Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell: Playing a lesbian character was the best
Shay Mitchell plays lesbian character Emily Fields in the 7-year running show (Getty)
Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell has said that playing a lesbian character on the hit show was “the best”
As the GLAAD-nominated show approaches its last few episodes, Mitchell opened up about what it was like to play a queer character and what it has meant to her.
“That’s the best part. That was definitely the best part out of everything,” she told HuffPost.
“I’ve had guys and girls come up to me and say, ‘Thanks to your character, I came out to my friends and family’.”
Mitchell added: “That means more to me than anything. The fact that I got to play this character that I had so much fun with and we got to be on an entertaining show that’s one thing,
“But to have a small impact on people’s lives in that way… Words can’t explain. That’s just awesome.”
Emily Fields has been hailed by fans as one of the great LGBT characters for a realistic and empowering depiction of her lesbian life, from coming out to dating.
“If you look at the poster you wouldn’t necessarily be able to pinpoint which one of us is the lesbian, and that was really important to me,” Mitchell once told Teen Vogue.
In the same interview, she said she “didn’t have to think twice” before accepting the lesbian role.
The star also revealed that the fans will be shocked when the ‘brilliant’ identity of the new villain A.D will be revealed – a hot topic in many fan theories.
“Honestly, I haven’t read any [theory] that have gotten it, because it’s just brilliant,” Mitchell said.
The show has received some criticism in the past for being ‘transphobic’ after the mysterious villain ‘A’ was revealed to be a trans woman struggling with her gender.
Written by Sara Shepard, Pretty Little Liars premiered in 2010 on ABC Family and has enjoyed seven seasons.
Watch a clip from season seven below:
