Archiekins is looking good! KJ Apa has had Riverdale viewers swooning since The CW series first premiered in January 2017.

The New Zealand native played the teenage Archie Andrews, who is often on screen without a shirt. In the beginning of his Riverdale run, Archie’s shirtless scenes were few and far between, but when the character started up his boxing gym and summer came to Riverdale, KJ’s real-life abs were on full display.

“I mean, for me it’s just another day at the office with my shirt off and training,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight in January 2021. “You know, we’ve done a lot of these scenes and yeah, I feel like the fight is going to come out really well.”

KJ joked, “Someone has got to be shirtless on the show.”

Initially, the actor revealed that he had no issue with taking his shirt off for the show.

“I mean, look for sure it can be a little tiring just because it’s so demanding to stay in shape for 10 months long, you know? It gets hard, but it’s my job. That’s just how I think of it,” he also told ET. “I don’t dislike [the shirtless scenes] and I don’t necessarily welcome them, but I know it’s my job, so I’ve got to get it done.”

However, he later admitted that going shirtless that often “can mess with your head a little bit” and didn’t feel like he could turn the scenes down in any capacity.

“At first, as a young child, which is what I was, I thought it was cool — you almost want the opportunity to be shirtless. I was like, ‘Yeah, let me take my shirt off. Boom!’ And then you gotta consistently stay in incredible shape. It takes a toll,” he revealed to Vulture in August 2023. “Even saying that I didn’t feel comfortable I had a hard time with. I thought people would be like, ‘Why not? Just f—king do it, bro.’”

The I Still Believe star’s workout grind and determination actually came from his family.

“My dad worked out like a madman. He’s a big boy, too,” KJ told Men’s Health Australia in April 2021. “That’s how I got that level of motivation and commitment when it comes to working out. It’s become one of the biggest parts of my life in staying grounded in this industry. I’m so thankful for my desire to be physical and train my body. It’s something I need at the end of a hard day.”

Click through our gallery to see some of KJ’s best shirtless moments from his time on Riverdale.

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