Riverdale Star Reveals They Almost Weren't Cast in The CW Series

It's hard to imagine Riverdale without Lili Reinhart playing Betty Cooper, but it turns out that almost was the case. Reinhart spoke with E! News about how she initially didn't get the role, but that it was ultimately taking a chance and moving to Los Angeles that secured her the role that she's now played for six seasons.

"It's weird because when I auditioned for Riverdale at first, I was told no. I didn't get the role. They said no," Reinhart said. "And then I moved to L.A., and they still hadn't cast the role of Betty and so I was able to go in person because the first time was a self-tape. And then I went in in-person and I made it past the first round, second round, third round and then did my test and I got the role."

She continued, "There was a very big chance and a moment where I didn't have that role and if I hadn't, I don't know where I would have ended up. I think I still would have moved to L.A., but I don't think I'd be sitting here."

As for what's next on her horizon with Riverdale ending with Season 7 in 2023, Reinhart recently said that she's looking forward to more adult roles after having played Betty this long.

"I have a lot of sort of dramatic, deep roles in my future after Riverdale, definitely roles that you have not seen me in," she said. "I'm an adult! I'm an adult woman and I'm going to start playing those more adult roles. That's on my horizon, and I could not be more excited."

Reinhart, who is currently starring in Netflix's Look Both Ways, also recently said that while she is looking forward to what's next for her in terms of career, it is still bittersweet to say goodbye to Riverdale.

"There are a lot of feelings. Bittersweet is the word, because I obviously will miss this group of people that I've been through half of my 20s with. We'll never all be together again working on the same thing, so I recognize that, and I think we all do, and we are all sad about that," Reinhart said. "It will be a very sad day when it actually wraps, but I do think the show has done so much for all of us and we're all so ready to show the world what else we've got. On that aspect, knowing what's on the other side is super exciting. I'm incredibly excited for the projects that I've been developing with my production company over the last year and a half that we'll be ready to shoot when Riverdale ends next summer. But going into this final season, I think we're all like, 'This is our last hurrah, let's really try to celebrate each other and spend time with each other because we won't get this again.'"

Riverdale will return for its seventh and final season in 2023.