Alex Drake (Pretty Little Liars)
| Alex Drake | |
|---|---|
| Pretty Little Liars character | |
 Alex eavesdropping on a conversation between Veronica Hastings and Jenna Marshall, taking place outside the Hastings and Hastings law firm.
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| First appearance |
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| Last appearance |
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| Created by | I. Marlene King |
| Portrayed by | Troian Bellisario |
| Information | |
| Full name | Alexandra Drake |
| Nickname(s) | "A" A-moji Big Bad "Not A" The Stalker Uber A Waldo |
| Aliases | Spencer Hastings |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation | The A-Team (formerly) |
| Title | "A.D." |
| Residence |
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| Status | Alive |
Alexandra "Alex" Drake is a fictional character created by I. Marlene King and portrayed by Troian Bellisario on the American television series Pretty Little Liars. She was officially introduced during the series finale, revealed to be Spencer Hastings' identical twin sister as well as the elusive "A.D.". Alex believed the Liars knew who was accountable for Charlotte Drake's homicide and was also set on physically replacing Spencer due to being jealous of the upbringing that she was able to have. She was adopted by a wealthy British family that later abandoned her, forcing Alex to bounce around foster homes and orphanages for a large portion of her childhood. She is believed to be the deadliest antagonist of the series.
Her character pays tribute to Alison and Courtney DiLaurentis, characters of the Pretty Little Liars book series.
Bellisario was cast as Spencer Hastings, in November 2009. Alex is Spencer's identical twin sister, whose existence was unknown until the series' final episode. During an interview to Elle, Bellisario disclosed that Marlene King, the show's creator, was planning to introduce Spencer's twin since 2014, when the show's fifth season began airing. She also commented that King was initially doubtful towards the storyline since Freeform wasn't decided if the show was going further forward. However, by the end of the sixth season, Marlene warned Bellisario they were staying true to the plan, so they began working on the character's history and characteristics.
According to Bellisario, the difference between Alex and Spencer is that "Spencer approaches things with her head and her heart, and Alex approaches things with her head and her groin. That's not to say she doesn't have a heart or feelings, but she's gotten really good at putting a thick coat of armor over her heart." Referred to as the series' "ultimate villain", Alex is an "Essex girl" whose portrayal was influenced by late singer Sid Vicious. She is a manipulative woman who can easily disguise and pass herself off as Spencer. Alex was desperate to take over her twin sister's life since Spencer had a supportive cycle of friends and family, while Alex was twice abandoned and forced to live on her own terms.
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