In an interview with Vulture, which is published ahead of the teen series' final episode, several cast members reflect on their time on the Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa-created show.
- Aug 17, 2023
AceShowbiz - "Riverdale" cast members gathered to do an exit interview ahead of the show's final episode on August 23. In an interview with Vulture, which was conducted before the actors strike, several cast members reflected on their time on the Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa-created show.
At one point, Lili Reinhart talked about the series being the butt of a joke online. "People see clips taken out of context [on social media] and are like, 'What? I thought this was about teenagers.' And we thought so as well - in season one," the Betty Cooper depicter said in the interview published online Tuesday, August 15.
"But it's really not been easy to feel that you're the butt of a joke. We all want to be actors; we're passionate about what we do. So when the absurdity of our show became a talking point, it was difficult," the actress continued. "It is 'What the f**k?' That's the whole point. When we're doing our table reads and something ridiculous happens, Roberto is laughing because he understands the absurdity and the campiness."
Elsewhere in the interview, the cast opened up about being sexualized on The CW's series. KJ Apa, who plays Archie Andrews, admitted that he initially thought it was cool to be able show his fit physique. "I've been through a lot of s**t with that. It can mess with your head a little bit," he said. "At first, as a young child, which is what I was, I thought it was cool - you almost want the opportunity to be shirtless."
He continued, "I was like, 'Yeah, let me take my shirt off. Boom!' And then you gotta consistently stay in incredible shape. It takes a toll. Even saying that I didn't feel comfortable I had a hard time with. I thought people would be like, 'Why not? Just f**king do it, bro.' "
Madelaine Petsch, who portrays Cheryl Blossoms on the series, also echoed the sentiments, saying, "The other day, I had to do a lingerie shoot and I felt so s**tty about my body I cried. I tried on six different outfits and eventually found something that made me feel remotely okay."
Camila Mendes, however, clarified that Roberto "is always very understanding of" the cast. "There's nobody forcing us to do anything. It's just the nature of being on a teen show," the Veronica Lodge depicter explained.
