First Impressions: Mallory Bechtel
photos by stephanie diani
From Broadway to the big screen, Mallory Bechtel’s career has transcended into pure bliss.
words by Michelle Malek
Hailing from the suburban town of The Woodlands in Houston, Texas, Mallory Bechtel practically came out of the womb singing musical theater hits. She reluctantly admits to inundating herself with Broadway music until discovering a myriad of other genres on the ultimate music streaming platform: Spotify. With roles in 2018’s psychological horror film Hereditary as Bridget and currently starring in the MAX original Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin as Kelly, she is no stranger to screaming her face off.
Before venturing into the TV and film sphere, a young Mallory earned roles in local theater productions at Houston’s Humphrey School of Musical Theater at just seven years old. Fortunately, she prevailed with the at-the-time embarrassing mom-ographer who would record and post all her singing videos on YouTube, where she gained a following and was discovered by her current manager.
photos by stephanie diani
Bechtel admits her progression from theater to TV and film acting didn’t come without hurdles. She begrudgingly would produce self-tapes that weren't up to her own standards, but these performances for a virtual audience led to more tremendous success and comfort on stage. At the remarkable age of 18, the young actress made her Broadway debut in Dear Evan Hansen as Zoe, Evan Hansen’s love interest, played initially by Laura Dreyfuss. Reflecting on her journey, she shares, “It’s nuts looking back at my diary from those times and how I thought I would be going to school for musical theater and wouldn't even be auditioning for Broadway until I was 22. I was really fortunate to be in the position I was in.”
“It’s nuts looking back at my diary from those times”
Fast forward to 2020, when Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin was picked up by MAX, and Bechtel was awarded the role of Kelly and her twin sister Karen, who unexpectedly dies early in Season One (RIP Karen). Although short-lived, her time mapping out characteristics for both Kelly and Karen was organic, and the writer’s hands-off approach allowed for a more personal and heart-wrenching journey for audiences to follow with Kelly. With two seasons in the books and nearly four years of filming with the cast, Bechtel’s friendship with the Original Sin cast has formed an unbreakable bond. She recalls filming in a remote and snowy town and the turmoil of emotions from roughing it in that environment. Ultimately, the experience brought them closer together. “We also have a really strong friendship in real life built on trust, and we've been able to be vulnerable with each other that way, which I think mirrors that aspect of Kelly learning to open up.” All to say, in a world of Karens, be a Kelly.
With an exciting new chapter ahead, Bechtel is set to star in the Richard Linklater film Merrily We Roll Along, based on the original musical composed by Stephen Sondheim. The movie includes a stacked cast with Paul Mescal, Ben Platt, and Beanie Feldstein, and although the film is in the early stages of pre-production, it’s noted to have taken some inspiration from the movie Boyhood and will be filmed over 20 years. Bechtel acknowledges that the stars have aligned, citing a life-long admiration for Sondemheim and a photo of Ethan Hawke (who starred in Boyhood) posing outside the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston, where she also performed. “I ordered a Before Sunrise poster from Etsy, and my mom framed it for my 18th birthday, and till this day has been hanging in my living room. I've carried it with me everywhere. Before my final audition for [the film], I took a little selfie with it.” Bechtel’s passion, drive, and acknowledgment of the endless support from those around her throughout her career have been a proven impetus for her stardom. As she captioned in a recent Instagram post announcing the new project, “Words fail. So so grateful and honored to be a part of this. See y’all in 20 years.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.