Shannon Ashley Garcia "Shay" Mitchell (born April 10, 1987) is a Canadian actress and entrepreneur.
2009
Mitchell began acting in 2009, making cameo appearances on the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation and the police drama series Rookie Blue.
Also in 2009, she appeared in the music video for "Hold My Hand" by Jamaican rapper Sean Paul.
Mitchell was cast as Emily Fields in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars, an adaptation of the book series of the same name.
She initially auditioned for the character Spencer Hastings, for which she was rejected and the part was instead given to Troian Bellisario; thereafter she tried for Emily Fields and was cast in the role.
On portraying Fields, she wrote: "I think for me, it's one of the best characters that I may ever play because of the [impact] she had on so many different people. So I'm very fortunate I was able to be the one to bring Emily to life."
Pretty Little Liars opened to positive reviews, and obtained a cult following.
Mitchell garnered widespread recognition and praise for her performance, with many lauding the characterization she applied to the role.
2010
She rose to prominence for her role as Emily Fields in the mystery thriller drama series Pretty Little Liars (2010–2017), which earned her nominations for a People's Choice Award and six Teen Choice Awards.
In 2010, Mitchell appeared in a four-episode arc on the Disney XD series Aaron Stone, as Irina Webber.
2011
She earned several accolades for her acting, including winning a Young Hollywood Award in 2011, earning a nomination for a People's Choice Award and receiving six nominations from the Teen Choice Awards.
The role additionally established her as a sex symbol.
In 2011, she signed a contract with Procter & Gamble to be the spokesperson for the Pantene Nature Fusion shampoo line.
In the same year, Mitchell created a YouTube channel, where she is best known for her lifestyle-type videos.
2012
In 2012, Mitchell made a publicized cameo on the musical drama series Glee, where she drew comparisons to actress Naya Rivera.
In this period, Mitchell frequently took on fewer roles to focus on Pretty Little Liars; these were mostly roles in short films.
2014
In 2014, Esquire dubbed Mitchell the "Sexiest Woman Alive", and in 2015 she appeared on the Maxim Hot 100 list.
Mitchell was born in Mississauga, Ontario, the daughter of Precious Garcia and Mark Mitchell.
Her father is of Scottish and Irish descent.
Her mother is from the province of Pampanga in the Philippines and left the country at age 19.
Mitchell is a first cousin-once removed of Lea Salonga, a singer and musical theater actress.
She attended Rockridge Secondary School and then later transferred to West Vancouver Secondary School where she graduated.
By her late teens, Mitchell had successfully modelled for a variety of companies in cities as varied as Bangkok, Hong Kong and Barcelona, eventually returning to Toronto to study acting.
In 2014, she was named the "Sexiest Women Alive" by Esquire magazine, and in 2015, she was included on the Maxim Hot 100 list.
2015
In 2015, Mitchell co-authored the young adult novel Bliss with Michaela Blaney, which is her writing debut.
HelloGiggles reviewed the book, writing that "It's definitely a must-read, and we couldn't be more excited for Mitchell and Blaney."
2016
After appearing in a series of short films, Mitchell made her feature film debut starring as Nicole in the musical drama film Dreamland (2016).
She went on to appear as Tina in the comedy film Mother's Day (2016), and headline the horror film The Possession of Hannah Grace (2018) as Megan Reed.
Aside from her acting, she is recognized for her media image and activism.
In 2016, Mitchell made her feature film debut with the musical drama film Dreamland, starring as Nicole, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
That same year, she headlined the comedy film Mother's Day, where she played Tina.
The film was a moderate commercial success, and marked Mitchell's film breakthrough, though it was panned by critics.
2018
She has garnered wider recognition for starring as Peach Salinger in the psychological thriller series You (2018) and as Stella Cole in the Hulu comedy series Dollface (2019–2022).
She currently voices Alexandra Trese in the Netflix animated series Trese (2021–present).
In 2018, Mitchell was cast in the former Lifetime television thriller series You, in the role of Peach Salinger, a wealthy and powerful socialite, which she played in the shows' first season.
The series premiered in September 2018, and received critical acclaim.
It earned spots in several critic year-end lists, and the performances of the ensemble cast, including Mitchell, were praised; it is her highest-rated work.
Also in 2018, Mitchell founded the production company Amore & Vita Inc. and signed a contract with Warner Bros. Television.
She was subsequently cast in the ABC television pilot The Heiresses, adapted from the book of the same name, which was in production until 2018, when it was announced that the show was cancelled.
Mitchell also launched her travel brand, BÉIS in 2018.
