Is KJ Apa Seeking a 'Get Out of Jail' (i.e. 'Riverdale') Card?

KJ Apa recently worked on the sci-fi COVID-inspired thriller "Songbird" with co-star Demi Moore, which is likely the reason why the actress interviewed New Zealand actor for Interview Magazine. And he says the experience was liberating, unlike playing Archie Andrews on the hit CW series "Riverdale," BuzzFeed News reports.

"I felt so free coming from a show where I feel like I'm in jail a lot of the time," the 23-year old told Demi Moore. "With this character, it was like, 'Wow, this is what it's like to really express myself in a natural way.' I wasn't covered in makeup or hair products. I had long hair and a beard. I just felt free."

Apa continued, "There's been so much pressure in playing Archie. I'm so grateful for the show and its success, but at the same time, there's a lot of baggage that comes with that success. I feel like the only people I can talk to about my issues are my costars, the people who can really relate to me."

Apa has been playing Archie since "Riverdale" premiered in 2016 after he emigrated to Los Angeles when he was 18 to pursue his acting career. "I was so naive," he said. "The hardest part was not being with my [mum] and dad."

Over the course of his "Riverdale" experience, he has found support and friendship with co-star Cole Sprouse, who has helped him navigate his flash celebrity. "Cole is an amazing person to have on set, because he's been doing this his whole life. I try and look at it from a fan's perspective to understand the way they think. But there are times when I'm like, 'Wow, they really have no idea that we are actual people. They can't separate us from our characters.'"

One of those issues he's found difficult to navigate is separating his personal life from his public persona, especially when called upon to have an opinion on political and social issues. Last summer, Buzz Feed News writes, "KJ faced backlash after defending his silence on the issue of Black Lives Matter amid worldwide protests over the police killing of George Floyd. People online argued that since KJ starred in and therefore profited from 'The Hate U Give' – a movie about police brutality – he should be among the celebrities to speak out in support of the movement."

But Apa felt otherwise: "I don't need to post about my opinions and beliefs in order for them to be real to me," he wrote in a now-deleted tweet. "I support black lives," he went on. "But I don't feel it's necessary to prove to people I do by posting my attendance at these protests."

But also admits that much of this attention comes with his celebrity. "As an actor, I will be judged on everything: my political opinions, my opinions on drugs, my opinions on the people I want to be with. Everything," KJ said. "It's something I've had to come to terms with."