Bryce Johnson Filmed 2 Different Shows on the Exact Same Set

Creating a set isn’t a cheap process, especially when a production company has to craft an entire town. Because of the expense and space issues, sets are often repurposed and reused. Occasionally, that means an actor will find themselves taking on two different roles in two different shows but doing it all on the exact same set. That’s what happened to Bryce Johnson. The actor famously appeared in both Pretty Little Liars and Gilmore Girls. 

‘Gilmore Girls’ and ‘Pretty Little Liars’ shared a set 

Gilmore Girls and Pretty Little Liars famously shared a set. The two shows largely revolved around the town their main characters lived in. For Gilmore Girls, that was the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut. Pretty Little Liars was centered around the fictional Pennsylvania town of Rosewood.

It makes perfect sense that Pretty Little Liars would use the set of Gilmore Girls. Stars Hollow was crafted as the quintessential New England town. Since Pennsylvania is only a couple of states away, the feel is pretty similar. Pretty Little Liars did little to hide that Stars Hollow and Rosewood were one and the same. 

Eagle-eyed Gilmore Girls fans will quickly notice that Lorelai’s house doubled as Spencer’s house, and Kim’s Antiques served as Emily’s abode. Miss Patty’s dance studio is easily identifiable in dozens of scenes in Pretty Little Liars, as is Luke’s Diner. Stars Hollow High was later used as Rosewood Town Hall. 

Bryce Johnson appeared on both shows 

Before Bryce Johnson became Officer Darren Wilden in Pretty Little Liars, he was plenty familiar with the set. Johnson took on a much smaller role in Gilmore Girls. He portrayed Paul, a college student whose last name was never given. In the season 2 episode, “Run Away, Little Boy,” Paul, a 20-something, asks Lorelai Gilmore, several years his senior, out on a date. He later showed up in Stars Hollow, much to the chagrin of Lorelai. Ultimately the pair didn’t see each other again, likely due to the age difference. Despite the duo being classmates, Paul didn’t appear in Lorelai’s college graduation episode, either.  

Johnson’s appearance on Gilmore Girls took place in 2001, early into the show’s run. While he didn’t get to return to Stars Hollow, he played a much more significant role in Rosewood nearly a decade later. Johnson appeared in more than 20 episodes of Pretty Little Liars, beginning with the show’s pilot episode in 2010.