Camila Mendes on Detaching From Riverdale and Showing Her "Most Shameful and Ugliest Parts"

Have you heard the news? Camila Mendes is one of Who What Wear's three cover stars this month, joining Jonathan Daviss and Victoria Monét. My colleague sat down with Mendes for a wide-ranging interview discussing Riverdale, body image, turning 30, and a Gwyneth Paltrow–approved wellness retreat called the Hoffmann Process, among other topics.

"I had to detach myself from overidentifying with my role on [Riverdale] and what it meant to people,” Mendes told Who What Wear. "I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I let the comments penetrate my mind too much." Mendes went on to explain how doing other projects outside of the teen mystery show allowed her to "gain [her] sense of self back."

For Masters of the Universe, her newest role, Mendes worked on her physical strength to portray the warrior Teela, but she also embraced a very different kind of strength that's no less heroic: vulnerability. “I want my willingness to be vulnerable and show the deepest, most shameful, and ugliest parts of myself through my characters to help others connect to their own feelings," Mendes told us. Curious to learn more? Read our full interview with Mendes here.