15 Ridicously Amazing Facts About Shay Mitchell 

It’s no secret that we love Emily Fields on our favorite ABC Family drama, Pretty Little Liars, but there are also some secrets about the actress Shay Mitchell that we just can’t keep! Between jumping out of airplanes and making trips to Cambodia to support a charity, we just can’t decide what we love most about Shay! Obviously, we don’t have enough room to list

of the things we love, but here are 15 ridiculously amazing facts about Shay Mitchell that you may not know already!

1.) Shay Mitchell love love loves Beyonce! But really, who doesn’t? Her Instagram and Twitter are full of her love for the Queen Bee. She’s even busting some Beyoncé-style moves with her costar, Ashley Benson, in an upcoming episode of Pretty Little Liars.

2.) Despite her rise to fame as Emily Fields in the television show,

Pretty Little Liars, Shay is actually pretty normal like the rest of us. Her fist job was working at a Canadian clothing store. Imagine buying clothes from one of the best-dressed Liars on TV.

3.) Spice up your life! Shay’s first concert was

Spice Girls, and she and a group of friends dressed up for the event — Shay went as Posh Spice. Anyone else imagining Shay Mitchell speaking in a British accent? I know I’m not the only one.

Pretty Little Liars ranks #1 on our list of favorite TV shows, but Shay Mitchell’s favorite is I Love Lucy. Yes, Ashley Benson is the Ethel to Shay’s Lucy.

5.) Shay may seem perfect (and obviously, she is), but she went through her troubled times in the past. Shay told

Self, “I’d starve myself for a day, and the next day, I was hungry, tired and miserable. When I felt so bad about not being able to fit into a size 0, I realized I had to make a change.” Now she’s focusing on being happy and healthy rather than her size, and Shay’s encouraging others to do the same! We love you in any size, Shay!

Amore & Vita! Shay partnered with one of her best friends, Michaela Blaney, to create a new blog full of fashion, wanderlust and new dishes to make in the kitchen. Raise your hand if you’ve tried one of Shay and Michaela’s many recipes! (*Raises both hands.*)

7.) Shay and cast mate/BFF, Ashley Benson, created the Buttahbenzo show for the fans of 

Pretty Little Liars. These two put on the best Ustream chats, and not to mention that we adore their friendship both on and off screen!

8.) Lea Salonga, known for her voices as Jasmine and Mulan, is related to the lovely Shay Mitchell. She told Philippine Entertainment Portal, “it was amazing because there she was, the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin, in my house!”

A Whole New World has to be #1 on the karaoke list during the holidays.

When I Was 17, recounting the time she got caught clubbing with her friends: “We were dancing and having the best time ever. All of a sudden, I’m dancing with some really cute guy, and I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, and this person says, ‘Can I have this dance?\'” This “person” was none other than Shay’s father! Yes, Shay Mitchell was somewhat of a rebellious teenager just like the rest of us.

10.) According to Elle Canada, dying her hair blond and wearing blue contacts were ways Shay tried to fit in with her friends. I can’t imagine a blond hair, blue-eyed Shay Mitchell, but let’s face it, she’d be stunning with any hair color.

11.) Woah! Shay once went sky-diving to get over a breakup with her boyfriend and then again to raise money for charity. What better way to move on from a boy than jumping out of a perfectly good airplane? There definitely isn’t one! (Psst: Check out exclusive pics of her skydiving HERE!)

12.) Shay landed her first role as a model in a 2009 episode of

Degrassi: The Next Generation alongside Nina Dobrev. Anyone thinking what I’m thinking? Emily Fields could use a break from Rosewood, and a few vampires and werewolves could be just what she needs.

13.) Not that this is shocking to any Shay Mitchell fan, but our girl LOVES pizza and the Ninja Turtles. If that doesn’t make her ridiculously awesome, then I don’t know what does! Pizza party soon, Shay? I’ll bring the Ninja Turtles PJs!

14.) Shay Mitchell is a big advocate for the Somaly Mam Foundation. This is a non-profit dedicated to ending modern day slavery and empowering the survivors. Shay even took a 3-week trip to Cambodia to visit survivors in 2011!

15.) You know what Shay is sick and tired of? Being asked what it’s like to play a gay character. Check out what she told Yahoo Style: It would be nice if I was never asked that again. Why isn’t anyone asking the other girls what it’s like to kiss a boy?” Shay doesn’t like how media outlets often focus on Emily’s sexuality just because she likes kissing girls as opposed to boys. ‘It’s normal and not a big deal,’ is basically how Shay feels about it.

She captures our hearts as Emily Fields every Tuesday on

Pretty Little Liars, but Shay herself is pretty A-mazing! Let’s discuss your favorite facts about Shay in the comments! 

So it’s a show? “It’s a lifestyle.” The Gilmore Girls may have said this, but it’s Jaymie’s motto. She drinks too much coffee and watches way too much TV. Pretty Little Liars is an obsession. All things considered, Jaymie loves quoting Spencer Hastings, writing and pie — but she doesn’t want to date pie. Follow her PLL obsessions at @AllThingsPLL.

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