The We Were Liars show introduces fans to an all-too-familiar literary trope, a seemingly perfect family tree, with a deep, dark secret that no one wants to get out. The new Amazon Prime Video psychological thriller series follows the Sinclair family (headlined by big-name actors like Emily Alyn Lind and Rahul Kohli) and its many relatives on a summer getaway where their picture-perfect sheen begins to wear thin.
The new streaming series is based on author E. Lockhart's young adult novel of the same name, focusing on teenage hero Cadence Sinclair Eastman, who returns to her family's private island with a foggy memory of some tragic events two summers prior.
We Were Liars comes from showrunners Julie Plec (Vampire Diaries) and Carina Adly Mackenzie (Roswell, New Mexico). It debuted on the service on Wednesday, June 18, as one of Prime Video's biggest 2025 streaming series, with all eight episodes available now.
We Were Liars Family Tree Explained
Harris Sinclair
Sitting at the head of the Sinclair family table is Harris Sinclair (played by David Morse). Harris is the patriarch of the Sinclair family and the primary reason for their immense wealth.
Main character Cadence knows Harris as "Ganddad," as he is her mother's father. Harris is a former Harvard grad, hyper-successful businessman, and the owner of the Clairmont House and private island at the center of We Were Liars' twisting plot.
Tipper Sinclair
In the new series, Wendy Crewson plays Tipper Sinclair. She mainly appears in flashbacks, as she is dead by the time most of the show's narrative takes place. Tipper is the former matriarch of the Sinclair family and the now-deceased wife of Harris.
Formerly known as "Granny" by most of the family, it is her death that leads to Harris' hastened decline in health, elevating tensions between him and the rest of the family.
Carrie Sinclair
Carrie Sinclair is the oldest of Harris and Tipper's three daughters. She is played by Mamie Gummer in the We Were Liars series. Carrie is Johnny's mother and William's (not shown in the series in any way) ex-wife.
Since breaking up with her former husband, Carrie has started dating Rahul Kohli's Ed Patil. However, she is hesitant about getting married to him as she worries about losing her inheritance.
Ed Patil
Ed Patil (played by Rahul Kohli) is one of the newer additions to the Sinclair family. He is Carrie's long-term, significant other and Gat's uncle.
Even though Ed and Carrie have been together for some time, when the series picks up, they still are not married, as Carrie is worried it could jeopardize her immense inheritance.
Penny Sinclair
Penny Sinclair (played by Caitlin FitzGerald) is the middle Sinclair sister and Cadence's mother.
She comes to the family island in the summer depicted in We Were Liars, coming fresh off a divorce, as she left her husband, Mr. Eastman.
William Dennis
While William Dennis does not technically appear in We Were Liars' sweeping tale, he is still a part of the Sinclair family tree.
He is Carrie's ex-husband and Johnny's father.
Mr. Eastman
It seems that failed marriages run in the Sinclair family. Mr. Eastman is Penelope "Penny" Sinclair's ex-husband and Cadence's estranged father.
Like William Dennis, Mr. Eastman does not show up in We Were Liars, but his failed marriage to Cadence's mom weighs heavily on the story.
Bess Sinclair
Bess Sinclair (played by Candice King) is the youngest of the three Sinclair sisters, the daughter of Tipper and Harris, and Mirren's mother.
She is the most high-strung of the Sinclair sisters, constantly complaining about the responsibility that her mother's death has thrust upon her as she tries to keep the family's affairs in order.
Brody Sheffield
Dylan Bruce brings Brody Sheffield to life in the new streaming thriller. Brody is Bess' husband and Mirren's father.
While Brody and Bess are the only quote/unquote successful marriage amongst the Sinclair sisters, things are anything but happy between the two as Brody has gone into significant debt and is using his wife to keep him afloat.
Johnny Sinclair Dennis
Johnny Sinclair Dennis (portrayed by star of the upcoming Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping Joseph Zada) is Carrie's oldest son and the eldest Sinclair grandson.
Johnny is known as one of the story's central liars. He is strong and athletic, and notably refuses to take anything seriously.
Will Sinclair Dennis
Played by Brady Droulis, Will Sinclair Dennis is Johnny's younger brother and Carrie's youngest son
Still being just a kid, Will has constant nightmares during the show's eight episodes, something his mother does not take seriously.
Gat Patil
Gat Patil (brought to life by Shubham Maheshwari) is Ed's teenage nephew.
After his father's death several years before the series takes place, Ed decided to take Gat in, bringing him along to the Sinclair family island for a summer. Now in his mid-teens, Gat has accompanied his uncle to the island ever since.
Cadence Sinclair Eastman
Emily Alyn Lind's Cadence Sinclair Eastman is We Were Liars' main character, the teenage hero through whom audiences see the show's epic tale. Cadence is the oldest of the Sinclair grandchildren and Carrie and Mr. Eastman's only child.
She spends much of the series dealing with the fallout of her parents' splitting up, as well as trying to remember what happened several summers before, after a devastating accident left her with amnesia and terrible migraines.
Mirren Sinclair Sheffield
Mirren Sinclair Sheffield (played by Esther McGregor) is Bess and Brody's oldest daughter, the sister to Liberty and Bonnie, and one of the Liars with her cousins, Johnny and Cadence.
She is known for her positive demeanor and is one of the more lively of the Sinclair grandchildren; however, she is also not afraid to put someone in their place if she thinks something or someone is being wronged.
Liberty Sinclair Sheffield
Liberty Sinclair Sheffield is one of the Sinclair Sheffield twins, the younger sister of Mirren, Bonnie's twin, and Bess and Brody's daughter.
Like her dearly departed grandmother, Liberty likes the finer things in life. She is more concerned with music, clothes, and makeup than with what is going on with the rest of her family.
Bonnie Sinclair Sheffield
Bonnie Sinclair Sheffield is the second of Bess and Brody's twin daughters. She is also Mirren's younger sister and Liberty's twin.
When the series picks up, Bonnie has taken quite a liking to the occult, studying up on ghosts, ghouls, and other supernatural occurrences.
