Lucy Hale is most recognized for a few things: her role as Aria in Freeform's twisted teen drama Pretty Little Liars, her signature short bob, and her overall maturity level for being someone who essentially lived out (what could have been) her wild youth in Hollywood. Now, with PLL wrapping after seven intense years, Hale is figuring out who she is outside of what the public, and her fans, have come to know her for. While it's a daunting task to shed such a memorable and popular character, Hale is already well-acquainted with the idea of reinventing herself and starting fresh. She's done it before, socially, after she realized she didn't like the type of vice-filled lifestyle she was forcing herself to live.
In an interview with the beauty site Byrdie, the actress opened up about why she quit drinking and adopted a new outlook on socializing. "I tried really hard to be the social butterfly,” she told the site. "Becoming a part of this popular show … everyone just says yes to you, so you get away with a lot, and then you make mistakes." And it sounds like she pinpointed a lot of those mistakes to a certain party scene. "I’m just always trying to surround myself with better people and be the best version of myself possible. I know it sounds obnoxious to hear people say that, but why not?" In terms of the going out all night and drinking? She has "no interest" in it.
She also gushed about the state of premium television these days, naming actress Reese Witherspoon, noted wine lover (same, girl), as #careergoals. "Reese Witherspoon is one of my idols," she told the site. “I love, love, love her." While Witherspoon herself enjoys a glass of vino to unwind after a long season (seriously, her tipsy post-Big Little Lies Facebook Live is the best), Hale has been successful in finding her own ways to celebrate and relax, even admitting that she knows she has sort of turned into the stereotypical L.A. health nut. "I go home, and my dad’s like, ‘You L.A. hippie with your crystals and your SoulCycle!’ I always used to make fun of those people, but now I think it’s just magic." Crystals, SoulCycle, and Reese Witherspoon — sounds like our kinda girl.