Shay Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Shannon Ashley "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and model. She stars in the ABC Family
original series, Pretty Little Liars
as Emily Fields.
mother and Irish/Scottish father, Mitchell is a native of Toronto
, Ontario
. Even as a young child, Mitchell was interested in the performing arts, declaring to her parents that she would pursue such a career. Mitchell began dance lessons at the age of five, and she and several of her classmates toured the city to compete with a variety of other dance schools.
At the age of 10, Mitchell's family moved west to Vancouver
, British Columbia
. Within a year of their arrival, an international modeling agency held an open casting call for teen and pre-teen girls who were vying for representation. Mitchell was one of the girls selected.
, Hong Kong
and Barcelona
, but she later returned to Toronto to study acting. After signing with her first theatrical agency, Mitchell appeared in the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation
and booked several national commercials.
Mitchell also landed a recurring role in the Disney XD
series Aaron Stone
. She has featured in the music video for recording artist Sean Paul
's song "Hold My Hand
", appeared in the Global
series Rookie Blue, and modeled for the American clothing company, American Eagle Outfitters
. Her most prominent role is playing Emily Fields in Pretty Little Liars
on ABC Family
where she had originally auditioned for the role of Spencer Hastings.
In January 2011, Mitchell signed a contract with Procter & Gamble
to be the spokesperson for the Pantene
Nature Fusion shampoo line.
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
original series, Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
as Emily Fields.
Early life
Born to a FilipinaFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
mother and Irish/Scottish father, Mitchell is a native of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Even as a young child, Mitchell was interested in the performing arts, declaring to her parents that she would pursue such a career. Mitchell began dance lessons at the age of five, and she and several of her classmates toured the city to compete with a variety of other dance schools.
At the age of 10, Mitchell's family moved west to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. Within a year of their arrival, an international modeling agency held an open casting call for teen and pre-teen girls who were vying for representation. Mitchell was one of the girls selected.
Career
By her late teens, Mitchell had successfully modeled for a variety of companies in cities as varied as BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, but she later returned to Toronto to study acting. After signing with her first theatrical agency, Mitchell appeared in the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and...
and booked several national commercials.
Mitchell also landed a recurring role in the Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
series Aaron Stone
Aaron Stone
Aaron Stone is a live-action, single-camera adventure series created by Bruce Kalish. Originally broadcast with the launch of Disney XD on February 13, 2009...
. She has featured in the music video for recording artist Sean Paul
Sean Paul
Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:...
's song "Hold My Hand
Hold My Hand (Sean Paul song)
"Hold My Hand" is the third single off reggae artist Sean Paul's latest album, Imperial Blaze.A Spanish version of the song called "Agarra mi mano" was released in Latin America to promote the album although the track is not included in it, the song has received successful airplay in Latin America...
", appeared in the Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
series Rookie Blue, and modeled for the American clothing company, American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
. Her most prominent role is playing Emily Fields in Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
where she had originally auditioned for the role of Spencer Hastings.
In January 2011, Mitchell signed a contract with Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
to be the spokesperson for the Pantene
Pantene
Pantene is a brand of hair care products owned by Procter & Gamble. The product line was first introduced in Europe in 1947 by Hoffman-LaRoche of Switzerland, which branded the name based on panthenol as a shampoo ingredient...
Nature Fusion shampoo line.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama television series set in the Degrassi universe, which was created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood in 1979. Degrassi is the fourth fictional series in the Degrassi franchise, and follows The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, and... |
Model | Episode: "Up Where We Belong" |
| 2010 | Rookie Blue | Cute Girl | Episode: "Mercury Retrograde" |
| 2010 | Aaron Stone Aaron Stone Aaron Stone is a live-action, single-camera adventure series created by Bruce Kalish. Originally broadcast with the launch of Disney XD on February 13, 2009... |
Irina Webber | 2 episodes: "Metal Gear Liquid" & "Sparks" |
| 2010– present |
Pretty Little Liars Pretty Little Liars (TV series) Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family... |
Emily Fields | Main character |