Troian Bellisario was a mess at Pretty Little Liars audition

Troian Bellisario still can't believe she landed the role of Spencer Hastings in Pretty Little Liars after seven seasons of the hit TV show, because she was a mess at her audition.

The actress impressed showrunner Marlene King at her screen test and was told to come back in full makeup to nail her audition.

"She came in with no makeup on and delivered a great performance (and) we were like, 'You've gotta come in and own it as a Pretty Little Liar'," King tells Cosmopolitan.com.

"She came back with her hair and makeup done, very stylish, with this tuxedo jacket on, and tight pants, and does this scene. She turns around and drops the jacket, and is wearing a scoop shirt that goes all the way down to the small of her back, and whips out the cigarette. It was amazing."

But Troian was convinced she'd blown her chance to be Spencer: "I was pretty certain that I wasn't right for her. In my heart I felt in line with her, but in the book, she was a blonde-haired, green-eyed, all-American girl next door. There was no way they were going to cast me.

"Truthfully, I don't know how to do my own hair and makeup. I was 23 at the time, just out of theater school. I went with the way that I do my makeup - foundation and blush - and straightened my hair.

"The note back from the network was, 'Can you tell her to actually do her hair and her makeup?' And I was like, 'I did'. I spent a long time doing my hair and makeup."

Pretty Little Liars ends its seven-season run on Tuesday night (18Apr17).