Riverdale actress Bernadette Beck slams the show for not developing black characters

Bernadette Beck is joining her Riverdale co-star Vanessa Morgan in criticizing the CW show for its treatment of black characters. 

The 26-year-old actress, who plays Peaches ‘N Cream a member of Pretty Poisons on the show, spoke to Elle.com, on Tuesday, about her experiences on set. 

‘I’m not the first Black actress to show up on set, stand there, chew gum, and look sassy and mean,’ she said. ‘I feel like I was just there to fulfill a diversity quota. It’s just to fulfill points.’

Beck joined the show in season three, and claimed that despite not having a developed backstory or character development Peaches ‘N Cream was made an antagonist. 

‘I was made out to be a very unlikable character and therefore, an unlikable person in people’s eyes,’ the English actress said. 

Adding: ‘I get it, there’s always a protagonist and antagonist, but I never had much of a story plot or enough character development to even be considered an antagonist. I was, for no reason, depicted in a very negative, unattractive light.’

She went on to say that felt ‘forgotten,’ on set not being given instruction for the scene. 

‘I was completely forgotten in the scene more than once,’ Beck said. ‘The director [would] be walking off set and I’d have to chase them down because I had no idea where to stand, what to do — I just hadn’t been given any instruction.’

She continued to say that on top of feeling her character was merely placed to fill a ‘diversity quota,’ she felt ‘invisible.’ 

‘You can’t treat people like they’re invisible and then pat yourself on the back for meeting your diversity quota for the day,’ the Perfect Soulmate actress said.

She drew comparisons to the lack of depth given to her character to a larger problem of people of color being shown in a negative light on screen. 

‘I didn’t understand when I first got on that show that it meant something for your character to be likable,’ she said. ‘Some people say it’s just a TV show, but I’m thinking about the implications long-term.’

Adding: ‘If we are depicted as unlikable or our characters are not developed or we’re looked at as the enemy all the time, that affects our public persona. What kind of opportunities are we losing out on even after Riverdale?’

Beck said she felt the lack of likable Black characters on the show, allowed for her white counter parts to connect more with fans and get more screen time.    

Though representation and development for people of color was not the only issue she took up with the show. 

Beck claimed that when casting Peaches ‘N Cream, the show sought out a bisexual actress. 

The character was later used in a threesome storyline, which she felt contributed to hyper sexualizing bisexual people off-screen. 

‘When you’re in it, you’re going through the motions and you’re like, “Oh, great, I finally get to be utilized,”‘ she said. ‘But when I saw it all put together, it made my character seem like she was down for anything.’ 

After the article was published she commented on it with an Instagram post, adding: ‘I have remained silent for far too long. We must come together as a collective to hold Hollywood along with our systemic oppressors accountable.’  

Beck’s comments come nearly two months after her costar Vanessa Morgan claimed the show’s writers only used black characters as ‘sidekicks,’ amid pay inequality. 

The 28-year-old actress took to Twitter to air her grievances with the highly-popular CW show. She has played Toni Topaz since season 2 in 2017.

She first spoke out writing: ‘Tired of how black people are portrayed in Media, tired of us being portrayed as thugs, dangerous or angry scary people. Tired of us also being used as sidekick non dimensional characters to our white leads.

‘Or only used in the ads for diversity but not actually in the show.’

Many wondered if the talented actress was referring to working on Riverdale at the time, but Morgan all but confirmed it two days later.

On Tuesday, she wrote:  ‘Lmao too bad I’m the only black series regular but also paid the least [laughing whole crying and clap emojis] girl i could go on for day [frog emoji].’

She also added that Toni was being ‘used as the token biracial bisexual’ on the series. 

Vanessa has no ill will toward her co-stars as she made sure her followers do not attack them on social media for her comments.

She wrote:  ‘My role on Riverdale has nothing to do with my fellow castmates/friends. 

‘They don’t write the show. So no need to attack them, they don’t call the shots & I know they have my back. [heart emoji].’  

One of Vanessa’s most famous co-stars, Lili Reinhart, even publicly showed her support as she replied to that post.

The 23-year-old actress who plays Betty Cooper on the teen drama wrote:  ‘We love you, V. And support you 10000%.’

Vanessa began starring on the show in season 2 as she was promoted to a series regular the following season as her character began a romantic relationship with Madelaine Petsch’s Cherry Blossom.