Maia Reficco is a major player in HBO Max’s Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. The 22-year-old stars alongside Chandler Kinney, Bailee Madison, Zaria, and Malia Pyles as a group of teenage girls who are tormented by the mysterious “A.” The new series premieres July 28, over five years after the original Pretty Little Liars came to an end after seven seasons. This time, Maia’s character and her friends are stalked by “A” due to a past tragic incident that may have involved their parents.
PLL: Original Sin is receiving rave reviews already and Maia’s being called the breakout star. Here’s what you need to know about Maia, including how she’s making history as a lead star in the new series.
Maia was a fan of the original ‘PLL’.
Like millions of other people, Maia enjoyed Petty Little Liars with Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, and Shay Mitchell as the original group of teenage girls being tormented by A. “I literally had so much of their photos up my walls,” Maia told People about her obsession with the Freeform show. “I had two of the characters’ names on my bed, written with nail polish that is still there to this day. I was a huge fan of the show.”
She’s the show’s first Latina star.
Maia makes history as the first Latina cast member with a leading role in any Pretty Little Liars project. That includes the original series and the spinoffs Ravenswood and The Perfectionists. She told People, “My biggest priority was to represent my people and the stories that were telling in the most accurate, responsible and respectful way I could.”
She plays Noa in ‘PLL: Original Sin’.
Noa is a track star freshly out of juvie. In her interview with People, Maia explained that her character is “going through a lot of change” and “turmoil” when she starts getting harassed by A.
Maia is a singer.
Maia plays double-duty as both an actress and singer. She’s signed to Sony Music Latin and has released a number of singles, the most recent being “Rápido y Furioso.” Maia’s acting and singing career has already won her several awards, including the Nickelodeon Brazil Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite TV Artist.
She’s active on Instagram.
Maia has a huge following on Instagram with over 1.4 million followers. She promotes her music and PLL: Original Sin on her IG. When filming for the show wrapped in May 2022, Maia shared a post dedicated to the cast and crew. “Thank you to everyone who made it possible; you all have touched my heart in endless ways and ill forever be thankful for every single one of you,” she said.