Camila Mendes

Camila Mendes was born on June 29, 1994, in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Gisele and Victor Mendes. Her father is a business executive while her mother is a flight attendant. They both are originally from Brazil. She has an older sister named Kiara Moreno. When Mendes was a child, she lived a life that can be categorised as nomadic. At the age of eight, she witnessed her parents’ divorce. Subsequently, she and Kiara moved from one southern US state to another. They later spent a year in Brazil, where she studied at an American school. After returning to USA, she and her family decided to live in south Florida. She studied at the American Heritage School, in Plantation. It had a strong performing arts program, which helped her develop an interest in acting. She later enrolled at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, from where she graduated in May 2016.

Mendes previously dated her childhood friend Victor Houston. In July 2018, Houston shared several photos of himself with Mendes. The photos, which showed Houston and Mendes cuddling, were taken in the Hamptons during her 24th birthday celebration. However, Mendes reportedly broke up with him later that month, after San Diego Comic-Con.

She has since been linked to her ‘Riverdale’ co-star Charles Melton, who portrays Reginald "Reggie" Mantle in the show. They were seen together at movies in Vancouver in September 2018. They were accompanied by Casey Cott and Lili Reinhart.

Camila Mendes’ first acting gig was a commercial for IKEA. In 2016, she landed the role of Veronica Lodge in ‘Riverdale’. Developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, The CW’s teen drama television series is a subversive take on Archie Comics. The show premiered on January 26, 2017, and has aired two seasons to date. Currently, it has been renewed for a third season, which premiered on October 10, 2018. New Zealand actor K.J. Apa portrays the series’ protagonist, Archie Andrews. The cast also includes Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, and Casey Cott as Kevin Keller.

In the original comics, Veronica is a fashion-conscious, somewhat spoiled young woman, who often maxes out her credit cards. She can be vain and conceited and yet easily mingles with her less affluent friends. She is in love with Archie, while Betty, her best friend, is also her arch-rival for his affection. However, in the show, Mendes portrays Veronica as a more mature individual, who is ashamed of her father’s arrest and subsequent incarceration. She moves to Riverdale from New York with her mother and begins a relationship with Archie. Over the course of the series, her relationship with her father becomes almost antagonistic.

In 2017, Mendes won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Screen Stealer for her performance in ‘Riverdale’. In 2018, she was nominated for the Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Actress: Drama and Choice TV Ship (shared with K.J. Apa) and for MTV Movie and TV Award for Best Kiss (shared with Apa).

Mendes made her big screen debut in 2018 in Carly Stone’s directorial venture ‘The New Romantic’, portraying the character of Morgan. She has appeared in the music videos for Maggie Roger’s song ‘Give a Little’ and The Chainsmokers’ song ‘Side Effects’, which features Emily Warren. Mendes is set to star in the upcoming comedy ‘The Stand-In’ and thriller ‘Coyote Lake’.