When Sofia Carson was cast as Ava Jalali in Freeform television series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, she had no idea the experience would have such a pivotal effect on her life.
She had already established herself as a multi-hyphenate artist. As an actress, she had co-starred with the likes of Dove Cameron and other soon-to- be-household names in the popular Disney Descendants TV movie franchise, as well as starred in a number of other projects. She was also making waves as a singer-songwriter.
Carson and Liz Rosenbaum, one of the episode directors of the PLL spinoff, which began taping in 2017 and aired in 2019, struck a deep and immediate connection, vowing to work together again. During filming, Rosenbaum handed Carson their next project.
I remember it vividly,” Sofia Carson, 29, says. “It was around Christmas time 2017, and she came up to me on set one day and handed me a script and said, ‘Merry Christmas!’ The script had purple hearts drawn on the cover.”
That was the working script for Purple Hearts, which debuts on Netflix today (July 29) and follows the unexpected relationship of struggling singer-songwriter Cassie Salazar (Carson) and newly enlisted Marine Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine). The only thing they have in common is their desire to get away from their struggles.
“Liz told me when she handed me the script that she wanted to embark on this journey together,” Carson says. “It’s more than just director and actor, but partners.”
Sofia Carson has spent the past four years not only bringing Cassie to life, but serving as executive producer of the Netflix film — and co-writing and performing several original songs for the soundtrack, which also came out today on Hollywood Records.
Purple Hearts and its corresponding soundtrack is not your typical boy meets girl story. When viewers meet Cassie, she is singing on stage with her band The Loyal as the audience sings along to their rendition of Neil Diamond’s classic “Sweet Caroline.” As The Loyal leave the stage (or forced off by the bar owner) we learn that Cassie and her band mates are also the servers.
