KJ Apa compares working on 'Riverdale' to being 'in jail'

KJ Apa recently admitted to feeling "so free" after finishing six seasons of "Riverdale," where he played the role of Archie Andrews.

The 23-year-old actor, who hails from New Zealand, opened up about his experience while talking about his latest film "Songbird" in an interview with Demi Moore for Interview Magazine.

"I felt so free coming from a show where I feel like I'm in jail a lot of the time," KJ said.

"There are so many restrictions on what I can and can't do. With this character, it was like, ‘Wow, this is what it's like to really express myself in a natural way.' I wasn't covered in makeup or hair products. I had long hair and a beard. I just felt free," he added.

Apa went on to say he was grateful to be part of “Riverdale,” but admitted to feeling the weight of it.

"There's been so much pressure in playing Archie,” the actor said.

“I’m so grateful for the show and its success, but at the same time, there's a lot of baggage that comes with that success. I feel like the only people I can talk to about my issues are my costars, the people who can really relate to me,” he added.

KJ shared how he had been able to open up to Cole Sprouse who plays Jughead Jones on the show, describing him as an “amazing person.”

The actor also talked about how he has been handling the pressure and criticism from fans after playing Archie.

"I try and look at it from a fan's perspective to understand the way they think. But there are times when I'm like, ‘Wow, they really have no idea that we are actual people. They can't separate us from our characters.' You don't have that in other professions. You don't dissect the life of a builder and start judging the decisions he makes in his life with his wife and kids,” KJ said.

"As an actor, I will be judged on everything: my political opinions, my opinions on drugs, my opinions on the people I want to be with. Everything. It's something I've had to come to terms with,” he added.

“Riverdale" is a teen mystery drama series based on the original Archie Comics universe.

KJ, who played the show’s titular hero for almost six seasons, is now set to star alongside Sofia Carson in “Songbird."

According to Variety, the film is a pandemic thriller about a courier who tries to save the woman he loves from a quarantine camp. —Margaret Claire Layug/JCB, GMA News