MEET LILY…

Lily Shaw is a powerhouse, heart-driven actress who stands for social justice, a multilingual voiceover artist, and an award-winning motivational speaker.

A first generation Indian American, the first woman in her family to step away from tradition to pursue a creative profession, she has become a passionate voice for women’s empowerment and for overcoming adversity and discrimination by aligning to your authentic self.

Cinema activated her when she was 7 years old, and she is now on a mission to lead by example and inspire audiences to use their voices, own their gifts, and become who they were born to be.

An old soul, Know-it-all, Wise-beyond-her-years doctor, Hacker who’s also an agent, Closeted romantic, Warm best friend, Driven tech genius...

I’m a heart-driven, award-winning actress who was rescued and inspired by the make-believe world of movies at the age of seven.

Seeing life through the lens of a camera, I quickly *learned* that, sooner or later, everyone gets their happily-ever-after. This ardent belief gave me the courage to pursue my life’s passions, and evolve into a superhero version of myself

Being an expert writer for Backstage, ThriveGlobal, and Medium, a multilingual voiceover artist, and a purpose-driven motivational speaker, has further allowed me to use my craft to tell stories that resonate with audiences and motivate them to show up as their most authentic selves, and dare to be seen for who they really are.

My story starts at 3 years of age, when I went on 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 - started dancing to the beat - 

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

As  I grew up, this love for dancing morphed into a passion for acting.

Some highlights of my school and college life include: being a National Merit Scholar; an award-winning public speaker, including newspaper and radio mentions; a summer internship during Gov. Schwarzenegger’s tenure;  and a Bachelor’s degree with Honors.

Unfortunately, it was also a bitter and jarring  induction into the dismissive and discriminatory world of being a woman and an immigrant in the US, and later in Hollywood. 

However, my sights were set on achieving my childhood dream - which was becoming an actress on the big screen. So, one week after graduating, I moved to LA: 

My career began by working with Christopher Guest. I’ve also been lucky enough  to be directed by  Wim Wenders, Mark Sikes, Victor Nelli Jr., and renowned actress Lake Bell. 

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

• ‘96 Souls,’ a sci-fi feature, in which I play a genius scientist, is now available on Amazon.

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

• 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,’ streaming on YouTube, has me performing as Kal Penn’s wife. 

My most fun stage performances include playing a dual role of a spirited young and an angry old woman in ‘The Alchemy of Imperfection,’ the headstrong daughter of a landlord in 1920s in ‘The Proposal,’  a ruthless terrorist in ‘Female Terrorist Project,’  and a flabbergasted wife in ‘He Said and She Said.’

My favorite stage role still remains playing the undercover cop, “Ms.Orange,” in an all-female adaptation of “Reservoir Dogs.”

Fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, Indian & Pakistani Urdu, I’m now learning to speak  Spanish.

I was rescued by dance and by movies. I fervently hope my work will inspire other artists to let their light shine—and they, too, will follow the drums. They, too, will dance.