‘Riverdale’ star says: Be open about discussing depression
A few years ago, Lili Reinhart was a Pier 1 sales associate trying to achieve her acting dreams while working through her often-crippling anxiety. But when she landed the role of a thoroughly modern Betty Cooper on “Riverdale,” The CW’s dark and twisty adaptation of the beloved Archie comic books, she almost overnight amassed millions of young fans who hang on her every tweet, post and passionate word.
It would have been perfectly understandable if Reinhart (then 19) wanted to sit back and enjoy the ride. But she used her considerable platform to shed light on the realities of depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia by frankly discussing her own experiences with all of the above, reassuring her fans of their worth by daring to be honest with them.
“I’ve never been ashamed of having depression,” the 21-year-old told Variety in a rare free moment on set, where she was shooting a flashback episode in which she’ll portray a teenage version of Betty’s mother (usually played by TV veteran Madchen Amick, who Reinhart says has taught her to “know her worth” on set). But she insists that there was no grand strategy behind her transparency. “If there’s something I feel really passionate about and feel the need to comment on, then I will,” she says.
Q: Your Betty is a really interesting, modern update of the original Archie Comics character. What makes her fit so well in 2018?
A: She’s modern in the sense that her whole life doesn’t revolve around Archie, as it did in the comics. She’s quite independent and handles things on her own. She’s strong, and she’s fiery. Which I like.
Q: What made you want to use your platform to speak out on mental health and body issues?
A: It was never something I had to stop and consider whether I was comfortable doing. I just did it. It didn’t really matter how many followers I had. I’ve always kind of spoken up about stuff like that and been very open and honest about it.
Q: What’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of doing that?
A: When I started doing conventions to meet fans, I was able to meet people face to face and have them tell me, “I didn’t know how to talk to my parents about (mental health), and then I heard you speak about it and was motivated to get help.” At first, people saying things like that didn’t really register. It was just like, “Oh, that’s a nice thing to say.” But then it kind of stops you in your tracks to think that something you did has actually influenced someone’s life. That’s such a deep thought, and something that you really just have to stop and process. It’s really quite emotional, and incredible.
I’ve always been aware of depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia, because it’s something I’ve lived with for a while. But being exposed to this industry and so many more people from all around the world, I’m seeing how closed off people are from talking about it, so it’s been a process of learning that what I’m doing is helping.
Q: What’s something you know about managing your anxiety now that you wish you’d known when you were younger?
A: It’s OK to not know what to do. I get asked, “What do you do when you feel anxious?” a lot, and what I do to help my anxiety is not necessarily going to help anyone else. It’s a very personal thing. You have to figure out what’s going to work for you and what doesn’t, and it’s going to change over time. So my advice would be to not feel so pressured to figure myself out so quickly because, well, I’m still figuring it out.