Since her screen debut, American actress Camila Mendes has had a growing list of credits in movies and TV shows. The young actress, whose screen career began in 2012, has, in recent times, landed several lead roles on the big screen. Although she’s not yet an A-list actor, she joins Hollywood’s list of fast-rising actors.
Although born in Charlottesville, Virginia, Camila Mendes has Brazilian ancestry, with both of her parents being immigrants from Brazil. In pursuit of an acting career, Mendes attended and graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Here’s Camila Mendes’ acting journey through her roles in movies and TV shows.
Riverdale (2017-2023)
After a successful audition for a new The CW series, Camila Mendes was cast as Veronica Lodge in Riverdale. Mendes was still at NYU Tisch School of Arts when she landed the role. To effectively portray the character, Mendes had to dye her hair darker. The series characters, including Veronica Lodge, are based on Archie Comics’ characters. Interestingly, Riverdale was Mendes’ acting debut. As one of the series’ main characters, Riverdale served as Mendes’ breakout role.
Mendes’ beauty and performance quickly made her a fan favorite. Camila Mendes became the second actress to portray the comic character after Karen Kopins, who played the character in the 1990 made-for-television comedy movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again. As her biggest project on the small screen to date, Mendes is still famously associated with the character, especially among TV audiences. Camila Mendes played the character throughout the show’s 7 seasons, from 2017 to 2023.
The New Romantic (2018)
Camila Mendes made her debut on television in 2017 and made her film debut in 2018. She played a supporting role as Morgan Cruise in Carly Stone’s 2018 Canadian romantic comedy-drama The New Romantic. Mendes may have had a short screen time, but she was an unmissable presence in the movie. Mendes’ Morgan is a Sugar Baby who gets gifts from older men in exchange for sexual favors. Actress Jessica Barden led the New Romantic cast. Camila Mendes’ Riverdale co-star Hayley Law was also cast as Barden’s character’s best friend, Nikki Morrison.
The Perfect Date (2019)
Between her time on Riverdale, Camila Mendes continued to star in movies. Netflix’s teen romantic comedy The Perfect Date (2019) was Mendes’ sophomore film project. Although she didn’t play the lead, she was cast in a supporting role as Shelby Pace. The character was Brooks Rattigan’s (Noah Centineo) romantic interest, who’s introduced as snobby. Despite only appearing in these supporting roles, Mendes’ popularity from Riverdale and her captivating screen presence helped increase her popularity among film audiences.
Dangerous Lies (2020)
Although she played the lead in the 2019 Coyote Lake movie, Netflix’s Dangerous Lies was Camila Mendes’ first major lead role in film. Dangerous Lies was released on Netflix on April 30, 2020, with Mendes cast as Katie. The movie’s plot follows Katie and Adam (Jessie T. Usher), a young couple heavily burdened by financial debts.
After Katie got a job as a caregiver to Leonard (Elliott Gould), the two grew close, with Leonard offering to pay off her financial debts. When Katie and Adam arrive at Leonard’s home to meet him dead, they are pursued by an ex-convict, Mickey Hayden (Cam Gigandet), who seeks the whereabouts of the $3 million worth of diamonds he stole before he was incarcerated. However, critics and audiences compared Dangerous Lies’ plot to Netflix mystery film Knives Out, released in 2019.
Do Revenge (2022)
Camila Mendes did not appear in any other movie until 2022. Mendes led the cast of another Netflix movie, Do Revenge, in 2022. Unlike her last film, Do Revenge received positive reviews from critics, especially as its plot pays homage to popular teen comedies such as the 1989 Heathers and 2004 Mean Girls. In Do Revenge, Mendes played Drea Torres, a disgraced popular High School student who teams up with Eleanor (Maya Hawke) to exert revenge on those who hurt them. Mendes’ performance led to an increase in her popularity.
Upgraded (2024)
Unsurprisingly, with the success of Do Revenge, Camila Mendes became one of the go-to actresses for streaming platforms’ rom-coms. In 2024, she played the lead character, Ana Santos, on Amazon Prime Video’s romantic comedy Upgraded. While it checks the box on most rom-com tropes, Upgraded holds a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Camila Mendes was also praised for her performance as Ana Santos.
Música (2024)
With a growing list of lead role credits in movies, Camila Mendes plays the female lead in her second Amazon Prime Video movie in 2024. Although it premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival on March 13, 2024, Música was released for streaming on Amazon Prime Video on April 4, 2024. Co-starring alongside her real-life boyfriend Rudy Mancuso, Mendes plays his on-screen love interest, Isabella.
Rudy Mancuso also directed and co-wrote Música’s screenplay, which also stars J.B. Smoove and Francesca Reale. Música is Camila Mendes’ latest movie, and her next project, American Sole, is in the post-production stage. If you enjoyed reading about Camila Mendes’ movies and TV shows, read 10 things you likely didn’t know about the actress.
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