Shay Mitchell

Shay Mitchell is a Canadian actress, model, entrepreneur and author. She rose to prominence starring as Emily Fields in the Freeform series "Pretty Little Liars."

By her late teens, Mitchell had successfully modeled for a variety of companies in cities as varied as Bangkok, 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 guest starred in the Global series "Rookie Blue" and appeared in the music video for "Hold My Hand" by Jamaican rapper Sean Paul. In 2010, Mitchell appeared in a four-episode arc on the Disney XD series "Aaron Stone" as cheerleader Irina Webber.

In December 2009, Mitchell was cast in the ABC Family (now Freeform) planned adaptation of the book series "Pretty Little Liars." The series centers on four friends up against an anonymous text messages that threaten to reveal all their secrets whilst unraveling the mystery of the murder of their best friend. Mitchell portrays the role of Emily Fields, the "jock girl" of the group. The program gained quick popularity despite mixed critical reviews. The show ran for seven seasons and the series finale aired June 27, 2017.

In January 2011, Mitchell signed a contract with Procter & Gamble to be the spokesperson for the Pantene Nature Fusion shampoo line. Subsequent endorsements include American Eagle, Nike and Biore.

In August 2017, Mitchell was cast in a starring role on the Lifetime television series "You," in the role of socialite Peach Salinger, released on September 2018. In September 2017, she was cast in the lead role in the ABC television pilot, "The Heiresses," adapted from the book with the same name from Sara Shepard and created by I. Marlene King.

Off-screen, Mitchell supported Somaly Mam Foundation, a non-profit organization that fought sex trafficking until it ended operations in 2014. She has also worked with The Trevor Project alongside the "Pretty Little Liars" cast and the NOH8 Campaign. She works with the WE Charity, which helps communities develop educational resources, and she partnered with Represent Clothing to promote tees where half the proceeds went to GLAAD.