Sasha Pieterse Breaks Down ‘The Image of You’ Shocking Ending & Twisted Twin Love Triangle
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Image of You.]
Sasha Pieterse is seeing double in her latest movie The Image of You. The Pretty Little Liars alum plays twins Anna and Zoe in the twisted drama, based on the novel by Adele Parks. On one end, there’s the sweet and wholesome Anna who falls in love with Nick (Parker Young). On the other is Zoe, a wild seductress.
Nick begins having a torrid affair with Zoe behind Anna’s back, and the tables quickly turn. In a jaw-dropping twist, Anna reveals in the third act that she’s been pretending to be Zoe the entire time. She was testing Nick, and he failed miserably. Anna, as Zoe, initially convinces Nick that he killed Anna and has him dispose of her body.
After Nick learns that Anna that she’s been pretending to be Zoe, the other bombshell drops: Anna killed Nick’s sister. Anna also murders her own father and frames Nick for it.
Below, Pieterse opens up about the thrill of playing twins, how she channeled Alison from Pretty Little Liars, and if she feels any sympathy for Nick.
How did you react to the twist of Anna pretending to be Zoe the whole time?
Sasha Pieterse: I read a lot of thrillers and rom-coms and, just in general, scripts. A lot of those that come past my desk, if you will, I usually can just predict them. I know what’s going to happen here and whatever. When I first read this, I did not expect the twist, and that made me really, really excited. I loved the idea of playing twins and taking on that challenge. So honestly, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I just felt like I knew exactly how I would play the characters. I was dreaming about it. It really was fun just creating these two characters.
Why do you think she pretended to be Zoe?
I think Nestor [Carbonell]’s character is right in the fact that it technically is a part of her grief. But at the same time, I think so much of Anna wanted to understand Zoe’s life and how it felt to be Zoey. I think it was exciting, and I do think that Nick failed the test. I think that in her twisted, grief-stricken mind, it was just so disappointing that somebody that she thought was going to complete her life failed and that he would do that to her.
It’s one thing to play twins who are similar, but Zoe and Anna could not be more different. What was that process like for you?
It was so fun because I was like, I’m going to create a different walk, I’m going to create a different tone of voice, and obviously, a different personality, things that they like, things that they hate. You just kind of feel like you’re flipping a switch. But also, when I was filming, I had about 15 minutes for a changeover. So I’m Anna and I do the next half of the scene and 15 minutes later I have to be Zoey. Hair and makeup is so important because that 15 minutes you feel like you’re putting on somebody else. Your makeup’s changing, your hair is changing, your clothes are changing, and it allows you to feel like that you’re stepping into somebody else now. It was just such a cool experience to see this wonderful crew who loves each other and works together all the time really come together and care about all these little different pieces and making sure that people believed what they were seeing.
As someone who watched Pretty Little Liars, Alison DiLaurentis and Zoe remind me of each other. Did you channel early Alison in Zoe?
I did. I feel like in the beginning unknowingly, and then while we were filming I was like, ‘Oh, this is actually very funny because this does feel like a crazy adult version of Alison.’ It was really fun. It’s like all the things that we didn’t get to do that we wish we could have been been able to do.
You have some very steamy sex scenes in the movie. Was that intimidating to you at all?
Our intimacy coordinator was incredible. We laughed with her so hard. I think the intimidation comes from the fact that I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that intense on camera before. But also, my son is three. This is the first time that I’m that revealing on camera after having a baby. Your body is different, and it’s really interesting. I’m so happy for the experience because, in order to play Zoe, I had to be as confident as she’s supposed to be. It forced me to accept and really be empowered by what my body looks like currently. I had to do that in order to make it believable, so it was almost like convincing myself until I believed it. It was actually a very healthy transition and healthy mindset for me to be in. It actually really did help with just postpartum and this new body and life that I’m living. The fact that I’m playing two people that aren’t moms was an interesting mindset to be in. Everybody was so supportive and Parker’s so great. I think what helps with that is we’re similar in the situations that we’re living in as far as we’ve been with our partners for a really long time. We’re both married. We both have little kids. There’s a lot of synergies there, and that is something that you just don’t have to explain, which is great. Our job is a weird. It’s weird that that’s what we do for our job, but if you can be friends with somebody that you’re being intimate with on camera, it actually really transfers well on screen. It’s hard to explain to anybody that doesn’t do that for a living, but it is one of those things where it’s like, okay, well we can be friends and feel comfortable as friends, and then we’re going do this weird thing for a couple hours and then it just is what it is. But there were some funny moments. You’ve got foam in between you. He’s got something called a cock sock. It’s really hard to not laugh, and it’s a healthy part of it. You’ve got to laugh at what’s going on.
You spent most of your teenage years on Pretty Little Liars. Many fans have always associated you with Alison in that era. Were these roles a way for you to step into a new chapter, or more adult chapter, of your career?
Absolutely. Even though we were playing adults towards the end of Pretty Little Liars, like you’re saying, it didn’t start that way. We were a teenage show, technically. So this does feel way more obviously adult, but it does feel like a new chapter. I’m so ready for it. It’s so fun. I love playing different, cool characters. And yes, this is a nod to Alison in so many ways, but it does feel like a transition and move forward in that way and that’s exciting.
At the end of the film, Nick gets arrested for murder after Anna frames him for her father’s death. Do you feel bad for Nick?
Absolutely. His sister’s dead. It sucks what happens to him. It really is unfortunate. I don’t think that he quite deserves that, definitely doesn’t deserve to spend his life in prison for that, but it’s oddly satisfying at the same time. It’s an interesting ending and I like it. I like that it’s not a happy ending. I don’t think it should be a happy ending.
What are you working on next?
A lots of things. I’m writing now and developing projects, which is really fun and exciting. I would love to go on to direct as well. I also have a beverage coming out. My husband and I and two of our close friends have just started a cannabis infused beverage company. It’s called Hippie Water. It’s absolutely delicious. It’s coming out this summer. My dear friends, one of our co-founders, she is a food scientist specializing in beverages. She was coined the Beverage Queen by Taco Bell. If you’ve ever had a Baja Blast or any of their sauces or have ever just in general eaten there, she has fed you. We’re really focused on wellness and this just being such a good part of your life. We want Hippie Water to seamlessly help your life instead of it just being like this thing that you drink. It’s been a really exciting process. It’s an interesting journey becoming a CEO, and I’m proud to be a CEO and building this company from the ground up. It’s been a really fun challenge that I never saw myself necessarily doing.
The Image of You, Available Now, On Demand
