Madelaine Petsch is coming into her own on Riverdale, as character Cheryl Blossom, and fans are loving it. The 23-year-old star has “elevated and redefined every teen show character trope,” writes Marie Claire, including the girl next door, the nerd, the football player, but most especially, the bad girl.
Cheryl has been through trauma that has left her deeply troubled, which adds to her character’s depth. Marie Claire writes that her character is so dynamic because of the show’s writing, of course, but also because of all that Petsch brings to the part.
Petsch sat down with Marie Claire to discuss Cheryl, as well as Petsch’s own life, love, and stardom.
If you are a fan of Riverdale, you know that Cheryl attempted suicide last season. This season, she has decided she wants to live, and starts taking medicine for depression. But Marie Claire writes she is still in “purgatory” and isn’t happy with her life. Her struggle with mental health issues will be addressed throughout the season.
Petsch told Marie Claire that she went “thorough a time of depression in my life when I was a teenager” and that she lost friends at a young age because she grew up in a town heavily affected by drugs. She told Marie Claire, “I have places to draw from. For sure.”
Cheryl is also going to face more struggles with her mom, and develops a crush. Petsch told Marie Claire that Cheryl is “looking for love in all the right places and all the wrong places.” As for Petsch’s own life, she is currently deeply in love with boyfriend Travis Miller and she’s not afraid to show it. She said they have a great relationship, and she feels like “people in this generation are afraid love doesn’t exist and that totally breaks my heart,” so she wants fans to see how happy she is.
Petsch also told Marie Claire that she worries fans don’t realize celebrities have lives outside of the show, and has been having bad days when fans come up to her. But she tries to be as cheery as she can, because “you never know how much an interaction is going to mean to fans and impact them.”
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