This is a reunion for King and Plec. King had a regular role on The Vampire Diaries, co-created and produced by Plec, and also appeared as a guest star in two spin-offs, The Originals and Legacies, both created/produced by Plec. MacKenzie was also a writer-producer for The Originals.
We Were Liars is a tragic love story and amnesia thriller set on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. The focus is on the wealthy, seemingly perfect Sinclair family, who spend every summer on their private island. Gummer, FitzGerald and King (pictured from left to right) play the three Sinclair sisters.
Gummer is Carrie Sinclair, the eldest daughter of a wealthy media mogul. Carrie sees herself as free-spirited, but her bohemian sweaters are made of the finest cashmere, her funky jewelry is made of old jade. She was once the most rebellious of her sisters, but her wild days seem to be over. She loves her two sons dearly, but during a turbulent summer on her parents' private island, her sobriety and her ability to be a stable force in her boys' lives are threatened.
FitzGerald portrays the cool and polished Penny Sinclair whose favorite snack is exactly six unsalted almonds and her expensive workout clothes always match. She breeds golden retrievers and finds it much easier to connect with dogs than with people - no doubt a contributing factor to the messy divorce she is currently navigating. Her self-esteem is a house of cards built on her family's wealth and power - and she seems to do everything she can to maintain it.
King plays Bess, the youngest Sinclair sister. Bess is never wrong and if she had her way (which she usually does) neither would her three children. She sits on five philanthropic boards, never misses a PTA meeting and is happily married to a man her father considers worthy of the family dynasty. At least, they seem happy, posing together on Boston's society pages. This summer, her picture-perfect family image is about to fall apart... and it could all be her fault.
The series is written and produced by Plec and MacKenzie, with Plec writing the first episode and MacKenzie the second. Emily Cummins for My So-Called Company and the novel's author Lockhart also serve as executive producers. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Amazon MGM Studios are the studios.
Lockhart's YA novel, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, has sold nearly three million copies worldwide.
Gummer starred alongside Mahershala Ali and Scoot McNairy in the third season of HBO's True Detective. She played the lead role in the medical drama series Emily Owens, M.D. from The CW and had a recurring role as Nancy Crozier on The Good Wife (CBS) and its spin-off The Good Fight (Paramount+). Most recently, Gummer appeared in Ava DuVernay's HBO limited series DMZ.
FitzGerald is known as Libby Masters, the regular role she played on Showtime's Masters of Sex alongside Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan. FitzGerald's other series roles include Lifetime/Hulu's UnREAL, Starz's Sweetbitter, the first two seasons of HBO's Succession and the HBO Max limited series Station Eleven.
