Sasha Pieterse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sasha Pieterse
Pieterse at PaleyFest in 2014
Born	(1996-02-17) February 17, 1996 (age 29) Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Citizenship	South Africa (1996–present) United States (2001–present)
Occupation	Actress singer producer businesswoman
Years active	2000–present
Spouse(s)	Hudson Sheaffer ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	1
Musical career
Genres	Country southern rock
Labels	Dan Franklin Music

Sasha Pieterse Sheaffer (born February 17, 1996) is an actress and singer from South Africa and America. She is famous for playing Alison DiLaurentis in the TV show Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017). She also appeared in its spin-off show, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (2019). These roles made her very well-known and earned her praise.

Before Pretty Little Liars, Sasha was recognized for her roles as Buffy Davis in Family Affair (2002-2003). She also played Marissa Electricidad / Ice Princess in the movie The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005). After these, she had smaller parts in other films and TV shows.

After the success of Pretty Little Liars, Pieterse starred in movies like Disney Channel's Geek Charming (2011). She also appeared in the teen comedy G.B.F (2013) and the drama film Coin Heist (2017). Her most recent film is the psychological thriller The Image of You (2024).

Pieterse also competed in the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2017. Besides acting, she has explored music and modeling. She was also a judge on TV shows like Beat Bobby Flay and Sugar Rush Christmas in 2020.

Early Life and Background

Sasha Pieterse was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on February 17, 1996. Her parents are Sean and Zizi Pieterse. Her family is of Afrikaans background. They moved to the United States in 2001.

Sasha grew up in Las Vegas before moving to Los Angeles. She started her career in entertainment at a young age. Her parents were professional acrobatic dance team members who performed all over the world. Sasha was homeschooled and finished school when she was 14 years old.

Sasha's Career Journey

Modeling Work

Sasha Pieterse began modeling and appearing in commercials when she was four years old. At five, she was in an advertisement for Wenner Bread Products. She later appeared on a national billboard for the hair salon SuperCuts. She also modeled for Macy's Passport fashion show. Pieterse has been featured in many magazines.

Film and Television Roles

Sasha started her TV career at age six. In 2002, she co-starred as Buffy in The WB's remake of the sitcom Family Affair. She also appeared in the Stargate SG-1 episode “Grace”. In 2005, she guest-starred in an episode of House called "Autopsy". She played Andie, a young girl with a serious illness.

In the same year, she made her movie debut in The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D. She played Marissa, the Ice Princess. She also appeared as Millie Rose in two episodes of the TNT series Wanted.

Pieterse was in the 2007 film Good Luck Chuck. She played a young goth girl who puts a curse on the main character. She also played the younger version of Sarah Michelle Gellar's character in the 2007 film The Air I Breathe. She had a main role in the Hallmark movie Claire, also released in 2007.

In late 2009, when she was 13, Pieterse was cast in Pretty Little Liars. This Freeform teen drama TV series ran from 2010 to 2017. She played Alison DiLaurentis, who was the popular "queen bee" of her high school group. She was a regular cast member for the first four seasons. She became a main character in the fifth season. The show was very popular and gained a large fan base.

Pieterse returned as Alison in the spin-off series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists in 2019. In this show, she played an older Alison who works as a teaching assistant at Beacon Heights University.

Other roles for Pieterse include an appearance in Without a Trace in 2009. She also had a recurring role as Amanda Strazzulla in Heroes. In 2011, she played Amy Loubalu in the Disney Channel Original Movie Geek Charming. She also had a small role as a teenage girl in the film X-Men: First Class.

Later, Pieterse appeared in the film G.B.F.. She was also in an episode of Hawaii Five-0 as a student named Dawn Hatfield. In September 2017, Pieterse joined the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. They were the 4th couple to be eliminated, finishing in 10th place.

In August 2021, it was announced that Pieterse was cast in Netflix's film adaptation of Annie Barrows’ Ivy + Bean book series. In July 2023, it was reported that Pieterse was cast in the psychological thriller film The Image of You (2024). She plays twin sisters, Anna and Zoe, in the movie.

Music Career

Sasha Pieterse describes her music as "country with southern rock" style. Her first song, "This Country is Bad Ass", came out on April 12, 2013. She explained that the song shows her love for America. Her second song, "R.P.M", was released on June 13, 2013.

Pieterse's third song, "I Can't Fix You", was released on July 12, 2013. On December 10, 2013, she released her fourth song, "No". This upbeat song is about being strong and saying no when someone who wasn't loyal asks for another chance.

Other Activities

Pieterse's cookbook, Sasha in Good Taste: Recipes for Bites, Feasts, Sips & Celebrations, was published on October 8, 2019. In the book, Pieterse shares cooking and baking recipes. She also gives tips for planning parties on a budget. The book includes do it yourself projects and dessert ideas.

Pieterse also has a lifestyle website called "Sasha in Good Taste". She is very active on social media, with over 16 million followers on Instagram as of January 2023. She promotes products like beauty and wellness items on Instagram. She has also partnered with companies like Lightlife Foods and Pokémon Go.

Giving Back

In June 2019, Sasha Pieterse and her husband worked with Habitat for Humanity. They helped build houses in New Orleans.

Personal Life

On December 22, 2015, Sasha Pieterse got engaged to her long-time partner, Hudson Sheaffer. They got married on May 27, 2018, at Castle Leslie in Glaslough, Ireland. On May 27, 2020, Pieterse announced that she and Sheaffer were expecting their first child. Their son was born in November 2020. As of 2022, the family lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

At the start of Dancing with the Stars season 25, Pieterse shared that she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. This condition can cause symptoms like irregular periods and weight gain.

Pieterse can speak Afrikaans, English, and French.

Filmography

Films

Television Shows

Music Videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Sasha Pieterse para niños