The Cast Of Riverdale Before The Fame

Riverdale first premiered on The CW network back in 2017, and since then, the cast members have all shot to A-list fame. They've gained millions of followers on social media and have attended the biggest Hollywood events like the Met Gala and the Academy Awards. And while some of the stars like Cole Sprouse and Robin Givens were already veterans in the entertainment industry when they were cast on Riverdale, others like Camila Mendes and KJ Apa were just getting started on their careers as actors.

Since Riverdale rose to massive popularity, the stars of the show have gone on to work on other major projects. Some have starred in movies, others have written their own books, and one even took part in a Riverdale spin-off show. But before the show's success, some of the cast members were working multiple jobs, finishing up college, and even considered quitting acting. So, let's dive into what the cast of Riverdale was like before the fame.

While Cole Sprouse was famous long before his Riverdale days, he actually considered leaving acting behind for good before landing the role of Jughead Jones. Fans know Cole and his brother Dylan Sprouse grew up in the entertainment industry and starred in their own Disney Channel show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. They also had roles on the show Friends, in the movie Big Daddy, and more. But when they graduated high school, Cole and Dylan decided to disappear from the Hollywood scene for a while and attend college at New York University.

Cole spoke to W about how he went to college to give himself "a break from the entertainment industry," and he fully immersed himself in studying archaeology while at NYU. He ended up getting an internship in archaeology after he graduated, and he told W that "[he] didn't really think of returning to acting, at all."

But Cole told Bustle that he read the script for Riverdale and was drawn back into acting specifically for the part of Jughead Jones. He said, "I read the pilot for Riverdale and really enjoyed it, so when I got the role I decided to fulfill my obligation and see where it would take me." But even as a full-time actor again, Cole still makes time for his other passions like photography.

It may seem like the Riverdale cast members all shot to fame quickly, but not all of them have overnight success stories. Madelaine Petsch spoke to Cosmopolitan about how she worked three different jobs just to pay her rent before Riverdale. According to the outlet, Petsch worked at "a coffee shop in the morning, [was] a personal assistant to a photographer in Venice during the day, and [hosted] at a restaurant in Beverly Hills at night."

Even with balancing responsibilities, Petsch somehow found time for auditions and didn't give up on her dream of acting. She said, "I used to write down every audition and the feedback I got. There were nights I was at home, crying, thinking I'd never make it. I'd get up the next day and go to the audition, do my best and try my hardest." And when she finally landed an audition for Riverdale, she actually originally read for Lili Reinhart's role, Betty Cooper. Ultimately, it all worked out, because Petsch is the perfect Cheryl Blossom!

And even with all the success that Petsch has had, she is thankful for how hard she worked before fame. As she told Cosmopolitan, "Working those three jobs totally prepared me for what I'm doing right now. We work between 14 and 20 hours a day, five or six days a week... It's a lot of hard work to be a series regular on a television show but it's also the most fun I've never had."

Vanessa Morgan plays Toni Topaz on Riverdale, but before she landed that role she'd been acting and singing professionally since the early 2000s. By six years old she was performing at community events and telethons where she grew up in Canada. In the late '90s, Morgan landed a scholarship at a Hollywood acting academy.

She also started appearing in TV movies in the early 2000s and by 2012, she had guest-starring roles on shows like Disney Channel's A.N.T. Farm and Degrassi: Next Generation. In 2013, Morgan also appeared alongside her sister on the first season of The Amazing Race Canada. They finished in third place which is pretty impressive!

And as for Riverdale, like many of the other cast members, Morgan didn't originally audition for the position she landed up with. She started off reading for Josie McCoy. In a YouTube video, Morgan and her co-star, Madelaine Petsch revealed they became fast friends in the audition process. And Mogan was grateful that she ended up being cast as Toni Topaz telling Teen Vogue Toni is "way more her." It's also an added bonus that she gets to play an on-screen romance with her BFF Petsch.

Before getting cast on season two of Riverdale, Charles Melton had smaller acting roles here and there. He made his first TV appearance in 2014 on Glee and then guest-starred in two episodes of American Horror Story in 2015 and 2016. He was eventually brought on for season two of Riverdale as Reggie Mantle, after Ross Butler left to star in 13 Reasons Why.

But before Melton got cast on Riverdale, he was a full-time dog walker. During an appearance on Live With Kelly and Ryan, Melton revealed that he was a dog walker for the app Wag (which he explained is "like Uber" for dog walking). So yep, the dreamy actor could've walked your dog back in 2017 and you had no idea. Melton said, "I was the number one dog walker. Over three hundred dogs in two months. I still get notifications and requests for people to have me walk their dogs." Melton also told Insider that he watched season one of Riverdale, so that's pretty exciting that he was brought on for season two!

Mark Consuelos, who plays the infamous Hiram Lodge on Riverdale, has been a Hollywood staple since the 1990's. His first big break was on the soap opera All My Children, but before he landed that role, Consuelos was a stripper.

In a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair, Consuelos' wife Kelly Ripa (who starred alongside him in All My Children) opened up about his stripper past. She said, "A lot of hot guys in Hollywood have done that." Ripa explained that Consuelos was fresh out of college in South Florida so, "he was in South Florida, he's gorgeous, looking to break into show business, so he started off as a roadie to a group of these guys, and then they talked him into stripping."

And they clearly don't take themselves too seriously in the Ripa/Consuelos household. Ripa says she even has "an old calendar pinup" of her husband from back in his stripping days. A source also told the National Enquirer back in 2001 that "Kelly's not at all embarrassed — Mark has an awesome body and Kelly is very proud of it." There's really nothing to be ashamed of, and Consuelos has had tons of success since those days.

Robin Givens, who played Josie's mom Sierra McCoy on Riverdale, has been acting professionally since the 1970s. She had roles on shows like The Cosby Show, 90210, The Bold and the Beautiful, Head of the Class, and so much more. But before becoming a famous actor, People reported that she was enrolled in Harvard Medical School.

According to the outlet, at only 15 years old, Givens enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College as a pre-medical major and became one of the youngest to attend the school. After she graduated, she enrolled in Harvard's Medical Program, "but after two semesters she began questioning her desire to be a surgeon." Around that same time, she auditioned for a guest spot on The Cosby Show and "[gave] Hollywood a try." The whole Hollywood thing worked out for Givens and she's had a very successful career.

In an interview with Glamour, she looked back on the moment when she realized she'd made it as an actor saying, "Everything changed with Head of the Class. I remember having sushi with our casting director, and she said, 'Once you lose your anonymity, you'll never get it back. This is your last night of anonymity.'"