Tegan Price was never supposed to be the star. Honestly, when Amirah Vann first strutted onto the screen in Season 4 of How to Get Away with Murder, most of us figured she was just another high-powered lawyer destined to be crushed by the Annalise Keating steamroller. We'd seen it before. A sharp suit, a cold stare, and then—boom—disaster.
But then she spoke. And she didn't just speak; she commanded.
The thing about Amirah Vann how to get away is that she didn't just play a role. She hijacked the entire energy of the show. You’ve probably seen the memes or the TikTok compilations of her saying "Castillo." It’s basically a masterclass in linguistic flair. While everyone else was scrambling to hide bodies or lie to the FBI, Tegan was busy being the most competent person in the room.
The Mystery of the "Crowned King"
People forget that Tegan Price started as a recurring character. It’s wild to think about now, considering how much she anchored the final seasons. Pete Nowalk and the writing team clearly saw what the fans saw: a character who was actually good at her job. That’s a rarity in the Shondaland universe, where everyone is usually too busy having a breakdown to file a brief.
She was the "crowned king" of Caplan & Gold. A Managing Partner who actually navigated the murky waters of Jorge Castillo and Antares Technologies without losing her soul—well, mostly.
There’s this misconception that Tegan was just "Annalise Lite." That’s just wrong. If anything, she was the foil Annalise didn't know she needed. Tegan represented the path not taken: a woman who kept her professional reputation intact while still playing a game so deep even the FBI couldn't keep up.
Why We’re Still Obsessed with the Way She Says "Castillo"
Let’s get into the weeds of that pronunciation for a second. It wasn't just a quirk. It was a statement. Amirah Vann is Afro-Latina—Puerto Rican and African American—and she brought that specific heritage into the character in a way that felt authentic.
In most TV shows, "Latina" follows a very specific, often stereotyped script. Vann refused that. She used the "Cah-STEE-jo" pronunciation (common in Puerto Rican Spanish) rather than the "Cah-STEE-yo" sound used by the rest of the cast.
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It was a tiny detail. It was also everything.
It told you that Tegan knew who she was. She wasn't going to soften her edges or her accent to make the partners at a stuffy Philadelphia law firm more comfortable. She was going to be herself, and if you didn't like it, you could check the billing hours. She was winning anyway.
That Emmett Crawford Situation: Did She or Didn't She?
If you want to start a fight in an HTGAWM fan forum, bring up Emmett Crawford’s death.
Was Tegan involved?
The show loves to leave us hanging. One minute she’s getting him a glass of scotch, the next he’s on the floor, and she’s the one moving into his office. It’s shady. It’s very shady. But that’s the beauty of how Amirah Vann played the character. You wanted to trust her. You needed to trust her because everyone else was so obviously spiraling.
But Tegan? Tegan always had a plan.
Even when she was "Jane Doe," the whistleblower who took down Jorge Castillo, she did it with a surgical precision that made the Keating Five look like amateurs. She didn't just turn him in; she protected herself first. She knew the cost of betrayal. She’d already lost her family in a plane crash—a trauma she rarely spoke about but clearly carried in every guarded look.
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The Slow Burn with Annalise
The chemistry between Amirah Vann and Viola Davis was electric. Period.
It wasn't just romantic subtext (though the series finale's "memory board" gave us that beautiful, fleeting confirmation of their life together). It was the intellectual respect. Tegan was one of the few people who could look Annalise in the eye and tell her she was being a mess without fear.
"I'm one of your only friends, and you need to trust me."
When Tegan said that in Season 6, it wasn't a plea. It was a fact. In a world of backstabbers, Tegan was the only one holding the shield.
What People Get Wrong About Her Motivation
A lot of fans think Tegan was just "obsessed" with Annalise. That's a shallow take. Tegan was a woman who had sacrificed everything—her marriage to Cora, her safety, her peace—for her career. Finding Annalise was like finding a mirror. She saw the brilliance, the damage, and the potential for something more than just survival.
She didn't want to be Annalise. She wanted to save Annalise. And in the end, she kind of did.
How to Channel Your Inner Tegan Price
If you’re looking to take a page out of the Tegan Price playbook, it’s not just about the power suits (though, let’s be real, the wardrobe was 10/10). It’s about the mindset.
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- Own your expertise. Tegan never apologized for being the smartest person in the room. If you know your stuff, don't play small.
- Set boundaries. Remember when she told Bonnie she was still fired? Iconic. You don't have to be mean, but you do have to be firm.
- Keep your "why" close. Tegan’s drive came from a place of deep loss and a desire for agency. Figure out what drives you and don't let the noise of others' drama distract you.
- Authenticity is a weapon. Use your voice. Use your heritage. The things that make you "different" are the things that make you indispensable.
The Legacy of Amirah Vann in the Shondaland Universe
Amirah Vann’s performance as Tegan Price changed the DNA of the show. She turned what could have been a "Lawyer #3" role into a cultural touchstone for Afro-Latina representation. She showed that you could be vulnerable and "boss-like" at the same time.
Since the show ended, Vann has stayed busy—Queen Sugar, Star Trek: Picard, and the voice of Sevika in Arcane. But for many of us, she will always be the woman who managed to survive the most dangerous law firm in television history.
She didn't just get away with it. She won the whole damn game.
To truly understand the impact of Tegan Price, you have to look at the finale. In a show defined by death and tragedy, Tegan’s presence at the end—holding Annalise’s hand as they grew old together—was the only real "happy ending" we got. It was earned. It was quiet. It was perfect.
Next time you're rewatching, pay attention to the silence between her lines. That's where the real acting is happening. Amirah Vann didn't just play a character; she built a legacy one "Castillo" at a time.
What to Watch Next
If you're missing that Amirah Vann energy, dive into Underground. Her performance as Ernestine is worlds away from the high-rise offices of Philadelphia, but it carries that same fierce, unbreakable spirit. It’s the perfect showcase for why she’s one of the most underrated powerhouses in Hollywood right now.