Ever since it premiered back in January 2017, everyone has been obsessed with Riverdale. It’s constantly filled with twists and turns that always leave viewers on the edge of their seats — and fans cannot stop watching it! The CW series — which just got renewed for its fifth season — stars KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Charles Melton, Madelaine Petsch, Ashleigh Murray, Casey Cott and more! But there’s one important question about the series that’s on everyone’s minds, and that is — how old are the characters IRL?
It turns out, the actors play high schoolers in the show, but they’re actually a lot older than fans may think! Yeah, it’s no secret that often times in TV shows and movies, the stars behind the roles are much older than their characters, and the same goes for the Riverdale cast.
“I don’t want the kids to be in high school forever,” Camila told Entertainment Tonight in December 2019. “I think Riverdale is very much a show about the cycle of life, and things growing up, and all of that. So I think it’d be really cool to see them go off to college and grow up and see what they make out of their lives. And maybe the show ends with someone having a kid. You know, who knows? I’m just pitching things.”
Well, the stars got to play close to their actual age starting in the show’s fifth season, which had a seven-year time jump. “We’re not going to be teenagers anymore,” Lili said during an August 2020 The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon interview. “I’m really psyched about it. I think it’ll be nice to play an adult. But I also really appreciate that Roberto [Aguirre-Sacasa], our showrunner, was like, ‘Yeah, let’s revamp.’ You know, we’re not just stuck in high school for seven seasons.”
Wondering how old the cast really is? Scroll through our gallery to uncover the kids from Riverdale‘s ages in real life, and prepare to be shook.
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