Shay Mitchell is baring all!
Gracing the June cover of Cosmopolitan, the Pretty Little Liars star looks flawless in a red cutout one-piece. The actress gets candid about a number of topics, ranging from social media to her sexual orientation.
Shay, who has a multi-million following across Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter, carefully crafts her public image via various platforms. "My Instagram is like an art gallery—no blurry photos," she says. "Come to Snapchat and see it all being made." For fans looking to see the real Shay, she adds, "Instagram is the appetizer. Snapchat is the meal."
The 29-year-old plays a lesbian on PLL, but in real life, her sexuality is a bit more fluid. "When I started, people were like, 'What are you?' I'm like, right now I'm dating a guy. I don't know what it's going to be in three years. You love who you love: black, white, polka-dot. That's what my dad always said. I'm never going to label myself," she says. "I could be 50 and dating a woman and then what? I said I was straight and now I'm not?"
One thing is for sure: Shay knows about the value of hard work. Before she hit it big on TV and in movies like Mother's Day, she would go on auditions during the day and work bottle service at night. "I have so much respect for waiters, waitresses, girls who work in clubs," she says. "It's tough. I'd have old guys saying 'You're so pretty. Why are you working?' or 'Come live with me, honey.' Like, what, so I can be taken care of? That's the last thing that I want. What I wanted to say was, '[I work] so I will never end up with someone like you.'"
As for life after PLL? Shay's sights aren't limited to winning an acting award. "I'd rather have a company. I don't want to be dependent on a call from my agent—taking projects I'm not OK with because I need to," she says. "To be honest, winning an Oscar is not one of my goals."
You tell 'em girl! For more of Shay's interview, pick up Cosmopolitan's June issue, on stands May 10.