Shay Mitchell Reveals How She Dealt With Criticism Over Playing Emily on 'Pretty Little Liars'

Emily Fields doesn’t look anything like Shay Mitchell in the Pretty Little Liars books.

She has red hair, freckles…and when Shay was cast as the swim team captain for the Freeform show, there was criticism to follow.

“When I first went into the PLL role and [the critics said], ‘Oh, she doesn’t look anything like the character. The character is supposed to have red hair, fair complexion, and freckles; she looks nothing like that.’ I thought, ‘All right, that was the girl next door, and I’m the new version of the girl next door’,” Shay shares with Ocean Drive magazine. “The world is a melting pot now.”

Shay adds about dealing with some criticism on a daily basis in her life: “I do have a big social media following, and the more you put yourself out there, the more you lend yourself to being criticized.”

However, she’s brushing it all away and it’s not going to make her lose sleep at night.

“As long as I’m good with who I am and I can go to sleep at night confident with how I spend my time, my day, and the type of person that I am, then all is fine,” Shay adds.