Fans of E. Lockhart’s best-selling novel, We Were Liars, will know all too well the heartbreak that comes with this haunting thriller. When marie claire Australia sat down with Joseph Zada and Esther McGregor, who play Johnny and Mirren respectively in the television adaptation, they swiftly warned us: the show won’t be any more forgiving on your emotions.
“It’s equally as heartbreaking, I’d say,” Zada reveals, “It doesn’t get any nicer in the TV show, it’s pretty messed up.”
McGregor agrees: “It’s not an easy watch. I know it through and through and it still killed me.”
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Having both read the books and devoured the new tv show, we can confirm devotees of the original will delight in seeing their favourite (and not-so) characters far more nuanced and fleshed out.
“I feel like there’s more in the script, like there was more to add,” Zada, who’s recently been cast in the new Hunger Games film, tells us.
“There was just more for each character to explore” to which McGregor chimns in, adding: “Yeah, a lot more little pieces, little details, storylines that were added to kind of create the world.”
For those not yet versed in Lockhart’s work, the show centres on a group of four teens, who call themselves ‘the liars’. The protagonist, Cadence Sinclair Eastman and her inner circle – cousins Johnny and Mirren and friend, Gat – are tighter than tight-knit after spending their youthful summers on their family’s private island.
So, how did their real-life counterparts bond? Well, that also came down to their environment.
“We got to Canada in April or May, it was really cold still,” Zada recalls, “It was probably like eight degrees on the first day and we’re wearing t-shirts and shorts. So, I think just straight off the bat we’re all in like blankets together.”
“We also played a few Scrabble rounds, which was a great way to bond,” McGregor adds before her co-star quips: “Esther won every game by like a mile, she reads a lot, she’s just a nerd.”
Laughing, she backs his claim up, “I’m a big nerd. That was why I loved playing it so much. I really enjoy winning, quite a lot.”
Every episode of We Were Liars is available to stream on Prime Video now.
