Ian Harding, best known for his contentious role as Ezra Fitz in the teen drama Pretty Little Liars, has a growing filmography that extends beyond the hit series.
Recently, he starred alongside Lindsay Lohan in the Netflix holiday romance Our Little Secret. The plot revolves around two disgruntled exes who find themselves spending Christmas together after realising their new partners are siblings.
The film, which was released on November 27, also features Lohan's Mean Girls co-star Tim Meadows, Holidate's Kristin Chenoweth, What/If actress Katie Baker and Set it Up actor and comedian Jon Rudnitsky.
As Ian steps back into the limelight with another romantic lead role, we take a look at his life both on and off the screen.
Early Career
Ian made his acting debut with a small part in the 2009 comedy Adventureland, starring renowned actors Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg and Ryan Reynolds, reports the Mirror.
Following his first film, he moved to television, appearing in NCIS: Los Angeles and Hollywood Is Like High School With Money, before securing his career-defining role.
In 2010, he was cast in the thrilling drama Pretty Little Liars, where he played the main love interest of lead character Aria Montgomery (played by Lucy Hale. ).
During the popular series' seven-season run, Ian scooped up seven out of the eight Teen Choice Awards he was nominated for.
The 38-year-old has also featured in the 2018 horror comedy Office Uprising, the Oscar-winning 2019 biopic Ford V Ferrari and the 2022 political satire film The Hater.
Pretty Little Liars Controversy
Despite earning numerous awards for his leading role in Pretty Little Liars, Ian's character faced criticism for having an inappropriate romantic interest.
His character, Ezra, was a high school English teacher who had a relationship with one of his 16 year old students, Aria. Although the couple were initially adored, it didn't take long for fans to start questioning the power dynamic between them.
Many viewers who have revisited the series express similar concerns about the main romance.
On Reddit, one disillusioned fan wrote: "I know I romanticized their relationship. I was obsessed with them from the start, but I was 16 when I first started the show. Now that I'm 26, rereading plot holes and twists/turns, I'm disgusted."
Another concurred: "Just started rewatching and can't believe I missed this stuff! As someone in her 30s who works in a middle school, I can't believe that it was ok to romanticize a student teacher relationship."
Nevertheless, the criticisms haven't hindered the series' growing popularity. Seven years after its finale, new viewers are still discovering the hit drama.
In a recent interview with People magazine, Ian disclosed that he is frequently recognised by a new generation of fans.
He stated: "You get new fans [approaching him], but they're 12 years old and you're like, 'We wrapped when you were five, how does that work?"
Love life
Ian has been wedded to photographer Sophie Hart since 2019. The couple managed to keep their nuptials under wraps for nearly two years, with US Weekly finally confirming in 2021 that they had indeed exchanged vows.
The pair have a child together, however, they have chosen to keep the baby's gender and name away from public scrutiny.
Our Little Secret is available to watch now on Netflix.
English (US) ·