named Grace. In 2005, she appeared on an episode of House titled "Autopsy", portraying Andie, a young girl with terminal cancer. That same year, she made her film debut in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D as Marissa, the Ice Princess, and also appeared as Millie Rose for two episodes of the short-lived TNT series Wanted, alongside her former Family Affair co-star, Gary Cole.
Pieterse appeared in the 2007 film Good Luck Chuck, playing a young goth girl who places a curse on the titular character. She played the younger version of Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in the 2007 film The Air I Breathe, along with such co-stars as Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker, and Emile Hirsch. She also played a leading character in the Hallmark original film Claire, also released in 2007.
Pieterse was 13 years old in late 2009, when she was cast in the Freeform teen drama television series Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017) as Alison DiLaurentis, the former "queen bee" of her high school clique.[17] She had a regular role in the series from the first four seasons, until later became a main role in the fifth season, with one of the five girls. Since its debut, the series has received mixed reviews from television critics, but remained a relative success for Freeform, garnering a large fandom.[18] Pieterse reprised her role as Alison, in the spin-off series titled Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists on Freeform in 2019.[19] On Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, she portrays the grown-up version of Alison who is working as a teaching assistant at Beacon Heights University.[11]
Other roles Pieterse has had include a 2009 appearance in Without a Trace, and a recurring role as Amanda Strazzulla, an abandoned daughter, in Heroes. In 2011, she appeared as Amy Loubalu in the Disney Channel Original Movie Geek Charming, and also as a teenage girl in the film X-Men: First Class. More recently, Pieterse has appeared in the film G.B.F. and in an episode of Hawaii Five-0 as a terrorist pupil named Dawn Hatfield. Pieterse played Japonica Fenway, a young lady involved with cocaine, in the film Inherent Vice (2014), based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon.[20] In September 2017, Pieterse was announced as one of the celebrities to compete on the Dancing with the Stars – season 25. She was paired with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko.[21] They were the 4th couple eliminated, on October 16, 2017, finishing in 10th place.[22]
Music[]
Pieterse describes her music as "country with southern rock".[citation needed] Her debut single "This Country is Bad Ass" was released on April 12, 2013. Pieterse described the patriotism behind the song: "I just love this country so much and I would never have been able to be where I am if I wasn't in America, so we decided to come up with this [track]."[23] Her second single, "R.P.M", was released on June 13, 2013.[24]
Her third single, "I Can't Fix You", was released on July 12, 2013.[25][26] On December 10, 2013, she released her fourth single "No", an upbeat track about "standing strong in your convictions" and saying no when an unfaithful, lying ex-boyfriend asks for a second chance.[27][28]
Other ventures[]
Her cookbook Sasha in Good Taste: Recipes for Bites, Feasts, Sips & Celebrations was published by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins on October 8, 2019.[11] In the book Pieterse shares cooking and baking recipes, tips for inexpensive party planning, do it yourself projects and ideas for desserts.[11][29] San Francisco Book Review wrote that the book is "full of good ideas".[30]
She also has a lifestyle website called "Sasha in Good Taste".[13]
Pieterse has developed an online and social media presence, including 11 million followers on Instagram as of November 2020.[31] She endorses products such as beauty and wellness products on Instagram and has partnered with Lightlife Foods,[32] and Pokemon Go.[33]
Philanthropy[]
In June 2019, Pieterse and her husband worked together with Habitat for Humanity to help build houses in New Orleans.[34]
Personal life[]
On December 22, 2015, Pieterse became engaged to her longterm boyfriend Hudson Sheaffer.[35] They were married on May 27, 2018 at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, Ireland.[36] At the start of season 25 of Dancing with the Stars, she revealed that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, which contributed to her weight gain.[37] On May 27, 2020, Pieterse announced that she and Sheaffer were expecting their first child, due in October.[38] Their son was born in November 2020.[39]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D | Marissa Electricidad / Ice Princess | |
| 2007 | The Air I Breathe | Young Sorrow | |
| 2007 | Good Luck Chuck | Young Anisha Carpenter | |
| 2011 | X-Men: First Class | Teenage girl | Cameo |
| 2013 | G.B.F. | Fawcett Brooks | |
| 2014 | Inherent Vice | Japonica Fenway | |
| 2015 | Burning Bodhi | Aria | |
| 2017 | Coin Heist | Dakota Cunningham | |
| 2018 | The Honor List | Isabella Walker |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | Family Affair | Buffy Davis | Main role |
| 2004 | Stargate SG-1 | Grace | Episode: "Grace" |
| 2005 | Wanted | Millie Rose | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | House | Andie | Episode: "Autopsy" |
| 2007 | Claire | Maggie Bannion | Television film |
| 2007 | CSI: Miami | Beth Buckley | Episode: "Stand Your Ground" |
| 2009 | Without a Trace | Daphne Stevens | Episode: "Wanted" |
| 2009–2010 | Heroes | Amanda Strazzulla | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | Heroes: Slow Burn | Amanda Strazzulla | 6 episodes |
| 2010–2017 | Pretty Little Liars | Alison DiLaurentis | Main role |
| 2011 | Medium | Marie DuBois (age 14) | Episode: "Me Without You" |
| 2011 | Geek Charming | Amy Loubalu | Television film |
| 2014 | Hawaii Five-0 | Dawn Hatfield | Episode: "Pe'epe'e Kanaka" |
| 2016 | Sing It! | Destiny Wood | Episode: "Destiny Is Calling!" |
| 2017 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself | Contestant on (season 25) |
| 2019 | Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists | Alison DiLaurentis | Main role |
| 2019 | Epic Night | Shook | Web series |
| 2020 | Sugar Rush Christmas | Herself | Episode: "North Pole" |
Music videos[]
| Year | Title | Artist | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Rewind" | Skye Stevens | Love Interest | [40] | |
| 2013 | "R.P.M." | Sasha Pieterse | Reckless Driver Girl | Also executive producer | [41] |
Awards and nominations[]
 | This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2017) |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Family Affair | Won |
| Best Ensemble in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) (shared with Caitlin Wachs and Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak) |
Family Affair | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | ShoWest Awards | Breakthrough Performer of the Year | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated |
| 2014 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Female Breakout Star | Pretty Little Liars | Won |
| 2015 | Independent Spirit Awards | Robert Altman Award (shared with director, casting director and cast) | Inherent Vice | Won |
| 2015 | MTV Fandom Awards | Ship of the Year (shared with Shay Mitchell) | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated |
| 2015 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Scene Stealer | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated |
| 2016 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV: Scene Stealer | Pretty Little Liars | Won |
| 2017 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress: Drama | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated |
| Choice TV Ship (shared with Shay Mitchell) | Pretty Little Liars | Nominated |
Publications[]
- Sasha in Good Taste: Recipes for Bites, Feasts, Sips & Celebrations (October 8, 2019)
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Sweet Sixteen: Happy Birthday Wishes for Pretty Little Liars Star Sasha Pieterse". Alloy Entertainment. March 2, 2017. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012.
- ^ Team, myFanbase. "Interview with Sasha Pieterse". myFanbase (in German). Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ Nast, Condé. "Sasha Pieterse on Why "The Perfectionists" Need Alison's Help". Teen Vogue. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "Sasha Pieterse Stands Up to Bullies After Horrific Fat-Shaming Experience". Distractify. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ ‘Old Married Couple’ Energy to The Perfectionists (March 20, 2019). "Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish Are Bringing". www.vulture.com. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ Weakland, Avery Thompson,Russ (April 3, 2019). "'PLL: The Perfectionists': Sasha Pieterse Reveals Finding Nolan's Killer Is Alison's #1 Priority 'For Now'". HollywoodLife. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "PLL: The Perfectionists: Sasha Pieterse on Why This Is A New, Changed Alison". The TV Junkies. March 19, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ "TheSashaPietersePage/info". Retrieved March 23, 2013 – via Facebook.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Alison Dilaurentis by Sasha Pieterse". ABC Family. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Elizabeth, Emilie; Levine, Tamar. "Sasha Pieterse By Tamar Levine & Emilie Elizabeth For Bello Mag Beauty". Bello Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d Montanti, Christine. "Sasha Pieterse – Icon in the Making | Social Life Magazine | Luxury Publication for the Hamptons". Retrieved October 14, 2020.
- ^ "Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer on Instagram: "Just found this gem from a job I did when I was 5...and I gotta say...it fits my #quarantine mood 88.9% of the time. #breadislife