The 24-year-old Pretty Little Liars actress opened up about scoring a regular role on the hit show and how she’s embracing the character of Emily.
“For me, [my goal] was always just to be really happy and excited about what it was that I was a part of. I didn’t want to act just to act: I wanted to always be excited about it—a script or the show itself,” Shay shared. “Knowing that I was going to be playing Emily Fields—a girl struggling with her sexuality—took it to another level for me. It’s fun to entertain people, and I love doing that, but it’s a whole other realm—and, for me, ten times better—when I can actually make a small impact on somebody watching.”
She added about the fans’ reaction to Emily, “It’s very flattering when I hear that people look up to me, but I honestly don’t strive to be a role model. I can only be the best version of myself, and that’s all that I’m trying to do. I believe that your sexual orientation does not define who you are, and if people think that that’s something that’s noteworthy and something to look up to, then that’s great.”