Shay Mitchell April's Teen Vogue Cover

Actress Shay Mitchell, 25, of Pretty Little Lairs an ABC Family series is the Teen Vogue's April cover girl. Shay opens to the magazine about standing out in Hollywood. Here is what she had to say.

TEEN VOGUE: So, you obviously don't have a fear of heights. Is there anything that scares you?
SHAY MITCHELL: I'm terrified every time I go into an audition. I think that it's more about facing your fears. But, honestly, there are times when I look back at the stuff I've done and even I can't believe it. Like, I think of myself at eighteen, moving from Vancouver to Toronto on my own, and I'm like, "Who is that girl?" It was brave, sure, but also kind of crazy.

TV: Was this the first time you'd left home?
SM: Actually, no. I went to Bangkok first, right after high school, to model. I lived there for three months and then spent another three months in Hong Kong, and then I came back to Canada. It didn't take me very long to realize that modeling wasn't very satisfying. I was always asking people, "How are you going to set up this shot? How will it be lit?" And they'd say, "Stop. Just pose." I had a problem with that. So when I got to Toronto, I sent my package out to, like, 34 different talent agencies, and in the meantime, I got a job working as a hostess at a restaurant/lounge, which I did for three years. Finally, someone at one of the agencies called me back. I started doing small parts in commercials and TV shows, and then I auditioned for Pretty Little Liars.

TV: In the books the series is based on, your character is described as having pale skin, strawberry blonde hair, and freckles. . . .
SM: Right. I remember being so excited to get the part, and then I started getting messages on Twitter saying, "You are not right for this." In the casting breakdown, the producers said they were looking for the girl next door. Who's to say I'm not the girl next door in this day and age?

TV: Totally. Did you have any trepidation whatsoever about playing a lesbian?
SM: No. The casting directors told me Emily was gay and asked if I was cool with that, but I didn't have to think twice. I have a lot of friends who are gay; my aunt had a girlfriend. It's just normal. And the way that fans have reacted [to my portrayal of Emily] has been amazing: I'm not playing the gothic chick dressed in all black who eats lunch in the corner and is a lesbian. 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.

TV: And if "Shay Mitchell gay" is the first thing Google suggests when someone searches for you, so be it?
SM: Right. My grandma saw that and was like, "What is this?" People always ask me, "Are you gay like your character?" But I don't feel like I need to answer, because honestly, it doesn't matter. And it means so much to me when someone says, "Thank you for playing this role." It's one thing to entertain people, but it's something else to actually have a small impact on their life in a positive way, and that's why it's important for me to meet my fans. Whenever there's a meet and greet, whenever I can do a signing, I love that.

TV: Besides acting, what is your passion?

SM: I work with a cause called the Somaly Mam Foundation, and that is my purpose in life, above anything else. Everything that I do, I'm thinking about girls. As strong as we are, we're also sensitive, and I feel like men take advantage of that. I'm not talking about adult [prostitutes], about the red-light districts. That's a whole other thing. I'm talking about children; they don't have a say, and they're being brought into [slavery].

You can read more of Shay Mitchell's interview with Teen Vogue by going to TeenVogue.com.

Shannon Ashley Mitchell is a Canadian actress, model of Filipino and Irish descent born on April 10, 1987. She is best known for the role of Emily Fields in the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars.

Photos and Video By: TeenVogue.com