Lily Shaw is…

…a fiery, earthy, heart-driven powerhouse actress, rescued and inspired by the make-believe world of cinema at the age of 7. Lily is also an expert writer for Backstage magazine; is published in Authority magazine, Voyage LA and ThriveGlobal, and an award-winning motivational speaker.

A first-generation Indian American, she’s the first woman in her family to step away from tradition to pursue a creative profession, and has been a powerful voice for women’s empowerment since childhood—fiercely standing for equality and social justice.

“Authentic,” "vulnerable," “a great storyteller” and “inspirational” Lily is a popular guest on women-empowering podcasts, and leads by example and inspires audiences to use their voice, own their gifts, and authentically become who they were born to be. 

Dancing introduced me to Bollywood movies and acting at an early age. 

This fantasy world allowed me to escape all the pain and the heartbreak that came from growing up in a dysfunctional home.

I was on my own self-created stage, and at least—in my imagination—I was truly happy, and everything was alright with the world. Seeing life through the lens of a camera, I quickly embodied the belief that, eventually, everyone gets their Happily-Ever-After.

This ardent faith gave me the courage to pursue my heart’s passions. . .and so I set out on a path to create my own happiness, my own way. 

AS AN ACTRESS…

 

My journey begins at 3 years of age, with a family trip: 

My family and I were walking along our path, when I heard some of the other fellow travelers playing drums, across the street from us. As it happened, I heard the drums, ran towards them, and, unprompted, Istarted dancing to the beat of the drums—right there on the street. 

My dad followed me, and soon enough, all the travelers joined in, and it became a dance party for all!

CUT TO:

One week after graduating college, I moved to LA, to achieve my childhood dream of becoming an actress on the big screen:

My FILM/TV career began by working with Christopher Guest:

  • My first comedy “All for Love: The Dance” was screened at 16 Black Film Festivals, across the country.

  • “The (In)Dependent Spouse” was the Official Selection for the 2019 SAFFA Chicago Film Festival.

  • My first lead role was in US-Canadian production”Killer Punjabi,” shot in LA and Vegas, and had a limited theatrical release in India, US, and Canada

  • My latest role in Crypt TV’s horror show, “The Girl in the Woods,” has me playing Kal Penn’s wife. 

My STAGE highlights include performing:

  • dual role of a spirited young and an angry old woman in “The Alchemy of Imperfection”

  • headstrong daughter of a landlord in 1920s in “The Proposal,”

  • a ruthless terrorist in “Female Terrorist Project,”  

My FAVORITE stage role still remains playing the undercover cop, “Ms.Orange,” (played on-screen by Tim Roth)  in an all-female adaptation of “Reservoir Dogs.”

FUN FACTS:

  • When I was 8 years old, a professional photographer told my parents that I was ‘photogenic’ and ‘had presence,’  so they should take me to Mumbai to try my luck in Bollywood movies! My parents hid this fact from her, for the fear that it would put ideas in my head. How little did they know!

  • At the age of 11, I performed her FIRST ON-STAGE ROLE  as ‘Romeo’ in an Indian version of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story, called Mirza-Sahiban. The producers didn’t like the male actor they had originally cast to play ‘Romeo,’ and offered me the role instead. coming events!

AS A WRITER & SPEAKER…

Within a year of being an actress in LA, one thing became clear to me that the traditional doors of Hollywood were shut to me, and  in order to make my dreams a reality, I needed to chart my own course.

This is where spiritual teachings entered my life, and transformed my perspective:

In the process, allowing me to further hone my speaking skills: a hobby that started in college, with a speech about ‘The Mona Lisa’ ---culminating with a win of 17 trophies and radio and newspaper interviews and mentions -- in a span of year and half.

  • And for the last 10 years, I’ve been providing intuitive guidance and spiritual perspective to friends, family, and fellow creatives, and now, all over the world, using my life story, in a way that inspires people to turn their pain into their superpower. 

As a writer for Backstage, ThriveGlobal, Medium, I’m thrilled to share my entire life experience with the readers in a way that heals and empowers us both!

AND AN ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN…

I’m happy to say that I had some initial success as an actress. But none of my talent, skill, and hard work seemed to matter, as, in the long run, I just couldn’t breakthrough.

My first agent put it quite succinctly: “if you only had the right look, you could be Sandra Bullock.”

So, I saddled up for yet another battle . . . to be seen and heard, to be treated fairly,  to be valued for my talents, and to achieve the highest level of success, without fear of retribution. I’m committed to performing roles where women are empowered; where voices are heard; and where wisdom is applauded. 

And in the process, opening new doorways for young women & men and enabling them to step into their artistic joy and opportunity.