13+ Super Interesting Things To Know About Shay Mitchell

We've all gotten pretty used to referring to her as "Shay" and assuming that's the first name on her birth certificate. But, her name is actually Shannon.

In the pursuit of a successful acting career, Shay started from the bottom — taking up modeling and music video talent jobs.

Because once was, evidently, not enough.

She posted this photo on Instagram, along with the caption "Nothing like it. #ijustwanttofly #4thtime".

“I’m very good at karaoke,” she said. It’s embarrassing, I won’t do that again! Singing and dancing and performing —my [Filipino] family made me do that at every wedding when I was a kid!”

But she later pursued the role of "Emily" instead.

"We had a really hard time finding Emily," showrunner I. Marlene King told Cosmopolitan.

"We saw two [actors] on videotape, and I was inclined to go with the other person. But in the room, Shay just owned the character of Emily. She changed our minds in the room and got the role."

After meeting on the set of Pretty Little Liars, they instantly hit it off and became very close gal pals.

They've even traveled to Europe together.

#FriendshipGoals.

While we can't be exactly sure how they came up with those nicknames for each other, it has definitely stuck.

They both use the hashtag #ButtahBenzo every time they post a selfie together on Instagram — which is often af.

She was born in Mississauga, Ontario. At 10, she moved with her family to Vancouver, British Columbia, and she went to university in Toronto while she pursued her acting and modeling career.

Her father has a Scottish and Irish background, while her mother was born and raised in the Philippines, and moved to Canada when she was 19.

She modeled for companies in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Barcelona. But she later returned to Toronto to resume her studies.

But Shay completely supported it.

"I’m also playing a lesbian in the show. I kind of really pushed it with that. I feel like that’s the kind of society we have right now. I think the writers and directors have a good pulse of what’s going on. It’s reality," she said.

"When I first started the show, I always got the question, 'How does it feel to play a lesbian, to kiss another girl, to come out?'" she told Cosmopolitan.

"Because we were one of the first shows that tackled that, I love the fact that the character that I play had a positive impact on a lot of people. I encountered that time and time again, when fans would say Emily helped them bridge into the [coming out] conversation with friends and family."

“I grew up with a lot of family members who were gay. It’s just never been an issue for me. I’ve always said, and I will always say, love is love. You can’t really define it. I don’t think anybody needs to be defined," she explained.

"I didn't want to be a part of this at all! Not because of the permanent factor, but because it's painful. And on your finger, it's even more painful!," she said.

She opted for a henna tattoo instead, before eventually caving for a real one.

Shay and her boyfriend, Matte Babel, are expecting their first child together.

They posted a video on YouTube with their official announcement.

“Does this mean I’m allowed to drive in the car pool lane at all times now?," she joked on Instagram.