It's been said that Hollywood is like high school, with its segregation of cliques and pressure to "fit" a cookie-cutter mold of perfection. Looking at Shay Mitchell with her confidence and striking looks, one would assume (admittedly with prejudice) that this model-turned-actress has all the makings of a queen bee — or a diva as they are known in Hollywood — but this would be an empty assumption.
Young, beautiful, talented, and the star of the hit ABC teen drama Pretty Little Liars (PLL), Mitchell isn't letting her upwardly directed star take her for a blind ride to the skewed reality of Los Angeles's La La land.
This rising actress has a firm grip on the reigns of her career, not to mention her individuality. "There are always going to be people and images telling you what 'beauty' and the idea of 'perfection' is," shares Shay, referencing her experience in the fashion and entertainment industry. "But what I find beautiful is being unique, and there is no one else who can be a better you than you."
It was in fact, in part the pressure of sustaining an industry standard of "beauty," (i.e. staying ultra thin) that led Mitchell away from modeling and straight into acting. "I knew I wouldn't be able to continue modeling, I enjoyed food too much!" she jokes. "My saying is, 'Everything in moderation,' but for someone who isn't naturally thin, that motto doesn't work out so well when you're trying to fit into extremely small sample sizes. Image plays a huge part in the acting field as well, but I think it has more to do with your talent and personality than it does with the actor's body and size."
Having been made privy to the inner workings of the fashion beast — dark side and all — Mitchell would like to see a shift in industry thinking. "Depending on the designer and the audience, [the industry's] ideal "model" is much thinner than the average girl or woman," she observes. "I would like to see a lot more variety in the models that they choose to use on the runways and in magazines. Every woman has a different body type — they are all beautiful — and that should be reflected more in our society and especially the fashion industry."
But Mitchell isn't letting a few pushy journalists trying to nose their way into her life, turn her into an exhibitionist or a recluse — she refuses to let red lettered "fame" determine her way of life. "I try to be the best me I can be, with or without people watching doesn't really make a difference," she affirms noting the pressure of leading her fans by example. "I do try to lead a life that I would be proud of, but we are all human and make mistakes."
The way tabloids frame celebrities to be superhuman just to expose them as being anything but is something that Mitchell would rather giggle about then fret over. "When you see magazines with the title, 'Celebrities with no makeup', it makes me laugh," says the actress. "It's like people forget that these actors and famous people are just regular people, too, with pimples, cellulite and bad-hair days."
Mitchell, who admits to occasionally flipping through the pages of a tabloid while getting her nails done or on a plane, understands the appeal of tabloid fodder and considers the potential for unflattering press to be a part of the stakes when playing the fame game. "It's a tough audience out there, and a lot of people want to see you rise and fall, too," she reflects. "But, again, I am human, and if a photo of me ever turns up with a big zit in the middle of my forehead, I can live with it. Hopefully, it won't, though!"
The young star wants to remind readers though, to be clear as to when to draw the line, advising, "I think we have to remember that we have our own lives to make the most of, and that time should also be spent on improving ourselves, rather than solely looking at how others live their lives."
The pressure to "fit in" isn't a new experience for the actress. While Hollywood certainly has its own distinct external pressures to manage, Mitchell remembers school being something of a pressure cooker itself, complete with mean girls and self-doubt, not too far off from the drama in the halls of Rosewood (minus all the mysterious texts).
There was one particularly tumultuous period before the 9th grade where Mitchell found herself on the ousts with a one-time group of friends that PLL's ongoing bully plot line brings her back to. "Everything changed when I went to high school. When I was in elementary school, many of my 'friends' joined the group of girls who would make fun of me — it was upsetting," recalls Mitchell. "Popularity and cliques are really important to some people, and they will turn their backs on their friends just to be part of the group."
For her, this all changed in high school where she was able to find a group of people to hang out with who knew the value of friendship. She was then able to move beyond giving the girls who were teasing her, the pleasure of knowing they had gotten to her. "Just know that the person or people bothering you are likely dealing with their own insecurities, which is why they feel the need to take it out on you," she says. "Hold you head high and be true to yourself. Uniqueness is beautiful."
She explains the dynamic of the group: "All of the girls had their own struggles with Allison, but I would say that Emily probably has the healthiest relationship. Allison really trusted Emily with her secrets, and they shared something special. The unhealthiest relationship would probably be between Allison and Hanna. This was particularly demonstrated with Hanna's weight issues, where Allison was not the friend that she should have been."
Young, beautiful, talented, and the star of the hit ABC teen drama Pretty Little Liars (PLL), Mitchell isn't letting her upwardly directed star take her for a blind ride to the skewed reality of Los Angeles's La La land.
This rising actress has a firm grip on the reigns of her career, not to mention her individuality. "There are always going to be people and images telling you what 'beauty' and the idea of 'perfection' is," shares Shay, referencing her experience in the fashion and entertainment industry. "But what I find beautiful is being unique, and there is no one else who can be a better you than you."
It was in fact, in part the pressure of sustaining an industry standard of "beauty," (i.e. staying ultra thin) that led Mitchell away from modeling and straight into acting. "I knew I wouldn't be able to continue modeling, I enjoyed food too much!" she jokes. "My saying is, 'Everything in moderation,' but for someone who isn't naturally thin, that motto doesn't work out so well when you're trying to fit into extremely small sample sizes. Image plays a huge part in the acting field as well, but I think it has more to do with your talent and personality than it does with the actor's body and size."
Having been made privy to the inner workings of the fashion beast — dark side and all — Mitchell would like to see a shift in industry thinking. "Depending on the designer and the audience, [the industry's] ideal "model" is much thinner than the average girl or woman," she observes. "I would like to see a lot more variety in the models that they choose to use on the runways and in magazines. Every woman has a different body type — they are all beautiful — and that should be reflected more in our society and especially the fashion industry."
But Mitchell isn't letting a few pushy journalists trying to nose their way into her life, turn her into an exhibitionist or a recluse — she refuses to let red lettered "fame" determine her way of life. "I try to be the best me I can be, with or without people watching doesn't really make a difference," she affirms noting the pressure of leading her fans by example. "I do try to lead a life that I would be proud of, but we are all human and make mistakes."
The way tabloids frame celebrities to be superhuman just to expose them as being anything but is something that Mitchell would rather giggle about then fret over. "When you see magazines with the title, 'Celebrities with no makeup', it makes me laugh," says the actress. "It's like people forget that these actors and famous people are just regular people, too, with pimples, cellulite and bad-hair days."
Mitchell, who admits to occasionally flipping through the pages of a tabloid while getting her nails done or on a plane, understands the appeal of tabloid fodder and considers the potential for unflattering press to be a part of the stakes when playing the fame game. "It's a tough audience out there, and a lot of people want to see you rise and fall, too," she reflects. "But, again, I am human, and if a photo of me ever turns up with a big zit in the middle of my forehead, I can live with it. Hopefully, it won't, though!"
The young star wants to remind readers though, to be clear as to when to draw the line, advising, "I think we have to remember that we have our own lives to make the most of, and that time should also be spent on improving ourselves, rather than solely looking at how others live their lives."
The pressure to "fit in" isn't a new experience for the actress. While Hollywood certainly has its own distinct external pressures to manage, Mitchell remembers school being something of a pressure cooker itself, complete with mean girls and self-doubt, not too far off from the drama in the halls of Rosewood (minus all the mysterious texts).
There was one particularly tumultuous period before the 9th grade where Mitchell found herself on the ousts with a one-time group of friends that PLL's ongoing bully plot line brings her back to. "Everything changed when I went to high school. When I was in elementary school, many of my 'friends' joined the group of girls who would make fun of me — it was upsetting," recalls Mitchell. "Popularity and cliques are really important to some people, and they will turn their backs on their friends just to be part of the group."
For her, this all changed in high school where she was able to find a group of people to hang out with who knew the value of friendship. She was then able to move beyond giving the girls who were teasing her, the pleasure of knowing they had gotten to her. "Just know that the person or people bothering you are likely dealing with their own insecurities, which is why they feel the need to take it out on you," she says. "Hold you head high and be true to yourself. Uniqueness is beautiful."
She explains the dynamic of the group: "All of the girls had their own struggles with Allison, but I would say that Emily probably has the healthiest relationship. Allison really trusted Emily with her secrets, and they shared something special. The unhealthiest relationship would probably be between Allison and Hanna. This was particularly demonstrated with Hanna's weight issues, where Allison was not the friend that she should have been."
