Lili Reinhart Shares the Overwhelming Side of Fame

“I don’t act to be famous, I just am a performer,” the “Riverdale” actress shares.

We can’t imagine how crazy Lili Reinhart’s rise to fame must have been for her: one day, she was a regular girl pursuing her wildest acting dreams, and the next, she was almost instantly world famous and in one of the biggest shows on TV. It’s all thanks to her mega-popular role as Betty in “Riverdale,” and that’s LITERALLY how quickly it all went down. 

Now, whenever she and her co-stars travel, or even just go outside, they’re instantly recognized and causing buzz. It sounds like a dream situation for a performer, but it can be really overwhelming.

“People knew who I was in Hawaii, and people knew who I was in Paris,” Lili shared in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar. “My cast mates have gone all over the world and people recognize them. It’s on a global scale. I’m a blonde white girl. I have sunglasses on and a hat. How do people look at me, and in an instant, they know? People are seeing my face that much… It’s something I can’t wrap my head around. I don’t know how you ever can.”

Lili appreciates the devoted fans who love “Riverdale” and made the show such a smash-hit success. But she also admits she’s had a hard time adjusting to being in the public spotlight, seeing constant social media posts about character ships, and getting constant questions about her personal life.

She recalls a specific instance where she had to turn down fans’ requests for selfies when she was out in public, and conflicted reaction says a lot about how she deals with fame.

“They said, ‘Why do you hate your fans?’” she remembered. “That felt like the most dehumanizing thing… I see them saying, ‘Your fans are what make you,’ and I appreciate the love and support. But you have to understand that I’m not on 100 percent of the time. And I shouldn’t be expected to be.”

Lili shared a few simple reminders that she wants her fans to keep in mind: she’s human, and she’s learning this whole thing in real time.

“My life is not glamorous, I do glamorous things,” she said. “I don’t act to be famous, I just am a performer.”