Shannon Ashley Mitchell, better known as Shay Mitchell, is a multi-talented Canadian individual born on April 10, 1987. She is an actress, model, entrepreneur, and author who gained widespread recognition for her role as Emily Fields in the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars from 2010 to 2017.
Mitchell was born in Mississauga, Ontario, to Precious Garcia and Mark Mitchell, who work in finance. Her father has Scottish and Irish ancestry, while her mother, a Filipina, hails from the province of Pampanga in the Philippines. Mitchell has a younger brother named Sean and is a first cousin-once-removed of Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga.
As a young child, Mitchell was fascinated by the performing arts and declared her intention to pursue a career in this field. She began taking dance lessons at the age of five and, along with her classmates, toured the city to compete against other dance schools. When Mitchell was 10, her family relocated to West Vancouver, British Columbia.
Within a year of their arrival, an international modeling agency held an open casting call for teen and pre-teen girls, and Mitchell was one of the selected girls. She attended Rockridge Secondary School and later transferred to West Vancouver Secondary School, where she graduated.
Mitchell gained the nickname "Shay Lo" due to her admiration for Jennifer Lopez. By her late teens, she had successfully modeled for various companies in cities such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Barcelona. However, 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. She also 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 landed a four-episode arc on the Disney XD series Aaron Stone as cheerleader Irina Webber. Later that year, she was cast in the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars, initially auditioning for the role of Spencer Hastings. The series followed four friends as they navigated the mystery of their best friend's murder and the anonymous foe threatening to reveal their secrets.
Mitchell's portrayal of Emily Fields, the "jock girl" of the group, earned her widespread recognition. The show ran for seven seasons, concluding with its series finale on June 27, 2017.
In addition to her acting career, Mitchell has been involved in various endorsement deals, including contracts with Procter & Gamble, American Eagle, Nike, and Biore. She has also co-authored the young adult novel Bliss with Michaela Blaney and hosts her own YouTube lifestyle channel.
In 2017, Mitchell founded her own production company, Amore & Vita Inc., with manager David Dean Portelli. She has also worked with several charitable organizations, including the Somaly Mam Foundation, The Trevor Project, and WE Charity.
