Camila Mendes rose to international fame portraying witty Riverdale fan-favorite Veronica Lodge, but her life outside of Hollywood is just as intriguing as her on-screen persona. Mendes was born on June 29th in Charlottesville, Virginia and since bursting onto the scene has grown to be admired not only for her work, but also for how down-to-earth and honest she is about herself.
From moving houses as a child to barely getting the role of Veronica, here are 13 facts about Camila Mendes you may not have known.
1. A Childhood of Constant Movement
Growing up for Camila Mendes was never at the same house twice. Mendes moved a total of 16 times as a child because her father was a business executive. Mendes and her family lived most of her childhood in Florida until they divorced when she was 10 years old.
2. Brazilian Roots and Bilingual Upbringing
Both of Mendes parents immigrated from Brazil. Mendes mother is the first person she spoke with growing up, therefore she spoke Portuguese with her mom and English with her father. Camila Mendes still speaks fluent Portuguese today because of her Brazilian heritage.
3. Lived in Brazil for a Year
Thanks to her parents being from Brazil, Mendes spent time with family there when she was just ten years old. She lived in Brazil for an entire year where she learned more about her culture and even felt more connected to her Brazilian roots growing up.
4. Her First Role Was a “Sad Cranberry”
You might be surprised to learn how Mendes first got her start in acting. In the third grade, Mendes was cast as a cranberry in her elementary schools production of The Turkeys Go on Strike. Not only did she get a solo, Mendes described her role as a “sad cranberry” that sang a duet. She says she was “really committed to the choice and to the emotion, and to being a really sad cranberry that everyone was laughing at.”
5. NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate
Of course Camila Mendes graduated from one of the best acting schools in the country. She graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from their Tisch School of the Arts. She graduated in May of 2016 alongside other famous alumni such as Lady Gaga and director Chloe Zhao.
6. Best Friends with Singer Maggie Rogers
While attending NYU for her first year, Mendes became best friends with singer Maggie Rogers. Not only are they friends, but in 2018 Mendes appeared in Rogers music video for her song “Give A Little.”
7. NYU Overlap with Cole Sprouse
Both Mendes and Cole Sprouse attended NYU around the same time, but they never became friends until later on in Riverdale. Mendes said she saw Sprouse at some parties in college but Sprouse claimed he never remembered meeting her.
8. Riverdale Was Her First Major Acting Job
Believe it or not, Mendes had never booked a role as an actor before Riverdale. Before being cast as Veronica Lodge, her only acting experience was a paid commercial for IKEA. Mendes got the role of Veronica just after graduating from college which made her audition very nerve-racking. “I was crying every night because I was like, ‘I feel like I’m so close to something that could be really big for me.’”
9. Almost Didn’t Get the Role of Veronica
Auditioning for Riverdale was no easy task. Mendes says producers told her, “You’re our number one. But we really want to open this search up and see what else is out there.” Meaning they were making her compete against other actresses even though she was their top pick. Mendes also was told at one point that she wasn’t “glossy” enough.
10. Her Iconic Dark Hair Wasn’t Natural
Although Mendes hair is naturally dark, she had to dye it jet black to play Veronica Lodge. She had to match Veronica’s look from the comics which is how we got Veronica’s iconic dark hair look.
11. She Survived a Traumatic Experience at NYU
The tragic experience happened during Mendes freshman year of college. Mendes says she was roofied and sexually assaulted her freshman year at NYU. Mendes got the tattoo that says “to build a home” inked above her rib cage in cursive to symbolize how she will always build a home for herself.
12. Her “Blair Waldorf” Phase
If you know Camila Mendes, you know she isn’t afraid to admit when she was ugly. Mendes told interviewers she literally went through a “Blair Waldorf phase” from Gossip Girl where she “was such a b*tch!” at the age of 13. Mendes says she cannot stress enough how young kids are when they say mean things online now.
13. She Almost Joined I Know What You Did Last Summer
Surprisingly enough, Mendes was cast in the reboot of I Know What You Did Last Summer in July of 20twenty4. She starred alongside Madelyn Cline, Lucien Laviscount, and others. Mendes had to drop out of the project due to a major filming conflict with another project. We now know that project to be live-action Masters of the Universe where she plays She-Teela opposite Nick Galitzine who plays He-Man. Mendes even said it was her dream role growing up.
What’s Next for Camila Mendes?
In addition to acting, Mendes has begun pursuing other career opportunities. In June 2024 , Mendes launched her own production company with Rachel Matthews titled Honor Role. She will be starring in a movie called Masters of the Universe releasing June 2026 and working on future projects as a producer. Mendes is engaged to actor and social media personality Rudy Mancuso. The pair met on the set of Música.
Camila Mendes went from living out of a suitcase as a child to becoming a Hollywood star. She has millions of fans who love watching her on screen and admire her off-screen perseverance and dedication to diversity in storytelling.
