Madelaine Petsch

August 18, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Madelaine Petsch was born on August 18, 1994, in Port Orchard, Washington. Her role in “Riverdale” made her a well-known American actor. Her parents are from South Africa and would visit family and friends there every year. As a result, Petsch spent most of her youth and adolescence traveling between the two countries. She’s had a natural flair for the arts since she was a child. By 10, she had been trained in both acting and dance. She began auditioning in her senior year of high school, but her lack of success kept her from the media. In 2015, she had a small role in “The Hive,” a T.V. movie. Then came “Instant Mom” and “The Curse of Sleeping Beauty.” In the T.V. series “Riverdale,” she played Cheryl Blossom, a pampered affluent girl. Her remarkable performance earned her some awards and worldwide acclaim.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Madelaine Grobbelaar Petsch

Birth date:

August 18, 1994

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Leo

Height:

5' 5"

Relationship Status:

In a relationship

Net Worth:

$4 million

Background

Madelaine Petsch was born in the small city of Port Orchard, Washington, U.S.A. Her parents are from South Africa. Therefore, she spent her first 10 years living in two countries. Her parents were always eco-friendly and taught Petsch how to separate garbage and decrease waste. Petsch began dancing at three, then moved to a theater school at five, and finally an art school. After high school, she traveled to Los Angeles and began performing. She was a part-time barista to support herself in the city.

Petsch appeared in a nationwide commercial campaign for Coca-Cola in 2014. A happy Petsch photo was used on billboards, subways, and airplane liveries. The next year she had minor appearances in David Yarovesky’s “The Hive ” and “Instant Mom.” Also, she was featured in Pearry Reginald Teo’s fantasy-horror film “The Curse of Sleeping Beauty.” Petsch was cast as Cheryl Blossom in the adolescent drama “Riverdale,” based on the Archie comics as a wealthy, glamorous girl who had recently lost her twin brother in a tragedy. The series began filming in September 2016. In January 2017, “Riverdale” debuted.

Petsch received the Teen Choice Awards in the Choice Hissy Fit category for this portrayal. Her acting skills were on display in Benny Fine’s comedy “F*** the Prom” in December 2017. As one of the high school kids experimenting with a diabolical camera in Lars Klevberg’s supernatural horror film “Polaroid,” Petsch appeared in the film. Additionally, she is currently filming the independent drama “Last Summer” with Chris Labadie. Madelaine Petsch reprised her role as Cheryl Blossom in the new season of “Riverdale” in 2018, despite the film’s modest $10,000 budget.

Career timeline

2014

She Stars in a Coca-Cola Ad Campaign

Madelaine Petsch is chosen to be the face of the Coca-Cola national ad campaign.

2015

She Features in a Sitcom

Petsch features in the episode "Gone Batty" on the Nickelodeon kids' show "Instant Mom."

2016

She Stars in a T.V. Film

She plays the role of Eliza in "The Curse of Sleeping Beauty."

2017

She Stars in a Supernatural Horror

Petsch appears as Joanne Flame in the supernatural horror thriller “Polaroid.”

Why We Love Madelaine Petsch

She is a vegetarian
Madelaine Petsch was raised as a vegetarian. We could say she has a love for animals.
She has participated in a PETA awareness campaign
Petsch is one of many well-known people who have taken part in PETA initiatives. As a non-profit animal rights group, PETA advocates against four activities in particular: fur farming, industrial farming, and the use of animals for experimentation and entertainment purposes.
She is a hard worker
Petsch has been working as an actor since she was a child. We appreciate someone who dedicates themselves to the work they want to do.

5 Surprising Facts

Madelaine is a variant of Magdalene
Madelaine Petsch has a very interesting first name, being taken from St. Mary Magdalene, and with both Madelaine and Madeline being variations of the name.
Her parents came from South Africa
Petsch is from a family that has roots in South Africa, and she spent the first 10 years of her life in both the United States and her parent’s home country.
She has her own line of sunglasses
Petsch collaborated with Priv Revaux to create her sunglasses brand, which launched in April 2018.
She is passionate about dance
Petsch was just three years old when she first got interested in dancing.
She's really into fitness
Petsch is an avid exercise enthusiast who has done so for quite some time.

Madelaine Petsch FAQs

Are Madelaine Petsch's lips natural?

In an interview with “Cosmopolitan,” the actress remarked that her appearance is completely natural, even though she has the right not to answer such a question.

Is Madelaine Petsch blonde now?

No, but her co-star on “Riverdale,” Lili Reinhart shocked the internet when she posted a photo of her newly dyed blonde hair on Instagram.

How did Madelaine Petsch get discovered?

A director had previously noted her while filming “Legends of Tomorrow” in 2015 and had already assigned her the part. Petsch was cast in a supernatural horror thriller, ”Polaroid,” in 2017.