Primarily known for her television work (in particular as one of the titular Pretty Little Liars), Shay Mitchell now jumps to the big screen in Garry Marshall’s latest anthology rom-dram-com Mother’s Day. Mitchell co-stars opposite Jennifer Aniston as Tina, the much-too-young second wife of Aniston’s former husband (Timothy Olyphant). In a lesser film, Tina would be the antagonist, a cold shrew or a naïve simpleton. But in typical Garry Marshall fashion, there are no villains. Tina proves herself to be an openhearted and wise-beyond-her-years stepmom, much perhaps to Aniston’s chagrin. It feels like a transitional role for Mitchell, the character’s arc from young LA-hopeful to responsible stepmom reflective of the more adult roles Mitchell herself hopes to star in.

In this interview with Shay Mitchell, she discusses working with Garry Marshall, creating a backstory for the character and her favorite rom-coms. For the full interview, watch the video above.


Shay Mitchell:

  • Shay Mitchell on her favorite Garry Marshall film.
  • On improvisation on set.
  • On her most memorable moment from shooting Mother’s Day.
  • On playing the antagonist (or not) opposite Jennifer Aniston.
  • On her preparation process when getting a script.
  • On the backstory she created for Tina.
  • On balancing the tone of comedy and drama in Mother’s Day.
  • On how much the script changed on set and deleted scenes.
  • On what roles she looks for.
  • On her favorite rom-com.
  • On whether this will be the final season of Pretty Little Liars.
  • On her future in TV and film.
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Image via Open Road Films

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Image via Ron Batzdorff/Open Road Films

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