Archie fans (the comic, okay) love her or hate her. It’s just that… but there’s no denying that this Veronica Lodge is truly a hottie. Camila Mendes, ladies and gentlemen, possesses the Latin hotness we all love and lust over.
Look at her, mi amigo, and tell me my observational skills are shit. You can’t, right? Because she is really gorgeous and you’d waste your month’s salary buying her drinks. She is just the perfect combination of cute and hot.
Who is Camila Mendes
Camila Mendes is a Brazilian-American actress who shot to fame as the stylish and sharp Veronica Lodge on The CW’s Riverdale, a role she played from 2017 to 2023. Her performance earned her a Teen Choice Award in 2017 and instantly made her a fan favorite.
After making her mark on the small screen, Camila made a smooth transition into film, landing supporting roles in indie rom-com The New Romantic (2018), Netflix’s The Perfect Date (2019), and the hit time-loop comedy Palm Springs (2020).
In recent years, she’s stepped confidently into leading roles, starring in the darkly funny Do Revenge (2022), and headlining two 2024 romantic comedies—Upgraded and Música. For both, she didn’t just act; she also served as executive producer, proving she’s just as sharp behind the camera as she is in front of it.
Her Early Life
Camila Carraro Mendes was born on June 29, 1994, in Charlottesville, Virginia, the second daughter of Brazilian parents—her father, Victor, a business executive, and her mother, Gisele, a flight attendant. When she was eight, her parents divorced, and Camila and her older sister were raised by their mom.
Her childhood was anything but stationary. The family moved frequently across the southern U.S., and even spent a year living in Brazil—a time Camila still looks back on fondly, especially for the chance to be close to her extended family.
“I do really get sad because my entire extended family is in Brazil, and they’re all hanging out with each other every day and they have such a sense of family and community. When I was living there that was nice. Brazilians value family so much.”
Eventually, they settled in South Florida during her middle school years, giving her some much-needed stability. After high school, Camila set her sights on New York City and was accepted into NYU’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, where she graduated in 2016, just a year before her breakout role on Riverdale would put her on the map.
Career Journey
Camila Mendes got her start in showbiz with a humble first gig: a commercial for IKEA. But it wasn’t long before she moved from assembling furniture to assembling an impressive film career.
She made her feature film debut as Morgan in The New Romantic, which premiered at SXSW in March 2018. That same month, she joined the cast of the Netflix rom-com The Perfect Date, keeping the momentum going. By 2019, Camila was front and center in the indie thriller Coyote Lake, marking her first lead role.
In 2020, she hit the festival circuit again with the critically acclaimed sci-fi comedy Palm Springs, which premiered at Sundance and later dropped on Hulu. That same year, she also starred in the Netflix thriller Dangerous Lies, proving she could jump from laughs to suspense without missing a beat.
Fast forward to 2022, and Camila was back in the Netflix spotlight, co-starring with Maya Hawke in the sharp, Gen Z black comedy Do Revenge—a film that earned her plenty of praise and even more fans.
Then came 2024, and Camila had not one but two romantic comedies up her sleeve. First, she starred as Ana Santos, an ambitious art-world intern, in Upgraded on Amazon Prime. Then she led Música, another Amazon rom-com, which premiered at SXSW and further cemented her as a rom-com queen in the making.
But acting isn’t her only focus—she’s also building behind the scenes. In June 2024, Camila co-founded her own production company, Honor Role, with fellow actress Rachel Matthews. And in August, it was announced that she’d been cast as Teela in the upcoming live-action reboot of Masters of the Universe, starring opposite Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man.
From IKEA ads to Eternia, Camila Mendes is clearly just getting started.
Facts and Trivia
Camila Mendes has never been one to shy away from tough conversations, especially when it comes to identity and representation. Despite being Brazilian American and proudly identifying as Latin American, she’s been told during auditions, “You don’t look Latina enough.” It’s a comment she’s heard more than once—and one that highlights the frustrating, narrow stereotypes Hollywood still clings to. For the record, Camila speaks fluent Portuguese and embraces her roots fully.
She’s also used her platform to speak out about body image and mental health. After battling an eating disorder, Camila made it a mission to promote body positivity, especially through her social media.
“I’ve been kinder to myself because of all the positive feedback.” Hearing from fans who’ve shared similar struggles helped her realize she could actually make a difference—and she has.
Camila has also opened up about surviving sexual assault. During her freshman year at NYU, she was roofied and assaulted—an experience that deeply shaped her outlook. As a reminder of her strength and her commitment to creating safety and stability for herself, she got a tattoo in delicate cursive just above her ribcage that reads “to build a home.”
On the personal side, she’s had a few notable relationships. She dated photographer and director Ian Wallace from 2013 to 2017, and later began seeing her Riverdale co-star Charles Melton in 2018. The pair broke up in late 2019. In 2023, Camila went public with her relationship with actor and internet personality Rudy Mancuso, whom she met while working on the romantic comedy Música—proof that sometimes art really does imitate life.
Her Body Measurements
Camila Mendes stands 5 feet, 2 inches and she rocks a 35-25-34 figure.
Camila Mendes Photos
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