Lindsey Shaw needs no introduction. Back in 2011, she joined Pretty Little Liars for a short three-episode arc, and now, seven-and-a-half ABC Family seasons (and three years) later, she is still going strong as the incomparable Paige McCullers. She was gracious enough to sit down for another interview with us to talk about Paige’s evolution, the love triangle she’s caught in with Emily’s first girlfriend (the resurrected super-force, Alison DiLaurentis), and why she’s cool with always crying on the Rosewood set. AfterEllen: The last time we talked was the beginning of season four, which in Rosewood Time, contains decades. Everything was going Paige’s way back then; she’d just gotten a swimming scholarship to Stanford and Emily was ready to move cross-country with her – and now things have kind of taken a turn. Lindsey Shaw: [Laughs] Taken a turn. Yeah, you could say that. Talk about the ups and downs of Rosewood!
AE: Talk me through those golden days of yore to now, these days of #PaigeBeScreaming. LS: First of all, I love that hashtag. Everyone who trended that on Twitter is awesome. What has happened since then, of course, is Alison and the Pretty Little Liars’ obsession with Alison and this case. I don’t think they could quit now, even if they wanted to. Paige just wants to be happy with her girl at Stanford! She’s picking out rooms and curtains! And when she sees that Emily just can’t let go of this case, she decides to take things into her own hands. And even though I understand why Emily sides with the PLLs and with Alison, that sure doesn’t make it any less hard for Paige.
AE: But Paige didn’t disappear. LS: No. No way. Obviously she misses Emily like crazy and she’s trying to find a way to be friends, to get in there, to connect with Emily again – and she’s doing it while trying to cope with the fact that her torturer is back and right in her face and closer to her girl than ever.
AE: To be honest, I had a big worry that Paige was headed out of town for good after last season, so to have you back in every episode so far this season has been such a wonderful surprise. How do you feel about the direction Paige is going this year? LS: I love it. I’ve loved it all the seasons, but this is my favorite season so far, and I think it’s because Paige does sort of exist outside of Emily right now, and she is sort of getting to change her own world, which is something we have all always wanted for Paige. She has genuinely let go of as much being bullied by Alison as she can. She’s strong, and she wants to make other people strong. Paige knows she has to participate in this game, but she’s trying to be healthy and fierce and to keep the sadness from settling on her, and she’s refusing to pass forward anymore of her emotional baggage.
AE: Do you think this is the strongest we’ve seen Paige? LS: Oh, yes. Despite the fact that she’s not with Emily, this is the most secure we’ve ever seen her. It’s even an evolution in the way she looks. She has a new hairstyle, new clothes. I will always count it a blessing that I’ve been able to evolve, physically and emotionally and mentally, through every season. I also really love Paige’s swagger right now. I love that scene in the locker room with Sydney when Paige is kind of trying bring a little levity to the Rosewood world. “In the pool, and out of the pool. In and out of the pool.” Confident Paige, I love confident Paige.
AE: And you’ve had a lot of scenes with actors you haven’t worked with one-on-one before this season. I want to talk first about Paige and Mona’s confrontation. You and Janel [Parrish] played so well off each other. LS: Oh my gosh, dude, I had such a blast doing that scene. I had no idea when I read it that it’d be so much fun. You know, Mona and Paige are connected in that they both have a deep sadness, and something deeply dark has happened to both of them. They have an intimate connection because of that, and Mona wants to hold onto that darkness and have her revenge and retaliation, but Paige is ready to let it go.
Paige knows how dangerous Mona is and how that darkness can manifest itself; she gets it because she’s been there with that. We saw what she did to Emily in the pool. So she knows what Mona is capable of, the ways she could hurt Paige or Emily, but I love the last thing she says to Mona because I think it’s so poignant. If you look into the abyss long enough, the abyss will look into you, right? Paige just wants to say, “You are the same darkness that hurt you so much; step outside of the game!”
AE: The A-Game. LS: Exactly. Paige is ready to step outside the A-Game and have a happy life!
AE: I also want to talk about Paige and Ali’s confrontation, which is one of my favorite Pretty Little Liars scenes ever. I got a shiver just thinking about you and Sasha [Pieterse] right now. LS: I agree. One of the best scenes ever, ever, ever. The energy in the room when we were filming it was just so palpable. It was so powerful, so charged, man. I was doing my thing which was obviously an intense anger and sadness, but also a kind of pride. And it was the first time Paige had looked Ali in the eye, and I remember just understanding in that moment, while we were filming, how important this was for Paige. And Sasha killed it, dude. I love that girl. She has so many layers. Together she and Paige have so much sadness, but so much strength. I only wish that scene had been longer. It was amazing.
AE: You’re having to cry a lot this season; you must be exhausted. LS: The crying is really kind of cathartic. I just look at Shay [Mitchell], I look at some of the other actors on this show, and it just happens. The atmosphere on this show, it just charges your emotions. Being in character with Paige, I relate to that lostness she feels sometimes and that desire for strength. It’s so good, even the crying. It’s therapeutic.
AE: I’m always hesitant to ask actors if they relate to characters because it seems so cliche, but when I asked for questions for you on Twitter, it was hundreds of marriage proposals and young women saying how much they relate to Paige, how important she is to them. LS: Oh, but I do relate to Paige. A great piece of me gets to come out while I’m playing her, a big piece of me that I’m still working on in real life. That’s one of the great things about acting: You’re forced to play out things you’d otherwise be scared to examine, and you’re forced to find power in those things.
AE: Speaking of power, Paige had a meeting with Mona’s Army in the first episode of this season. The thing I want to ask you about is after the meeting, when Paige was going to leave but Melissa walked in. Paige decided to stay. There was – let’s call it an “energy exchange” between Paige and Melissa. LS: [Laughs] Yes! That’s hilarious! That’s exactly what that was, an energy exchange.
AE: I’m not saying Paige should make out with Melissa, but I’m not not saying it. I’m going to get killed. If Paige went after someone in Rosewood who wasn’t Emily, who would it be? LS: Ooh, that’s a good question. I think … hmm … maybe … I think it’d be Sydney Driscoll. You know it’s going to stay within the swim team with Paige. It seems to be a passion of hers that’s going to continue through, well, probably the Olympics. It’s been really fun to work with Chloe [Bridges]. It’s great to have someone else in the locker room, someone else who has to wear a speedo.
AE: But ol’ Paige just wants that Emily love. I think the noir episode was a bit of shipper’s paradise. LS: I have so much respect for Joseph Dougherty and everyone who put that episode together; I really think it just raised the bar for episodes like that across all platforms. And I think it was such an affirmation of the love that has been created by Emily and Paige, and an affirmation that it stands the test of time no matter what. Their connection has changed them both. I think it was so interesting to go back in time and explore their relationship in an era when it was socially taboo, but it didn’t have any bearing on their connection or love for each other, or their need to just experience each other.
AE: Let’s talk for a quick second about the Ali-Paige-Emily love triangle and the intense shipping war that has broken out over it. I’ve never seen anything like it! LS: [Laughs] I think it’s like what Dana Piccoli tweeted the other day: The online community should be a place of love and respect. Friendly tension is fun, but no one needs any lasting emotional damage over it!
AE: So agreed. OK, this final question is from Twitter and it’s the best fan question I’ve ever gotten. If Paige had a copy of Ned’s Declassified High School Survival Guide, with literal tips for surviving and not getting buried alive and stuff, would she share it with Alison DiLaurentis? LS: Oh, man. Man. [Laughs] Yes. I’m going to say yes. Paige would share Ned’s guide with Ali – if only to secure her place in heaven.
AE: Because in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, heaven is always only half a breath away. LS: You gotta be prepared.
