She’s quickly become an icon after her starring role in The CW sensation, Riverdale.
And as the second season returns to Netflix in Australia on January 18, Camila Mendes has spoken candidly about overnight fame.
In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, the 23-year-old stated: ‘I came out of college and kind of stepped right into this, and sometimes I’m like, how did that even happen? How did I get so lucky? How was it so easy?’
‘I came out of college and kind of stepped right into this’: Riverdale star Camila Mendes spoke with The Sunday Telegraph about overnight fame after her starring role in the popular TV series
It’s the first ever on-screen role for Camila, who was raised in Miami and graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts shortly before she secured the gig.
In the insanely popular teen drama, based on the Archie Comics series, the brunette stunner plays Veronica Lodge, a Manhattan rich girl who has to relocate to a small-town after her father is jailed.
She shares the screen with New Zealand heartthrob KJ Apa, who has similarly catapulted to stardom.
Pals: Camila with Kiwi co-star, KJ Apa, with whom she is firm friends
Star ensemble: Riverdale has become an iconic teen drama, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the days of Dawson’s Creek and The OC
The Auckland-born actor plays television’s most famous red-head Archie Andrews, and has quickly amassed more than 5 million Instagram followers.
Social media snaps prove Camila and KJ share a close friendship, as they do with their other castmates Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse, who complete the ‘core four’ of the show.
Lili also spoke with The Sunday Telegraph, calling her co-stars her best friends.
Insta-famous: Camila and KJ (pictured with co-star Ross Butler) each boast more than 5 million Instagram followers
Besties! Lili Reinhart (right) also spoke with The Daily Telegraph calling her co-stars her ‘best friends’
‘I gained a whole new family when I joined this show and I knew that I was going to get along with these people and they were going to be my co-stars, but I didn’t know they were going to be my best friends,’ the blonde star gushed.
Recently the brave 21-year-old used her influential new platform to talk candidly about her battle with anxiety and depression.
The mental heath advocate told the Telegraph that Riverdale has allowed her an ‘opportunity to speak about important things to me… I do try to be as authentic as I can, I don’t put on a facade, I speak my mind and I’m blunt and honest’.
Public platform: Lili(with Camila at right) has spoken candidly about her battle with depression and anxiety