Posted in: Freeform, TV | Tagged: charmed, Holly Marie Combs, Pretty Little Liars

Charmed Star Combs on "Pretty Little Liars" Experience Being Different

Charmed star Holly Marie Combs on seeing a "mirror experience" watching the younger cast growing up during "Pretty Little Liars."

Holly Marie Combs has a lot to be grateful for in her Hollywood experience since she's not only been a part of the Charmed franchise as middle sister, Piper Halliwell, growing up as a young actress but she's also joined the equally successful Pretty Little Liars as Ella Montgomery, pushing her to a more mature role as a mother. Appearing at the Charmed reunion panel opposite co-star Rose McGowan at 90s Con in Hartford, Conn, compared her experience on both shows and being at the opposite end of the spectrum of playing younger and older characters.

Holly Marie Combs on Comparing Her Experiences on "Charmed" and "Pretty Little Liars"

Combs called her experience on the Freeform series, in which she appeared in 86 of 160 episodes, "great," adding, "And you know what, it was kind of a mirror experience because I got to watch the girls go through a lot of what we did, and they were far more professional than we were [on 'Charmed']" (via Entertainment Weekly). When asked by moderator host and Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Jenna Leigh Green about how it felt to be significantly aged up four years after the Charmed finale, "At that point, the network was notorious for casting young-looking parents," Combs said. "I was like, well, hey, I'd rather have people say, 'She looks too young to be Lucy Hale's mom,' than say, 'Oh, she got old.'"

Charmed ran on The WB from 1998 to 2006 across eight seasons about three magical sisters who discover their Wiccan abilities and battle evil supernatural forces. Joining Combs originally were stars Alyssa Milano and the late Shannen Doherty as Piper's sisters, Phoebe and Prue, respectively. Doherty left after three seasons amidst rumors of internal strife emerging between her and Milano. McGowan's Paige Matthews was introduced in season four and stayed for the remainder of the series. The series also starred Brain Krause.

Combs was in the main cast for Pretty Little Liars, which is based on the novel series of the same name by Sara Shepard, from seasons 1-3, became recurring from seasons 406, and guest starring in the seventh and final season. The series follows a group of four former best friends who reunite one year after the disappearance of their leader and receive mysterious, threatening messages from a figure who knows their secrets. Ella is the mother of Aria Marie Fitz (Lucy Hale) and Mike Montgomery (Cody Allen Christian), and the wife of Bryon Montgomery (Chad Lowe).

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