Camila Mendes reveals 'pressure cooker environment' of 'Riverdale' set

Camila Mendes had to resort to medication after experiencing “panic attacks” and hitting “rock bottom” while filming Riverdale.

Appearing on the latest episode of the On Purpose podcast with Jay Shetty, the 32-year-old actress got candid about the “pressure cooker environment” of the production of Riverdale, on which she played Veronica Lodge for seven seasons from 2017-2023.

“I’d have someone knocking on my door and being like, ‘They’re ready for you on set!’ And I’m crying because of the situation that I’m dealing with,” she recalled in a preview shared by Netflix. “And now my makeup’s ruined, and that’s another thirty minutes in the makeup chair for them to fix me.”

She continued, “And now, everyone’s on set waiting. And now, I feel the pressure, that I’m the reason why we’re behind. Oh my God, it was like a pressure cooker environment — constantly. Because there is no time to deal with things.”

Mendes revealed that she was prescribed anxiety medication lorazepam so she could “numb” herself and be able to show up to work without “crying and hyperventilating.” The pressure was even more intense considering the daily cost of production.

“I don’t remember exactly how much it would cost a day to shoot Riverdale, but we’re talking thousands and thousands of dollars,” she noted. “If you had to reshoot a day or something, if you missed a day, if you called in sick — like, you’re costing production a lot of money.”

Mendes starred alongside KJ Apa, Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, and more on the infamous CW drama.

The cast has remained close ever since the show ended, and Mendes emphasised that she “would love to work with” them again given the opportunity.

For now, she is getting used to her transition to the big screen with the new reboot of Masters of the Universe, where she portrays Teela.

In her personal life, Mendes got engaged to actor and internet personality Rudy Mancuso in October 2025.