Ian Harding's Second Hallmark Series Has A Subtle Connection To The Role That Made Him A Star

In case the adult fans re-watching "Pretty Little Liars" are wondering what former star Ian Harding is doing now, Deadline reported in October 2024 that he'd be joining the cast of the upcoming Hallmark+ series "Ripple." According to the Hallmark website, the series, which will premiere in 2025, follows four people whose lives inadvertently intersect, despite never meeting each other. "As they each face life's challenges, their actions create a ripple effect that ultimately connects them," the show's description reads.

In "Ripple," Harding, who played Ezra Fitz in "Pretty Little Liars" from 2010 to 2017, stars as Nate, a man who is one of the four people caught up in the show's central connection. The actor, who's also known for his work in series like "Chicago Med," caused a buzz among Hallmark fans after making his Hallmark debut in October 2022 as a man who is a bit of a Scrooge in "Ghosts of Christmas Always." "Ripple" marks his second Hallmark series, following his appearance as Josh Hill in the 2024 holiday miniseries "Holidazed." Though his role in "Ripple" lacks any connection to his past work, the presence of another character in the series, Aria, played by Sydney Agudong, bears an indirect reference to his "Pretty Little Liars" days.

Ian Harding's character in "Pretty Little Liars," Ezra Fitz, is a teacher who leads a controversial romance with his student Aria Montgomery, played by "Ragdoll" actor Lucy Hale. Early in the series' run, Harding told Page Six's PopWrap that Ezra and Aria's problematic romance came down to being a battle between the heart and the brain. Though he told PopWrap that Ezra is all for engaging in the scandal, despite knowing it's wrong, in another interview with Interview magazine's Ilana Kaplan in March 2011, Harding said his character's steamy persona greatly differs from his real-life personality. "If there were teenagers who had a video camera and saw what I did on a daily basis, they'd be bored out of their mind," he said. "Ezra's a heartthrob, and that's fine."

Meanwhile, it doesn't appear the "Ripple" series' Aria will be sharing the same sort of questionable relationship with Harding's character that Ezra did with the Aria of "Pretty Little Liars." Rather, it looks like the two will be drawn together with purer intentions: to bring "a powerful message of hope: just wait for the rainbow, some of the best things in life can't happen without the storm," the Hallmark website says.