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.