Riverdale actress slams show bosses
Bernadette Beck, who plays Peaches 'N Cream in Riverdale, has slammed show bosses in a new interview.
She believes she was hired simply to, 'fulfill a diversity quota.'
View this post on Instagram
Beck's character is a member of Pretty Poisons, and her role is to stand in the background, chewing gum and looking, 'sassy.'
She's often seen DJing events on the show, or collecting tickets at the doors.
And it seems the actress has had enough of playing such a minor role.
View this post on Instagram
She told ELLE, 'I get it, there’s always a protagonist and antagonist.'
'But I never had much of a story plot or enough character development to even be considered an antagonist.'
'I was, for no reason, depicted in a very negative, unattractive light.'
View this post on Instagram
'It’s just to fulfill points'
Beck continued, 'And I’m not the first Black actress to show up on set, stand there, chew gum, and look sassy and mean.'
'I feel like I was just there to fulfill a diversity quota. It’s just to fulfill points.'
According to the actress, not much thought goes into her character's placement on the show.
She recalled, 'I was completely forgotten in the scene more than once.'
'The director [would] be walking off set and I’d have to chase them down because I had no idea where to stand, what to do - I just hadn’t been given any instruction.'
'You can’t treat people like they’re invisible and then pat yourself on the back for meeting your diversity quota for the day.'
View this post on Instagram
Online criticism
According to ELLE, Beck faced serious criticism from Riverdale's young fan base after starring on the show.
She was, 'body shamed, received death threats, and experienced severe anxiety attacks.'
And she believes it's because her character is under-developed.
View this post on Instagram
She said, 'I didn’t understand when I first got on that show that it meant something for your character to be likable.'
'Some people say it’s just a TV show, but I’m thinking about the implications long-term.'
'If we are depicted as unlikable or our characters are not developed or we’re looked at as the enemy all the time, that affects our public persona.'
View this post on Instagram
This has made Beck question the opportunities she's missing out on after Riverdale.
She explained, 'Our white co-stars are getting all this screen time and character development.'
'They’re building up their following, generating more fans, selling out at conventions, and fans have more of an emotional connection with them.'
'But if we don’t necessarily get that, and we’re looked at with disdain, what does that do to us and how does that stain our reputation moving forward?'
View this post on Instagram
This comes shortly after Toni Topaz actress Vanessa Morgan called the show out for using her as, 'a sidekick,' to Riverdale's white leads.
Read what she had to say here.
