Camila Mendes

Image of Camila Mendes
Image of Actress Camila Mendes
Camila Carraro Mendes (born June 29, 1994) is an American actress known for portraying Veronica Lodge on The CW's Riverdale (2017–2023). Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Brazilian parents, Mendes spent part of her childhood in Florida and Georgia before returning to New York for college. She studied at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 2016, and made her screen debut in Riverdale in 2017, earning a Teen Choice Award for Scene Stealer the same year. Mendes has since starred in films such as The New Romantic (2018), The Perfect Date (2019), Palm Springs (2020), and Do Revenge (2022), as well as Upgraded (2024) and Música (2024). She has also served as an executive producer on the latter projects and continues to be active in both television and film.

More Information

Full Name:
Camila Carraro Mendes
Date of Birth:
29 June 1994
Place of Birth:
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Nationality:
United States
Profession(s):
Actress
Partner:
Ian Wallace (In a Relationship, 2013 to 2017), Charles Melton (In a Relationship, 2018 to 2019), Rudy Mancuso (Engaged, 2025 onwards)
Education:
American Heritage School, Plantation, Florida (High School), New York University Tisch School of the Arts (University)
Career Started:
2017
Work:
The New Romantic (2018), The Perfect Date (2019), Palm Springs (2020), Dangerous Lies (2020), Do Revenge (2022), Upgraded (2024), Música (2024)
Awards:
Won Choice Scene Stealer for "Riverdale" in 2017 (Teen Choice Awards)
Professions:
Actress

Camila Carraro Mendes Bio

Camila Carraro Mendes (born June 29, 1994) is an American actress and producer of Brazilian descent. She rose to prominence portraying Veronica Lodge on The CW teen drama series Riverdale from 2017 to 2023. Mendes earned a Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer in 2017 for her debut performance. She has since built a successful film career with starring roles in Palm Springs (2020), Do Revenge (2022), Upgraded (2024), and Música (2024). Mendes also serves as an executive producer on several of her recent projects and continues to expand her work in both television and film as of 2025.

Camila Carraro Mendes Early Life and Background

Camila Carraro Mendes was born on June 29, 1994, in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Brazilian parents. Her father works as a business executive and her mother works as a flight attendant. She has an older sister. Shortly after her birth, the family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, then returned to Virginia before settling in Orlando, Florida. Due to her father’s job and later her parents’ divorce, Mendes moved 16 times across the Southern United States while growing up, though she lived primarily in Florida. At age 10, she spent a year living in Brazil, maintaining a strong connection to her heritage.

Mendes attended the Fine Arts program at American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida, graduating in 2012. She continued her education at New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied the performing arts. She graduated from NYU Tisch in May 2016, completing her formal training before embarking on her professional acting career.

Camila Carraro Mendes Path to Acting

Mendes discovered her passion for acting during her school years in Florida. After completing high school, she pursued formal training at New York University, developing the skills that would prepare her for a professional career in entertainment. Her first professional acting job came through a commercial for IKEA, giving her early industry experience before her breakthrough role.

In 2016, Mendes auditioned for The CW series Riverdale, a subversive reimagining of the classic Archie Comics characters. She was cast as Veronica Lodge, portrayed as a silver-tongued high school sophomore in the teen drama. This role marked her first major screen opportunity and the beginning of her professional acting career in 2017.

Camila Carraro Mendes Career

Early Career (2017)

Mendes made her professional acting debut portraying Veronica Lodge in Riverdale, which premiered on The CW in 2017. The series quickly gained popularity among teen audiences. For her debut performance, Mendes received widespread recognition and won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer in 2017. This early success established her as a rising talent in television.

Breakthrough (2017–2023)

Riverdale became the defining project of Mendes’s early career, running from 2017 to 2023. Throughout the series, she portrayed Veronica Lodge, a popular student at Riverdale High School, earning critical praise for her nuanced performance. The role allowed her to develop her craft over six seasons while building a substantial fan following.

Mendes transitioned to film work during and after her Riverdale run. She made her feature film debut as Morgan in The New Romantic, which premiered at the SXSW Festival in March 2018. She subsequently appeared in The Perfect Date, a Netflix romantic comedy released in April 2019. In 2019, she starred as the lead in Coyote Lake. Mendes continued expanding her filmography with the critically acclaimed sci-fi comedy Palm Springs in 2020, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before releasing on Hulu. That same year, she headlined the Netflix thriller Dangerous Lies.

Notable Works and Milestones

In 2022, Mendes starred as Drea in the teen black comedy Do Revenge for Netflix, opposite Maya Hawke. The film received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising her performance. The Guardian noted that her six years on Riverdale refined her ability to portray a popular character with secret vulnerability. In February 2024, she starred as Ana Santos, an ambitious art world intern, in the Amazon Prime romantic comedy Upgraded. The film earned positive reviews, with Variety describing it as a clever and charming romantic comedy and praising the chemistry between Mendes and her co-star. That same year, she appeared in another Amazon romantic comedy, Música, which premiered at the SXSW Festival. IndieWire praised the film for its subversion of the musical comedy genre and the chemistry between the leads.

Continued Work (2024–2025)

In June 2024, Mendes co-founded the production company Honor Role with actress Rachel Matthews, marking her entry into producing beyond acting. In August 2024, she was cast as Teela in the live-action film Masters of the Universe, a reboot of the classic franchise, co-starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man. The project represents one of her most high-profile film roles to date. She also serves as an executive producer on Upgraded and Música.

Camila Carraro Mendes Awards

Throughout her career, Camila Carraro Mendes has received recognition for her performances. In 2017, she won the Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer for her debut role in Riverdale. This early accolade highlighted her ability to make an impact with her first major screen performance.

Award Wins Year
Teen Choice Award for Choice Scene Stealer 1 2017

Camila Carraro Mendes Personal Life

Mendes was born and raised in the United States to Brazilian parents, and she identifies as Brazilian American. She speaks Portuguese and maintains connections to both American and Brazilian cultures. She has described feeling a connection to both nationalities, noting how the two cultures shaped her identity.

Mendes has been open about her personal relationships in the public eye. She dated photographer and director Ian Wallace from 2013 to 2017. She subsequently began dating her Riverdale co-star Charles Melton around 2018, and they dated until 2019. In July 2023, Mendes revealed she had been dating actor and content creator Rudy Mancuso for a year. They met while working together on Música. Mendes and Mancuso became engaged on October 24, 2025.