KJ Apa complains that working on Riverdale is like being ‘in jail’

KJ Apa had some harsh words about his CW series Riverdale in a new interview in which he said working on the show was like being “ in jail. ”

The 23-year-old New Zealand actor opened up to Interview Magazine in a conversation with his Songbird co-star Demi Moore that was posted earlier this week.

He chatted with the 58-year-old Ghost star about the seemingly oppressive rules on the set of Riverdale, which is based on the classic Archie comic series.

The two screen stars opened their interview with a discussion about their film Songbird, which takes place in 2024, when the new coronavirus mutated into Covid-23, a more contagious and deadly strain that forces most of the world’s population to stay inside forever.

According to Apa, the film was a refreshing change of pace from his teenage crime series.

“ I felt so free coming out of a show where I often feel in prison, ” he said. “There are so many restrictions on what I can and cannot do.

He continued, “ With this [Songbird] character, it was like, “Wow, that’s what it’s like to really express myself in a natural way.” I was not covered in makeup or hair products. I had long hair and a beard. I just felt free.

Apa is best known for his Riverdale look, in which his character Archie Andrews has red-orange hair and typically sports a clean-shaven face.

He deviated considerably from that look put together in Songbird, in which his character sports thick stubble and he wore his natural brown hair in a pandemic shaggy hairstyle.

Afraid of being accused of being ungrateful for the bragging role, the TV star was quick to add that he was “ so grateful for the show and its success ”, but he was also complained about the “ pressure ” that comes with playing a beloved character. .

“ There was so much pressure playing Archie. I’m so grateful for the show and its success, but at the same time there’s a lot of baggage that goes with that success, ” he told Moore. “I feel like the only people I can talk to about my problems are my teammates, the people who can really relate to me.

He chose Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead Jones, as a useful presence due to his background in the film and television industry, returning to his childhood job with his twin brother Dylan Sprouse.

He also complained that he was judged for his personal attitudes by fans who cannot always separate him from his character.

“There are times when I’m like, ‘Wow, they really have no idea we’re real people. They can’t separate us from our characters, ”he said.

“You don’t have that in other professions. You don’t dissect the life of a builder and start judging the decisions he makes in his life with his wife and children.

“As an actor, I will be judged on everything: my political opinions, my opinions on drugs, my opinions on the people I want to be with. All. It was something that I had to accept, ” he added.

Apa and Moore found common ground during their conversation, as they realized they had both started soap operas, with the Riverdale star working on Shortland Street, while Moore appeared in the general hospital.

She revealed that she was inspired by Parisian actress Nastassja Kinski, who was her friend and neighbor at the time.

Apa isn’t the only one complaining about the restrictive atmosphere in Riverdale, as her co-star Lili Reinhart has previously said she felt like a ‘prisoner’ when she returned to shoot season five. in Vancouver in the midst of the pandemic.

“I really feel like a prisoner going back to work because I can’t leave Canada. It doesn’t feel good, ” she said in a profile for Nylon.

“You can’t come home for Thanksgiving, you can’t visit your family. No one can come visit you unless they are quarantined for two weeks. It’s just fucked up.