KJ Apa compares working on 'Riverdale' to being 'in jail' Published February 26, 2021 9:46am 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.