Riverdale is a huge hit, taking the classic characters from Archie Comics and turning
them into modern icons for a whole new generation of CW viewers.
But one thing fans may not realize about this new take on America's favorite teenagers is
that none of the stars playing the main characters are actually teenagers at all.
So just when were these supposed high school students actually born?
Here's a look at how old the cast of Riverdale really is.
K.J.
Apa
As Archie Andrews, actor K.J.
Apa plays the quintessential teen boy next door: Former football team captain, a budding
musician, best friend to Betty and Jughead, and boyfriend to Veronica well, sometimes,
anyway.
While Apa is no longer a teenager in real life, he's not that far removed, turning 21
on June 17, 2018.
But he's already looking at life after Riverdale.
After appearing in the film A Dog's Purpose, he told Vulture he wants to make more movies.
"I was thinking to myself, even while I was doing that, imagine if I could do this forever.
Making movies is definitely something that I want to become more experienced at doing.
I want to get away from the high-school jock."
Lili Reinhart
She's blonde, she's beautiful she's Betty Cooper!
Lili Reinhart brings this sweet, studious high school character to the small screen,
but she actually turned 21 on September 13, 2017.
Still, Reinhart is quick to let fans know she still goes through the same struggles
they do, revealing to Byrdie that she suffers from image issues related to cystic acne.
"In person, and I hope this might help readers feel a little bit better about themselves,
my skin doesn't look as great or as perfect as it does on the show.
[…] It's lighting, it's smoke and mirrors, and the show's head makeup artist, Erin McKenzie,
is really amazing she's the reason my skin looks like that."
Camila Mendes
Though she plays high school heartthrob Veronica Lodge, actress Camila Mendes is actually a
college graduate.
The star, who turned 23 on June 29, 2017, told the Sunday Telegraph she doesn't take
her success for granted.
"I came out of college and kind of stepped right into this.
Sometimes I'm like, how did that happen?
How did I get so lucky?"
Madelaine Petsch
Riverdale's Cheryl Blossom is the epitome of the mean girl cliché.
But actress Madelaine Petsch, who turned 23 on August 18, 2017, isn't anything like her
character.
In fact, she revealed to Cosmopolitan that growing up, she was frequently the target
of bullies at school.
"I grew up in a small town, I was the only redhead other than my brother.
We had South African accents, I was a vegan, I was raised without religion.
I was just the weirdest kid in this small town, so I got made fun of a lot for it."
She told Marie Claire that the experience helped her portray Cheryl's complex character.
"I went through a time of depression in my life when I was a teenager — I think a lot
of teenagers do."
Cole Sprouse
Fans of Riverdale know Jughead turned 16 during the show's first season.
Who could forget the infamous birthday party Betty threw for him?
But star Cole Sprouse is nearly a decade older than his character, turning 25 on August 4,
2017.
In fact, the former star of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck
has been appearing on TV since 1993, when he was still an infant.
Riverdale marks his return to the spotlight after Sprouse and his twin brother Dylan took
a break to attend New York University, where Cole graduated with a degree in archaeology
in 2015.
He told Teen Vogue,
"Dylan and I made the conscious decision to distance ourselves from the industry quite
a bit."
We're glad he decided to come back!
Casey Cott
As Riverdale's Kevin Keller, actor Casey Cott plays the snarky bestie everyone wishes they
had in high school.
He plays the part so well, in fact, you may have trouble wrapping your head around the
fact that Cott turned 25 on August 8, 2017, just four days after co-star Cole Sprouse.
Small world!
Ashleigh Murray
Josie McCoy, lead singer of the Pussycats, has proven to be a breakout fan favorite.
So it may surprise fans to learn that she's more than a decade older than her character,
having turned 30 on January 18, 2018.
Still, Murray told MTV she continues to have a strong bond to high school thanks to her
own experiences as a student.
"I would absolutely go back to high school.
I was just this little theater geek.
[…] Everybody knew who I was, and that's all I ever wanted as a theater kid."
Dreams do come true - no matter what your age!
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