'13 Reasons Why' Star Katherine Langford Almost Joined 'Riverdale'

Katherine Langford, star of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, could have been cast as Betty Cooper on Riverdale if things had gone a little differently.

Apparently Langford got far enough into the audition process that not only does series star Camila Mendes remember meeting her, but the pair went out to eat with an actor who was auditioning to play Archie Andrews.

"I remember when I met her, too — I never saw her act, but some people just have a personality that's so genuine that I'm like, 'I feel like you're a really good actor.' They have a presence. I had that feeling with her," Mendes told EW during a recent interview. "It's just so funny to think about that time in my life. I would have never thought in that moment that I would be here, and that she would be where she is. It's crazy!"

Most of the Riverdale cast were relative unknowns when they were cast; during the same interview, Mendes repeated something she has often said -- that her parents cautioned her not to get her hopes up about Veronica since the studio would likely cast a white actress who looked more like the comics. Lili Reinhart (who eventually won the role of Betty) had been working for five years and even appeared on a half-dozen episodes of Surviving Jack before being picked up for Riverdale, but it really is the adult actors -- Luke Perry, Marisol Nichols, Madchen Amick, and Skeet Ulrich -- who brought star power to the first season.

Of course, it was not long before the show -- like 13 Reasons Why -- became a huge success and catapulted most of its cast into the spotlight. KJ Apa, who plays Archie Andrews, appears in The Hate U Give, in theaters now, while Mendes did the interview in support of her upcoming movie Coyote Lake.

Of course, one could argue that Langford got the last laugh: in addition to an impressive career boost, her show managed to steal Ross Butler, who played Reggie Mantle on Riverdale's first season, away from the CW hit.

Riverdale airs on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

h/t: Entertainment Weekly