KJ Apa | |
---|---|
Born | Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa 17 June 1997 Auckland, New Zealand |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2013–present |
Children | 1 |
Relatives | Michael Jones (uncle) |
Awards | Full list |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument(s) |
|
Labels | Independent |
Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa (born 17 June 1997) is a New Zealand actor, singer and musician. He has received various accolades, including a Saturn Award and nominations for an MTV Movie & TV Award, two People's Choice Awards and two Teen Choice Awards, and was appointed the matai title of Savae chief of his village Moata'a in September 2022.
He gained notice playing Kane Jenkins in the New Zealand prime time soap opera Shortland Street from 2013 to 2015. In 2017, Apa was cast in the lead role of Archie Andrews in the CW drama series Riverdale . [1] In film, Apa has starred in A Dog's Purpose (2017), The Hate U Give (2018) and I Still Believe (2020). In 2021, he released his debut solo album, the indie folk-rock album Clocks, which received some attention on Spotify and TikTok.
Apa was born on 17 June 1997 at Waitakere Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, [2] the son of Tupa'i and Tessa Apa (née Callander). His father is Samoan and a matai (chief) of his village in Samoa; [3] his mother is a European New Zealander. [4] He has two older sisters and is the nephew of former rugby union player and coach Michael Jones. [5] He attended high school at King's College in Auckland before beginning his acting career. [6]
From 2013 to 2015, Apa starred as Kane Jenkins in the New Zealand prime-time soap opera Shortland Street . In 2016, he was cast as Archie Andrews in the CW drama series Riverdale , after a four-month worldwide talent search. [1]
In 2017, he starred as Ethan Montgomery in the comedy-drama film A Dog's Purpose , which was released on the same day as Riverdale premiered on television. [7]
His next film role was replacing Kian Lawley in the 2018 drama film The Hate U Give . [8] He starred as Griffin in the Netflix film The Last Summer , which was released on 3 May 2019. [9] He also starred as singer Jeremy Camp in the biographical romantic drama film I Still Believe , which was released in March 2020. [10]
Apa starred in Adam Mason's critically panned 2020 thriller film Songbird , produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes. [11] The film was accused of using the COVID-19 pandemic to create a thrill plot. In May 2021, Lionsgate Films announced he would appear in a military based drama West Pointer. [12]
In 2021, he independently released his debut album, Clocks, which explores the folk rock and indie genres. It gained some attention on Spotify and TikTok. [13]
Apa was involved in a minor car accident in Vancouver in September 2017, but was uninjured when the passenger side of his car hit a light pole. The late-night crash was reportedly the result of him falling asleep at the wheel after a long day of filming. [14]
In May 2021, Apa announced that he and French model Clara Berry were expecting their first child, [15] who was born in September 2021. [16]
Apa was raised in a Christian family and has stated that he is a Christian. [4] In April 2018, he publicly criticised Australian rugby player Israel Folau for claiming that it was God's plan to send gay people to Hell, describing Folau's comments as "disappointing". [17]
In September 2022, he was awarded the matai title of Savae by his native village Moata'a in Samoa. [18]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | A Dog's Purpose | Teenage Ethan Montgomery | |
2018 | The Hate U Give | Chris | |
2019 | The Last Summer | Griffin Hourigan | |
2020 | I Still Believe | Jeremy Camp | |
2020 | Dead Reckoning | Niko | |
2020 | Songbird | Nico Price | |
TBA | One Fast Move | TBA | |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2013–2015 | Shortland Street | Kane Jenkins | Recurring role (season 23-24), 46 episodes |
2016 | The Cul de Sac | Jack | 6 episodes |
2017–2023 | Riverdale | Archie Andrews / Teen Fred Andrews / Archibald Andrews / Artie Andrews | Lead role, 134 episodes |
In addition to soundtrack work on Shortland Street, Riverdale and I Still Believe, Apa has released independent music.
Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series | Riverdale | Nominated | [20] |
Breakthrough Performance | Won | [21] | |||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Breakout TV Star | Nominated | [22] | ||
2018 | MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Kiss (with Camila Mendes) | Nominated | [23] | |
People's Choice Awards | Drama TV Star of 2018 | Nominated | [24] | ||
Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series | Nominated | [25] | ||
2019 | People's Choice Awards | Male TV Star of 2019 | Nominated | [26] | |
Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series | Nominated | [27] | ||
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Drama TV Actor | Nominated | [28] | ||
Gregory Berlanti is an American screenwriter, producer and director of film and television. He is known for his work on the television series Dawson's Creek, Brothers & Sisters, Everwood, Political Animals, Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and You, in addition to his contributions to DC Comics on film and television productions, including The CW's Arrowverse, Titans, and the Doom Patrol. In 2000, Berlanti founded the production company Berlanti Productions.
Alfred Thomas Highmore is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films Finding Neverland (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Arthur and the Invisibles (2006), August Rush (2007), and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008). He won two consecutive Critics' Choice Movie Awards for Best Young Performer.
Cole Mitchell Sprouse is an American actor and photographer. He is known for his role as Cody Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005–2008) and its spin-off series The Suite Life on Deck (2008–2011). In his early career, he appeared in various projects alongside his twin brother Dylan Sprouse. From 2017 to 2023, Sprouse starred as Jughead Jones on The CW television series Riverdale.
Vanessa Morgan Mziray is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Beatrix "Bird" Castro in the MTV teen drama series Finding Carter, as Amanda Pierce in the Family teen comedy series The Latest Buzz, and as Sarah in the Disney Channel / Teletoon film My Babysitter's a Vampire and the television series of the same name. From 2017 to 2023, she portrayed Toni Topaz in The CW teen drama series Riverdale.
Asa Bopp Farr Butterfield is an English actor. He has received nominations for three British Independent Film Awards, two Critics' Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and three Young Artist Awards.
Christopher Catesby "Kit" Harington is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which he received nominations for a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Kiernan Brennan Shipka is an American actress, best-known for her roles as Sally Draper in the AMC drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), Sabrina Spellman in the Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018–2020) and the sixth season of The CW series Riverdale (2021–2022), B. D. Hyman in the FX series Feud: Bette and Joan (2017), and Jinora in The Legend of Korra (2012–2014).
Thomas Grant Gustin is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Barry Allen / The Flash on The CW series The Flash (2014–2023) as part of the Arrowverse, and as Sebastian Smythe on the Fox series Glee. Trained in musical theater, his first major credit was as part of the 2010 national tour of West Side Story; he returned to theater in the original Broadway production of Water for Elephants, originating the starring role of Jacob Jankowski.
Kian Robert Lawley is an American YouTuber, influencer and actor.
Riverdale is an American television series based on the characters of Archie Comics. The series was adapted for the CW by Archie Comics' chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and CBS Studios, in association with Berlanti Productions and Archie Comics. Conceived as a feature film adaptation for Warner Bros. Pictures, the idea was re-imagined as a television series for Fox. In 2015, development on the project moved to The CW, where the series was ordered for a pilot. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Ashleigh Murray is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her breakthrough role as Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the fictional band Josie and the Pussycats, on The CW television series Riverdale, which she starred in from 2017 to 2019. Murray reprised her role as Josie McCoy in the Riverdale spin-off series Katy Keene (2020) and returned to Riverdale as a guest star in 2021 and 2023. Murray has also starred in the films Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (2017) and Valley Girl (2020), as well as the television series Tom Swift (2022) and The Other Black Girl (2023).
Millie Bobby Brown is a British actress. She gained recognition for playing Eleven in the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things (2016–present), for which she received nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Brown has starred in the monster film Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and its sequel Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). She also starred in and produced the Netflix films Enola Holmes (2020), its 2022 sequel, and Damsel (2024).
Camila Carraro Mendes is an American actress. She made her debut portraying Veronica Lodge on The CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017–2023), for which she won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer in 2017. Mendes transitioned her career to film, taking on leading roles in films such as the thriller Dangerous Lies (2020), the teen black comedy Do Revenge (2022), and the romantic comedies Upgraded (2024), and Música (2024), serving as an executive producer for the later two. She has had supporting roles in The New Romantic (2018), The Perfect Date (2019), and Palm Springs (2020).
"Chapter One: The River's Edge" is the pilot and first episode of the first season of the American television series Riverdale, based on the characters by Archie Comics, revolving around the character of Archie Andrews and his life in the small town of Riverdale while exploring the darkness hidden behind its seemingly-perfect image. The episode was written by series creator and Archie Comics' chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and was directed by Lee Toland Krieger.
Lili Pauline Reinhart is an American actress. She is known for portraying Betty Cooper on The CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017–2023) and Annabelle in Lorene Scafaria's black comedy crime drama film Hustlers (2019). In 2020, she portrayed Grace Town in Chemical Hearts, a film adaptation of the novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland.
The Hate U Give is a 2018 American coming-of-age teen drama film produced and directed by George Tillman Jr. from a screenplay by Audrey Wells, based on the 2017 young adult novel of the same name by Angie Thomas. The film was produced by Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Robert Teitel and Tillman Jr., and stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Lamar Johnson, KJ Apa, Sabrina Carpenter, Common, and Anthony Mackie, and follows the fallout after a high school student witnesses a police shooting.
The first season of Riverdale premiered on The CW on January 26, 2017 and concluded on May 11, 2017, with a total of 13 episodes. The series is based on the characters from the Archie Comics, created by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater, and was created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa.