In Full Blossom
Meet the cool and high- spirited thespian behind the fiery “Mean girl” of “riverdale”— the one and only Madelaine petsch
Meet the cool and high-spirited thespian behind the fiery-but-conflicted “mean girl” from the popular TV show “Riverdale”—the one and only Madelaine Petsch
The “mean girl” is a staple of just about every teen drama since the dawn of tV. the right “mean girl,” however, can help push a good show into the realm of greatness. case in point: cheryl Blossom in “riverdale,” who is written brilliantly and played fabulously by american actress madelaine Petsch. While this is definitely not her first hollywood gig, her part in the hit tV series has opened new doors and led her down an exciting career path. Da man: hi, madelaine; great to have you with us. how are you doing? madelaine Petsch: hey, thanks for having me! i’m doing well, keeping busy and loving it. Da: “riverdale” has just ended its first run. What did you enjoy the most about being on the show? mP: Wow, so crazy. i mean, the whole experience has been life-changing. i couldn’t tell you just one thing. i learned so much about myself and my craft during this first season that i’m really thankful to have learned and will be able to utilize in season two! Da: “riverdale” turned out to be a huge success: the critics seem to like it and the ratings have been consistently high. in your opinion, what is it that makes “riverdale” a great tv series? mP: that’s a big question! in my opinion, it’s that everyone on the show, from the writers to the crew to the actors, is all extremely passionate about “riverdale.” We focus on doing quality work. it’s a collaborative effort on the “riverdale” set, and we are all really proud to be making the show. Da: your character is one of the antagonists, right? What was it like getting into the shoes of somebody like that for 13 episodes? mP: yes, cheryl is the villain of “riverdale.” For me, it was all about developing the place all of the anger stems from in order to create this “villain.” She’s so broken inside and angry. i had to delve into that side of her and then begin building walls toward everyone in order to have that mean defense mechanism. She’s so afraid of being hurt and lonely that she actually does it to herself.
Da: you’ll also be playing a somewhat similar character in the upcoming “f*&% the Prom.” is it fun playing the mean girl? have you ever been worried about being typecast for this kind of role?
mP: i love playing the mean girl, but variety is also the spice of life. i don’t really focus on being typecast. i feel very lucky to be working in my industry, and i’m just going to continue focusing on doing work i’m proud of and let the rest fall into place. Da: Would you consider “riverdale” to be your breakout role? if so, has it led any new opportunities? mP: “riverdale” is absolutely my breakout role. honestly, everything that’s happening in my life now is thanks to the show. From shooting with you guys to all of the other amazing things that keep my days busy now! Da: What, would you say, has been the most important lesson, revelation or surprise you’ve encountered about living a life under the limelight? mP: this is just the beginning for me. it’s really helped me appreciate those in my inner circle more than ever. i really strive to be a good role model for the younger generation and that has helped me work on myself. Da: So far, what has been your most surprising, heartwarming or otherwise awesome fan encounter? mP: every fan encounter has been surprising and awesome. i’m still so excited that we have so many amazing fans of the show that when fans come and say “hi!” to me when i’m out, i probably get just as excited as they do. Da: What is the one thing that you feel people most often get wrong about you?
mP: a lot of people assume i’m a bitch because i play one on the show. or fans are scared to say hi because cheryl is pretty ruthless. i swear i’m not mean! Da: outside of acting, what else are you passionate about? hobbies, perhaps? mP: Dancing! i’ve been dancing for 17 years. i love it with my whole heart. Da: Since acting did work out for you, what do you want to do going forward? are there any particular genres you want to explore? or maybe certain directors or writers you’d like to work with? mP: i’d love to get into producing and one day directing, but that’s in the far future. right now, i would love to do different roles and keep challenging myself as an artist. Da: you’ve been professionally acting for about two years now. Where do you see yourself in, say, five years from now? mP: man, i don’t know. i’m taking it a day at a time! i’m going to continue exploring every avenue of this career path and see where it takes me. i try not to live life with too many expectations.
“i love Playing the mean girl, but variety iS alSo the SPice of life”
“WHEN FANS COME AND SAY ‘ HI!’ TO ME WHEN I’M OUT, I PROBABLY GET JUST AS EXCITED AS THEY DO”