Key Points

• We Were Liars is a psychological thriller based on the 2014 novel of the same name.

• The eight-episode season follows a teenage girl and her friends as they face the fallout of a mysterious accident on her family’s private island.

• Rising stars Emily Alyn Lind, Esther McGregor, and Joseph Zada lead the cast.

Adapted from E. Lockhart‘s best-selling novel of the same name, We Were Liars endured a winding road to the screen.

Originally pitched as a film, the project fizzled out before being picked up by Netflix, only to be dropped once again. In 2022, Amazon stepped in, eventually giving it a series order the following year. Now, the long-awaited adaptation is ready to binge.

The show centers on teen Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her friends, known as the Liars, as they spend their summer on her wealthy grandfather’s private island, dubbed Beechwood, off the coast of New England.

According to the official synopsis, “The Sinclairs are American royalty — known for their good looks, old money, and enviable bond — but after a mysterious accident changes Cadence’s life forever, everyone, including her beloved Liars, seems to have something to hide.”

All eight episodes hit the streaming service on Wednesday, June 18, introducing audiences to a cast of rising stars. Leading the charge are Emily Alyn Lind and Joseph Zada, the latter of whom recently scored the lead role in the next chapter of a wildly popular young adult dystopian franchise.

Curious about who’s who in the We Were Liars cast? Read on to discover the characters and spot where you might recognize the actors from.

Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence Sinclair Eastman

Lind is likely best known for her role as Audrey Hope on Max‘s reboot of teen dramaGossip Girl (2021–2023).

But she was acting long before landing that gig, starting out on All My Children (2010) before landing roles on Revenge (2011–2015), and Code Black (2015–2018). Since then, she’s taken on some hefty characters in movies like The Babysitter (2017) and its 2020 sequel, Doctor Sleep (2019), and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024).

On We Were Liars, Lind leads the cast as Cadence, the eldest Sinclair grandchild.

Carina Adly MacKenzie, one of the showrunners, previously told Entertainment Weekly that Lind brought a wealth of experience to the role. “Emily is probably the most experienced in that group of four [young leads],” she said, noting the actress has “been on set since she was a baby with her mom [Barbara Alyn Woods].”

She continued “And so she came in as a consummate professional, which was great because she was able to sort of show people the ropes. And then on the other end of the spectrum is Shubham, who had never stepped in front of a camera a single day in his life.”

Shubham Maheshwari as Gat Patil

Believe it or not, We Were Liars marks Shubham Maheshwari’s screen debut.

Showrunners MacKenzie and Julie Plec told EW that Maheshwari landed the role through an open casting call on Instagram. His tape was recorded in his college dorm room.

“He wasn’t even a theater kid or an acting student, he just decided to audition for a TV show and got the part,” Plec explained.

Maheshwari plays Gat Patil, the nephew of a family friend who spends his summers on Beechwood and becomes Cadence’s best friend.

Talking with ScreenRant, Maheshwari shared that it was Gat’s “faith in his friends” that drew him to the part. “I think he thinks about the world in a different way,” he added. “And I think that’s something to learn from and take inspiration from. Just not losing hope and trying to convince his friends to see it his way. And speaking up in situations where he should speak up. I admire that.”

Esther McGregor as Mirren Sinclair Sheffield

Hollywood’s got another McGregor on the rise — Esther McGregor is stepping into the acting world, ready to make her mark.

The daughter of Emmy winner Ewan McGregor, Esther started out modeling before shifting gears into acting. She shared the screen with her famous dad on Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) and in the drama Bleeding Love (2023), but she can also shine on her own.

You might recognize her from Babygirl (2024), where she played the fiery, rebellious daughter of Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas‘ troubled couple, or from The Room Next Door (2024), where she portrayed a younger version of Tilda Swinton‘s character.

On We Were Liars, Esther McGregor portrays Mirren Sinclair Sheffield, Cadence’s cousin. McGregor told ScreenRant there are “a million things” she loves about Mirren, but noted that “her innocence towards life is really beautiful and her excitement for it, too, and wanting to figure it out and do it and live it is amazing.”

Joseph Zada as Johnny Sinclair Dennis

Australian actor Joseph Zada is on the fast track to stardom. With just a handful of credits under his belt, including Bilched (2019), The Speedway Murders (2023), Total Control (2025), and Invisible Boys (2025), he’s already turning heads.

Next up for Zada is Netflix’s limited series East of Eden (2026), as well as a lead role in Sunrise on the Reaping (2026), the latest prequel in The Hunger Games franchise. Zada will play a young Haymitch Abernathy — portrayed by Woody Harrelson in the original films — as he enters a contest that will leave him forever scarred.

Zada plays Johnny Sinclair Dennis, Cadence and Mirren’s charismatic cousin. As for what he loves most about his We Are Liars character, the actor told ScreenRant, “I think Johnny really loves his family a lot. He’s a big family guy. I love that about him. I’m very similar to that.”

Caitlin FitzGerald as Penny Sinclair

Caitlin FitzGerald is likely best known for her roles as Libby Masters on Showtime’s Masters of Sex (2013–2016) and Tabitha Hayes, Roman’s long-suffering girlfriend, on HBO’s Succession (2018–2019).

She even shares a Gossip Girl connection with Lind, who plays her onscreen daughter, as FitzGerald played Epperly Lawrence on the original series in 2011.

You might also recognize her from The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Station Eleven (2021–2022), and Inventing Anna (2022). Coming up next for FitzGerald is a leading role in Above the Below, a British survival thriller co-directed by Golden Globe winner Idris Elba and Martin Owen.

FitzGerald portrays Penny Sinclair, Cadence’s emotionally avoidant mother. Ahead of the series premiere, the actress told TV Fanatic this was a “really delicious” role to play, seeing as Penny “will do anything to avoid feeling her feelings and being vulnerable.”

Mamie Gummer as Carrie Sinclair

Mamie Gummer, the eldest daughter of sculptor Don Gummer and three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, was born into showbiz, and she’s since followed in her famous mother’s footsteps.

Gummer is known for starring in the title role of the CW’s Emily Owens, M.D. (2012–2013), and for popping up as sharp-tongued lawyer Nancy Crozier on The Good Wife (2010–2015) and its spinoff, The Good Fight (2018).

On the big screen, you might’ve seen Gummer in Evening (2007), Cake (2014), or Out of Blue (2018) — and yes, she starred alongside her mom in Ricki and the Flash (2015). A theater powerhouse as well, Gummer earned a 2016 Drama Desk Award nomination for her gripping performance in Ugly Lies the Bone.

Gummer plays Carrie Sinclair on We Were Liars, Johnny’s mother and the eldest Sinclair sister. During an appearance on The Today Show, she described her character as “a little rebellious” but still very much “dependent on this patriarchal father who wields control in all kinds of disruptive ways.”

Candice King as Bess Sinclair

If you’re a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you’ll definitely remember Candice King as Caroline Forbes, a fan-favorite from the supernatural drama’s run from 2009 to 2017. King didn’t stop there, though, as she also reprised the role in spinoffs The Originals (2018) and Legacies (2021–2022), solidifying her place in supernatural teen TV history.

Candice King portrays Bess Sinclair, Mirren’s mother, and the youngest Sinclair sister. Candice King portrays Bess Sinclair, Mirren’s mother, and Penny and Carrie’s sister.

When it came to casting King, MacKenzie and Plec told EW it was an easy decision. “From the beginning, we wanted her voice,” Plec said. “In my head, as we were breaking and writing Bess, it was Candice, but Candice was too young.”

That changed when they reconsidered what “too young” really meant. At 37, King proved she had the presence to play Bess — but she wasn’t just handed the role.

“She auditioned,” MacKenzie said. “We did present other options. But we really tried not to sway the process because we didn’t want to cast her because she’s our friend. We wanted to cast her because she was perfect for it, and she really was.”

Rahul Kohli as Ed Patil

Chances are, you’ve seen Rahul Kohli stealing scenes. He first charmed fans as Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti on iZombie (2015–2019), then became a go-to favorite in Mike Flanagan‘s Netflix horror universe, with roles on The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020), Midnight Mass (2021), and The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).

Clearly, they enjoy working together because Kohli reunited with Flanagan for The Life of Chuck (2024), and will appear in the director’s upcoming series adaptation of Carrie.

On We Were Liars, Kohli plays Ed Patil, Carrie’s loyal partner and Gat’s uncle. Speaking with The Upcoming, Kohli reflected on Ed’s nature as an outsider.

“The choices he makes and the patience he has is not something I embody,” he admitted. “I’ve always expressed myself, I don’t allow myself to be pushed around. I’ve always been like that, so reading Ed, I had to find the reason behind, ‘Why does he endure this? Why doesn’t he push back?’ It is something pure — his love for Carrie and it is for trying to keep his family together.”

David Morse as Harris Sinclair

Emmy nominee David Morse is the kind of actor whose face you instantly recognize, and for good reason. He rose to fame as the kind-hearted Dr. Jack “Boomer” Morrison on St. Elsewhere (1982–1988), and has since played memorable roles in everything from The Rock (1996) and The Green Mile (1999) to to True Detective (2015), Outsiders (2016–2017), and The Last Thing He Told Me (2023).

Morse earned his Emmy nominations for his intense turn as Detective Michael Tritter on House (2006), and as George Washington on HBO’s John Adams (2008).

He’s also just as powerful on stage, seeing as his portrayal of Uncle Peck in How I Learned to Drive (1997–1998) won him both a Drama Desk and an Obie Award. When the play made its Broadway debut in 2022, Morse returned to the role and snagged a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play.

Morse plays Harris Sinclair, the formidable family patriarch and grandfather to Cadence, Mirren, and Johnny.

Despite his character’s domineering presence, Morse told ScreenRant there’s more than meets the eye. “He’s way more complicated than anybody would give him credit for. He’s way more vulnerable than anybody would imagine,” the actor said. “And that’s one of the things I loved about him because you would never say that about Harris. This titan of an industry, and the patriarch of the family, and he can be pretty hard on his kids and his grandkids. And you wouldn’t think of him having those other elements to him, but that’s what I loved.”

Wendy Crewson as Tipper Sinclair

Wendy Crewson has been lighting up screens since the early ’80s, so odds are you’ve spotted her in something over the years. She had her big breakout in The Doctor (1991), and from there, her filmography took off.

She’s starred in holiday fare (The Santa Clause trilogy), action hits (Air Force One), and emotional dramas (Room, Close to You). TV lovers may know her best from 24 (2003), ReGenesis (2007–2008), Revenge (2012–2013), and Tracker (2024–2025).

On We Were Liars, Crewson plays Tipper Sinclair, the polished and pampered matriarch of the Sinclair family.

Where can I watch We Were Liars?

We Were Liars is now streaming on Prime Video.

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