Meet The Liars: The Cast of Prime Video's 'We Were Liars' Unpacks Their Secrets And Roles

Clear your schedule because we've got a new show to spiral over! And get this: It's not our usual romance series or K-dramas. We're making a case for giving We Were Liars a slot in your watchlist, especially if you're into mysteries, family drama, and thrilling new stories.

Prime Video's newest original series, We Were Liars, is an adaptation of E. Lockhart's best-selling novel of the same title. Emily Alyn Lind, Esther McGregor, Shubham Maheshwari, and Joseph Zada bring the four main characters of the series to life: Cadence, Mirren, Gat, and Johnny, respectively.

They're called the "Liars" in the show. And below, we're about to tell you all about them. (You might've read the book, but don't worry, we're not gonna give you the spoilers from the show—because, why would we want you to miss out on the fun part of watching it?)

The Sinclairs are not just some family. They're practically American royalty, as Emily's character, Cadence, declares in the show.

Over the summers, the Sinclairs would gather on Beechwood Island. It's a private island honed and built by the head of their family, Harris Sinclair (David Morse). It's where the four Liars bonded and created such a strong relationship with each other.

Cadence, Mirren, and Johnny are all cousins. Their moms are sisters, making them the next-generation Sinclairs. When they were eight years old, they met Gat. He's the nephew of Ed Patil (Rahul Kohli), who is Carrie Sinclair's (Mamie Gummer) partner. Carrie is also Johnny's mom. (I know, the family tree is huge, ok?)

As the young ones in the family, they were carefree and oblivious to what was going on within the island, except for their own love for summer together. Or such was the case until they reached what Cadence calls Summer 16. It's the summer when 1) they were all 16-year-olds, and 2) when everything fell apart for the family.

By the end of Summer 16, Cadence was found unconscious on the shore, almost naked, and holding her grandmother's precious pearl necklace, with no memories of what happened before that moment. And so, the story deepens with Cadence coming back to the island in Summer 17 and trying to recall the memories she lost from Summer 16.

For Cadence Sinclair Eastman, the Liars are both her safe space and rebellious place, according to Emily Alyn Lind. In a press statement, Emily talks about Cadence's relationship with the group.

"They're really her conscience, but they’re also her mirrors, every one of them reflects a different part of her in a way," she says. "And together, they create this little world where they can be messy and brave and honest and brutally honest with each other, which is sort of the opposite of what the Sinclair family stands for or teaches you to be. So it's love, and a bit of madness."

Cadence (or Cady as her nickname) is not just one thing for Emily. Cadence Sinclair is this fractured character who has this urge to understand the environment that has shaped her growing up. "She's not a traditional protagonist, I would say, because she's unreliable but not dishonest, just searching in her own way," Emily explained.

For viewers, Gat served as a way to remind everyone that the Sinclairs are royalty. There's this huge divide when it comes to money, power, and social status that he's fully aware of, especially during Summer 16.

But in the middle of his emotional chaos, he catches real feelings for Cadence. This turns into one of the show's biggest sources of tension, since he wrestles with it in a messy push-and-pull he can't quite escape.

BTW, here's a fun fact: We Were Liars is actually Shubham's TV debut! He's an economics major at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, who has the heart for acting. After starring in student films, he came across the show's open casting and got in. "Luckily, this show was doing an open casting call. I was in my third year when I saw it and applied for it. A couple of auditions later, I got the role, and it blew my mind. I'm super, super grateful. It was an incredible day," he shared.

"Mirren's really fun, and I find a lot of myself in her, especially at that age. There's a lot of embedded insecurity, I think, with her relationship with her mother and this idea of perfectionism," Esther expressed.

She added, describing what attracted her to the role, "I think she was just this really sweet, innocent version of me that I ended up falling in love with."

Truly, Mirren has this fun vibe—not totally opposite of Cadence—but one that complements each of the Liars. But aside from her friendship with them, and her bout as a growing teenager searching for the right path, Mirren poses this strained, complicated relationship with her mother.

There's quite a lot to unpack when it comes to Johnny. Sometimes you'd get irritated by him. Most of the time, you'll just swoon over his looks. But like the rest of the Liars, there's the kind of emotional mess in him that's dying to surface. "He has a fluctuating journey. You see a lot of different elements to him. And I feel like once you get to the fourth episode, you kind of break the surface of what that is," Joseph teases about his role.

Joseph is one of the up-and-coming actors that We Were Liars introduced to the world. He's only 19 years old IRL, but he's got the acting chops to flesh out any character that's coming his way. What you might need to know about him as well, is the fact that he's reported to play Haymitch Abernathy (!) in the upcoming film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Yes, it's the prequel film to one of our ultimate faves The Hunger Games. (Joseph as Haymitch? Where do we sign up?)

Since it's based on a novel, chances are some people have already looked up the ending—so you might know what you're in for. But spoilers or not, We Were Liars absolutely earns a spot on your watchlist.

Like its characters, We Were Liars is not just one thing. It makes you feel all sorts of emotions within one shot, one line from the characters. It's complex, thrilling but also warm and emotional.

Emily speaks on what viewers should look forward to about their show, saying, "It's not straightforward. The show plays with memory and perspective, and it asks you to sit in the unknown for a bit. There's something eerie in the quiet of it, but it's not without warmth at its core. It's about love and grief and how those two things can get tangled. And there are many moments of fun, too, of connection and mischief, and especially that very specific feeling of being young and invincible just before everything cracks."

Ultimately, it's not just the gripping story that will draw you in—it's the powerhouse performances, blending seasoned pros with rising stars, that make We Were Liars worth every minute.

Stay tuned for more exclusive stories on We Were Liars via cosmo.ph!