Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer (; born February 17, 1996
) is a South African and American actress and singer. She is known for portraying
Alison DiLaurentis
Alison Lauren DiLaurentis is a fictional character in the ''Pretty Little Liars'' book series, its television adaptation, and the spin-off series '' Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists''. The character was created by American author Sara Sh ...
in the
Freeform series ''
Pretty Little Liars
''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...
'' (2010–2017), and its spin-off ''
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists'' (2019), for which she received global stardom and critical acclaim.
After early recognition for her roles as Buffy Davis in ''
Family Affair'' (2002-2003) and as Marissa Electricidad / Ice Princess in the film ''
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl'' (2005), Pieterse played minor roles in various other films and series. She later rose to prominence with her role in ''Pretty Little Liars.'' Upon the success of ''Pretty Little Liars'', Pieterse starred in films such as
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
's ''
Geek Charming'' (2011), teen comedy ''
G.B.F'' (2013), indie film ''
Burning Bodhi'' (2015), drama films ''
Coin Heist'' (2017) & ''
The Honor List'' (2018), and a psychological thriller film ''
The Image of You'' (2024).
Pieterse has participated in the
25th season of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'' (2017). In addition to acting, Pieterse has ventured into music and modeling. She served as a judge in one episode of shows ''
Beat Bobby Flay and
Sugar Rush Christmas'' (both 2020).
Early life
Pieterse was born in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa, on February 17, 1996, to Sean and Zizi.
Pieterse's family is of
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
descent and moved to the United States in 2001. She was raised in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, before moving to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.
She became accustomed to a career in entertainment at an early age, as her parents were a professional
acrobatic
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
dance team who performed internationally.
[ Pieterse was homeschooled and graduated when she was 14 years old.]
Career
Modeling
At four years old, Pieterse began modeling and appearing in commercials. She appeared in an advertisement for Wenner Bread Products at five years old, and later appeared on a national billboard for hair salon franchise SuperCuts
Supercuts is a hair salon franchise with more than 2,400 locations across the United States. The company was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1975, by Geoffrey M. Rappaport and Frank E. Emmett. The company's first location was in Alb ...
and modeled for Macy's
Macy's is an American department store chain founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. The first store was located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets, south of the present-day flagship store at Herald Square on West 34 ...
Passport fashion show. Pieterse appeared in numerous magazines, including on the covers of ''BELLO'''s "Young Hollywood" issue (December 2014), ''TeenProm'' (2015 issue), '' Seventeen'' (August 2016), '' Social Life'' (August 2019).
Film and television
At the age of six, Pieterse got her start in television, co-starring in 2002 as Buffy on The WB
The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
's remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
of the CBS sitcom '' Family Affair''. She guest starred in the ''Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrig ...
'' episode “Grace
Grace may refer to:
Places United States
* Grace, Idaho, a city
* Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois
* Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office
* Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...
” with Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' an ...
as a little girl named Grace. In 2005, she appeared on an episode of ''House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
'' titled "Autopsy
An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
", 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
Gary Michael Cole (born September 20, 1956) is an American actor. He began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. His breakout role was playing Jack 'Nighthawk' Killian in the NBC series '' M ...
.
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
Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. Known for various roles, including leading man characters, Bacon has received numerous accolades such as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Bacon made his featu ...
, Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker (born July 15, 1961) is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist. His accolades include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Best Actor Award at the ...
, and Emile Hirsch
Emile Davenport Hirsch (born March 13, 1985) is an American actor. His portrayal of Chris McCandless in '' Into the Wild'' (2007) earned him acclaim and multiple award nominations.
Other notable roles include '' The Girl Next Door'' (2004), '' ...
. She also played a leading character in the Hallmark
A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...
original film ''Claire'', also released in 2007.
Pieterse was 13 years old in late 2009, when she was cast in the Freeform teen drama
In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or docudrama, semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humour, humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional te ...
television series ''Pretty Little Liars
''Pretty Little Liars'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery teen drama television series created by I. Marlene King, which aired on Freeform (TV channel), Freeform from June 8, 2010 to June 27, 2017, based on the novel series Pretty Little L ...
'' (2010–2017) as Alison DiLaurentis
Alison Lauren DiLaurentis is a fictional character in the ''Pretty Little Liars'' book series, its television adaptation, and the spin-off series '' Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists''. The character was created by American author Sara Sh ...
, the former "queen bee
A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female ( gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are develope ...
" of her high school clique. 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 success for Freeform, garnering a large fandom
A fandom is a subculture composed of Fan (person), fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significan ...
. Pieterse reprised her role as Alison, in the spin-off series titled '' Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists'' on Freeform in 2019. On ''Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists'', she portrayed the grown-up version of Alison who is working as a teaching assistant at Beacon Heights University.
Other roles Pieterse has had include a 2009 appearance in ''Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'', 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
Since its launch on April 18, 1983, American cable and satellite pay television channel Disney Channel airs and/or releases/distributes original first-run television films under the banner names of Disney Channel Premiere Films until October 1 ...
'' Geek Charming'', and also as a teenage girl in the film '' X-Men: First Class''. Later, Pieterse 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
''Inherent Vice'' is a novel by the American author Thomas Pynchon, originally published on August4, 2009. A darkly comic detective novel set in 1970s California, the plot follows sleuth Larry "Doc" Sportello whose ex-girlfriend asks him to i ...
'' (2014), based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, Literary genre, genres and Theme (narrative), th ...
. In September 2017, Pieterse was announced as one of the celebrities to compete on the 25th season of ''Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
''. She was paired with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. They were the 4th couple eliminated, on October 16, 2017, finishing in 10th place.
On August 16, 2021, '' Deadline'' announced that Pieterse had been cast in Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's film adaptation of Annie Barrows’ New York Times bestselling book series
A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publ ...
'' Ivy + Bean'' alongside Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...
and Nia Vardalos. In July 2023, ''Deadline'' reported that Pieterse had been cast in psychological thriller film ''The Image of You'' (2024), starring in a dual roles of twin sisters of Anna and Zoe.
Music
Pieterse describes her music as "country with southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals.
History 1950s and 1960s: origin ...
". 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 rack" Her second single, " R.P.M", was released on June 13, 2013.
Pieterse's third single, " I Can't Fix You", was released on July 12, 2013. 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.
Other ventures
Pieterse's cookbook ''Sasha in Good Taste: Recipes for Bites, Feasts, Sips & Celebrations'' was published by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
on October 8, 2019. In the book Pieterse shares cooking and baking recipes, tips for inexpensive party planning, do it yourself
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, wikt:modification, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals ...
projects and ideas for desserts. ''San Francisco Book Review'' wrote that the book is "full of good ideas".
Pieterse has a lifestyle website called "Sasha in Good Taste".
Pieterse has developed an online and social media
Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the Content creation, creation, information exchange, sharing and news aggregator, aggregation of Content (media), content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongs ...
presence, including 16 million+ followers on Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
as of January 2023. She endorses products such as beauty and wellness products on Instagram and has partnered with Lightlife Foods, and '' Pokémon Go''.
Philanthropy
In June 2019, Pieterse and her husband worked together with Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...
to help build houses in New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
.
Personal life
On December 22, 2015, Pieterse became engaged to her long-term partner Hudson Sheaffer. They were married on May 27, 2018, at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, Ireland. On May 27, 2020, Pieterse announced that she and Sheaffer were expecting their first child. Their son was born in November 2020. As of 2022, the family resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
At the start of season 25 of ''Dancing with the Stars'', Pieterse revealed that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or polycystic ovarian syndrome, (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The name is a misnomer, as not all women with this condition develop cysts on their ovaries. The name origin ...
, which causes symptoms such as irregular periods and weight gain.
Pieterse speaks Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
, English, and French.
Filmography
Film
Television
Music videos
Awards and nominations
References
Bibliography
* Pieterse, Sasha (2019). ''Sasha in Good Taste: Recipes for Bites, Feasts, Sips & Celebrations.'' Dey Street Books.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pieterse, Sasha
1996 births
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Johannesburg
Actresses from Los Angeles
Actresses from Nevada
Afrikaner people
American child actresses
American child models
American women country singers
American female models
American film actresses
American television actresses
Living people
Musicians from the Las Vegas Valley
Actors from the Las Vegas Valley
South African emigrants to the United States
English-language singers from South Africa
South African women pop singers
21st-century American women singers
Singers from Johannesburg