Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch Originally Read For This Surprising Character Instead of Cheryl

Madelaine Petsch pretty much always knew she was perfect for Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale.

But yet, she first read for the role of Betty Cooper.

“I had actually auditioned for a guest star role on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and the show had the same casting director as Riverdale,” Madelaine explained of her personal casting process.

“I read for a part and the producers made me come back on the very same day, and when I met them, the main director was like, ‘Forget this role, I’m doing a pilot right now and you’re perfect for a lead, just hold off.’ For someone who’s working two jobs and wants this more than anything, ‘hold off’ are the worst words possible.

Madelaine continues, “Believe or not, the next day I actually got a call that wanted me to read for Betty. I read her breakdown and was like, ‘I love this girl, but I’m definitely not going to book this.’ I knew that off the bat. But I went in and was like, ‘Whatever, I’m going to knock their socks off, even though I’m not blonde.’ I knew who Betty was. I read for the role, and the director immediately told me that he instead wanted me for the lead villain of the show.”

“I was so excited, but it took me five months to go in and read for her. So I played the waiting game every day and it was brutal,” she adds. “…But the minute I got the pilot script and breakdown for Cheryl, I immediately understood who she was.”

“She’s clearly so broken and she comes from such a place of anger and hurt. I made her an angry, hurt little girl and it apparently worked in my favor.”