In reality, she’s a real softie.
In their household, environmentalism and sustainability were huge.
But, consistent with their freethinking hippie ethos, her parents didn’t force their lifestyle on her.
Petsch continues to be a dedicated environmentalist.
“It’s crazy to me that people still use plastic utensils.”
And there’s always some poor kid who’s just strange or different enough to catch their attention.
And through no fault of her own, Madelaine Petsch was the weird kid at her school.
“I was bullied a lot for having red hair,” she said in an interview withStyleCaster.
“They said I was a weirdo or that I didn’t belong there.
Petsch may have largely ditched her accent, but she kept her hair and she got the last laugh.
Little did she know, she was setting herself up for a productive career portraying bad guys.
“I’ve been a villain my whole life, apparently,” she joked toStyleCaster.
There, she found support and encouragement among her fellow theater nerds.
But don’t expect her to go around canceling the leather-wearers and omnivores in her life.
Part of her mission is showing her fans that veganism can be, in fact, fun.
“It’s things like that that make people afraid of being vegan,” Petsch said.
For one, she won’t eat them.
She toldEllethat she maintains a purely plant-based diet, both for sustainability and ethical reasons.
“I get scared about what my children and grandchildren are going to see,” she said.
She has a furry friend at home too.
And then actor Nicolas Cage came into the shop.
“It was like smoke should have billowed in through the door when he came through.
It felt like a scene in a movie.”
Petsch, utterly awestruck, simply lost it.
“I just froze,“she explained.
And I just stopped moving.
He was like, ‘What’s going on?
Why are you crying?’
She’s been working on her acting craft since childhood, and she has a super intense work ethic.
So she’s been working with a therapist to learn how to keep her workaholic impulses under control.
“I don’t allow myself to relax,” she explained.
“My therapist was explaining this to me.
So I feel like that’s something I have to work on: allowing myself downtime.”
For someone as driven as Petsch, doing nothing is really hard work!
But unlike some of us, she’s also a health-conscious lifelong vegan.
So that rules out Pop-Tarts and Egg McMuffins in her morning rotation.
Not only are they loaded with healthy fiber and carbs, but they’re easy to make.
Just mix oats with your choice of milk and toppings and then stick it in the fridge overnight.
The next morning, your breakfast is ready!
chia seeds, unsweetened cacao nibs, and a handful of raspberries.
Mix, chill in the fridge overnight, and enjoy!
In short, she’s a totally different person in real life than the conniving character she plays onRiverdale.
Petsch’s decision to open up about this part of her life to fans was intentional.
Apparently, viewers thought PetschwasCheryl in real life and bombarded her with hateful, abusive messages.
It was not fun.
“I was massively bullied online.
“I was crying in bed every night.”
HerRiverdaleco-star, the late Luke Perry, supported her through this difficult time.
But don’t expect to see much more of herlovelife on her social media.
In 2019, Petsch made a conscious decision to start keeping her love life offline.
Petsch, however, stayed silent.
“I chose not to because that was what felt most authentic to me,” she shared withCosmopolitan.
“Moving forward, I will keep personal relationships like that off my YouTube.”
But she’s also open about the struggles she faces with anxiety and panic attacks.
On top of this, there’s the existential angst of being a serious actor.
“When you’re always bringing other people to life, who does that leave you with?”
she asked when speaking toCosmopolitan.
“I feel like I have to be everything to everybody.
And I don’t know what that makes me at the end of the day.”
Because of her experience, Petsch has become a huge advocate for mental health and the benefits of therapy.
She does killer workouts almost every day
Think you’re too busy to exercise regularly?
Scheduling her workouts first thing in the morning to ensure they get done.
She doesn’t just show up at her workouts; she pushes herself hard.
“I exercise for an hour and a half,” she toldPeople.
“A 2 to 3 mile run, then muscle training.”
