Following a recent incident relating to long working hours, tensions have flared amongst those on the set of ‘Riverdale’, a teenage crime drama mystery series. The upset follows actor KJ Apa having a car crash after working for 14 hours in one day.
KJ Apa is an actor from New Zealand who plays the drama’s main protagonist, Archie Andrews. On the day of the accident, he had spent 14 hours on the set completing a long stint of filming. It was after midnight when he finally drove home and he fell asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle. This led to him crashing his car and suffering a minor injury.
According to ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, the crash has started a huge protest on set about the long working hours with one person telling the trade magazine that it was not surprising that somebody had got hurt as everyone knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. The source went on to say that the kids are being worked too hard and are expected to start early in the morning and continue working until late at night.
Earlier reports had initially suggested that Apa had actually worked a 16-hour day prior to the accident. However, Warner Bros have refuted these claims and issued their own statement regarding the incident.
Warner Bros state that they have a large cast on the set of ‘Riverdale’ and that the actors do not work every day. Speaking specifically about the hours worked by Apa, they said he had worked 14.2 hours on the day of the accident. The two days prior to the accident he had worked 7.7 hours and 2.5 hours consecutively.
They went on to say that KJ Apa and other cast members had been made aware that if they felt tired or unsafe, the should inform the production team immediately. In doing so, a ride home or a hotel room for the night would be provided as the wellbeing of the cast is paramount.
Warner Bros also disputed the claims that KJ Apa was taken to hospital for treatment by saying that this information was blatantly untrue. According to Warner Bros, first responders were sent to the scene of the accident where he was assessed for injuries and immediately released with no need to visit the hospital for treatment. Later the same day, Warner Bros sent a doctor to Apa’s home for a follow-up assessment and he was once again given the all clear.
The incident was described as ‘extremely troubling’ by a spokesperson for The Screen Actors Guild. In response to the accident, they are sending out a team from Vancouver, Canada, as they can assess any potential safety issues that may affect the crew and cast of the drama. The reason a team is coming from this location is because the second season of ‘Riverdale’ is currently being filmed at a location just outside of Vancouver.
Reports suggest that KJ Apa is fully recovered following the incident and is back on set continuing to film for the second season of ‘Riverdale’.
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