Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin star Maia Reficco discusses the reason she cried while filming a chase scene with A. Original Sin, which premiered on HBO Max on July 28, is the latest entry in the Pretty Little Liars franchise, which began with the original 2010-2017 series. That show is based on a series of young adult novels of the same name by Sara Shepard. Original Sin is a slasher-inspired riff on the murderous antics of the original show, following an I Know What You Did Last Summer-style structure where a mysterious killer known as A is hunting down those related to people involved in a death that took place at a warehouse party in 1999. The ensemble of potential victims this time around includes Reficco, Chandler Kinney, Zaria, Malia Pyles, and The Strangers: Prey at Night star Bailee Madison.
In Original Sin, Reficco plays Noa, a track runner who just got home from a stint in juvie. In "Chapter Four: The (Fe)male Gaze," which premiered on August 4, Noa got the opportunity to put those track skills to use during a chase scene where A attacked her in her apartment building. In addition to being the first chase scene in the new series, it is also the first time that A has spoken out loud across any series in the franchise.
Reficco had the opportunity to speak to TVLine about the climactic Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin A moment. She revealed that she had a surprising reaction when director Lisa Soper (who has also helmed episodes of the similarly dark teen series Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) reminded her that "This is your moment. Enjoy it." She said she sobbed, because "it was such a surreal, pinch-me moment." Read her full quote below:
That was so exciting. I remember Lisa Soper, our director for that episode — and for episodes 1, 2, 5 and 10 — coming up to me and saying, “This is your moment. Enjoy it.” I started sobbing, because it was such a surreal, pinch-me moment.
I’m a gymnast, so physical stuff is my favorite. And in terms of the storytelling, it’s pretty insane to get the first chase sequence of the show.
We were surrounded by such an incredible crew [including stunt coordinator Tracey Ruggiero and] the incredible team of stunt actors who made that scene happen. Everyone was so good at what they do, so I felt pretty inspired.
Filming this scene must have been particularly surreal for Reficco. Like most of the cast members of the new series, she was born in the early 2000s, making her the perfect age to be a huge fan of the original series, as well as its follow-up projects like Ravenswood and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. To be part of a franchise that has become so iconic for her age group must have been so overwhelming at that moment when she came into contact with the franchise's iconic villain.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin has five more episodes left to go. With that much ground to cover, and a limited season that is en route to revealing the identity of A during the finale, it may, unfortunately, be the case that Noa doesn't survive to see the end. However, any fan of Pretty Little Liars knows that longevity isn't something that's guaranteed to any character in the dangerous world of the franchise, and Reficco will hopefully continue to be bowled over by the fact that she had the opportunity in the first place.
Source: TVLine