Camila Mendes Reacts to the 'Free the "Riverdale" Actors' Meme

Camila Mendes is indeed entering a new era in her career, with Netflix's highly-anticipated, dark comedy thriller Do Revenge's recent release. But as one chapter begins, another closes for Camila, as she wraps up Riverdale for the seventh and final season of The CW show. Many fans have joked on social media about how they can’t wait for the cast to move on from the show, even calling for the network to, “Free the Riverdale actors.” In a recent interview with InStyle, Camila opened up about the viral meme.

“Everyone’s always like, yeah, ‘Free the Riverdale actors’ or whatever, but I think ultimately, we’re all going to be sad when it’s over,” she said in her cover feature. “Any sort of creative artist seeks new challenges, and there’s a point in time when something ceases to be challenging. I think everyone’s just ready for that next chapter. It’s like we’re outgrowing the show in a way.”

Camila has been playing the role of Veronica Lodge since 2016, having landed the spot shortly after graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since the show's premiere in 2017, Mendes and her co-stars Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, KJ Apa, and Madelaine Petsch have been filming nonstop, shooting 22-episode seasons for 10 months out of the year, only getting two months off.

"There’s so much more I want to experience, there’s still so much more I want to achieve, and I get a small window to do that between seasons,” she says. “I want to have other things under my belt. I don’t want it to just be Riverdale."

Camila also opened up about the friendships she's made during her time on the series. Due to the show's filming schedule, the cast has become extremely close, with Camila, Lili, and Madelaine even starting a joint TikTok account called @blondebrunetteredhead, which she has confirmed "will not die," once Riverdale has ended.

“They’re like my sisters — we’ve all seen parts of each other that no one else has seen,” Camila said. “It’s like family — you don’t choose them. Maybe these aren’t people that I would’ve been friends with had I just met them once at a party, but we’re bonded by this experience. I fought with every one of these girls. We’ve had drama, we’ve had disagreements, we’ve cried, we’ve made up. We’ve been through a lot together and we’ve leaned on each other in those moments."

As for what's next in her career, Camila says that she wants to move away from portraying teenagers, with her next starring role being in Amazon Prime's Brazilian-American rom-com, Música, where she is also credited as executive producer. “I’m really looking forward to this next chapter of my life,” she says. “I know myself more now; I have a clearer sense of what I want for my career, for my personal life. Riverdale taught me so much, and what a blessing to be able to act every day. Not a lot of actors have that privilege.”

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