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She points to an elevatedboxingring framed by a chain-link fence whereMitchellis sparring.
“I would walk around as though I were in a movie,” Mitchell says of her pre-PLLdays. “I was already a successful actress in my mind.”
She wipes her forehead, catches her breath, and greets me with an energetic smile.
But mentally I’m not," says the Toronto native, panting in a squat.
When it premiered in 2010,Liarswas met with instant success.
“I realized how important it is to have your own time,” says Mitchell. “That’s what I’ve learned more than anything—how to prioritize.”
ButPretty Little Liars, and acting in general, is just one of Mitchell’s pursuits.
“My generation realizes you could be multihyphenated,” says Mitchell.
“You don’t have to stay in a box.
“The message I’m trying to put out there is that you can do whatever you want to do,” Mitchell says. “And if I’m going to say that, I need to do it myself.”
I wouldn’t say that acting is a stepping-stone, per se.
But it’s another step in the direction of where I want to go.”
“So I’m not Martha Stewart!”
“I like to switch it up so I don’t get bored.
Sometimes I’ll just go to the UCLA track and run up and down the bleachers.”
“Hilary Swank inMillion Dollar BabyI wouldloveto do that.”
she says, smiling conspiratorially.
“That’s my brand, and I take it very seriously.”
And she keeps a folder of “InspoQuotes” on her phone that she posts to spread good vibes.
But she is also aware of social media’s double-edged sword.
“Instead of going to the cafeteria, I’d say, ‘Why deal with this?’
and I’d eat in a bathroom stall,” she says.
“At least when I left school for the day, it stopped,” she adds.
“It doesn’t now.
You have your phone on you, and the bullying continues.
I can’t imagine having all these inescapable outlets when I was that age.”
“A lot of the feedback was ‘Thank you for playing this character.'”
Half of the proceeds went to GLAAD.
Mitchell has also been a vocal ally to philanthropies that provide support for underprivileged children across the globe.
I thought, What is this?"
“Then I went to Cambodia to volunteer.
It was heartbreaking.”
Surely, Mitchell must feel a little weird about it coming to an end?
“It was an amazing experience,” she says affectionately.
“The crew, the castthey’re my family.”
Mitchell has become particularly close withAshley Benson,PLL’s lovable Hanna.
“We can always make each other laugh when the days get long,” says Benson.
As her costars prepare for their next projects, Mitchell says the mood on-set is encouraging.
Because that’s the direction I want to go in," she says.
“We are all so supportive of each other.”
Mitchell is excited about what comes next.
“This is a big push for me,” the horror-averse actress says with a nervous giggle.
“I’m going to be scared shitless.”
Meanwhile, the whiteboard Mitchell keeps in her garage is filling up with more ideas.
She smiles, eyes fixed forward.
“I’m comfortable.
So let’s switch it up a bit.”
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