KJ Apa

KJ Apa
Born Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa
(1997-06-17) 17 June 1997
Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation
  • Actor
Years active 2013–present

Keneti James Fitzgerald "KJ" Apa[1][2] (born 17 June 1997) is a New Zealand actor. He is known for starring as Archie Andrews in the CW drama series Riverdale.[3] Apa also starred as Kane Jenkins in the primetime soap opera Shortland Street and as teenage Ethan Montgomery in the comedy-drama film A Dog's Purpose.[4]

Early life

Apa was born in Auckland,[5] the son of Keneti and Tessa Apa (née Callander). His father is Samoan and a Matai (chief) of his village in Samoa; his mother is a European New Zealander.[2][6] He has two older sisters. He attended high school at King's College, in Auckland before embarking on his acting career.[7]

Career

From 2013 to 2015, Apa starred as Kane Jenkins in the New Zealand prime-time soap opera Shortland Street. In 2015, he was cast as teenage Ethan Montgomery in the comedy-drama film A Dog's Purpose, which was released in 2017.[4]

In 2016, Apa was cast as Archie Andrews in the CW drama series Riverdale after a four-month worldwide talent search.[3]

Personal life

Apa is the nephew of former rugby union player and coach Michael Jones.[8] 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 event was reportedly the result of Apa falling asleep at the wheel after a long shoot the previous night.[9] Apa has stated that he is a Christian.[6]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2017 A Dog's Purpose Teenage Ethan Montgomery
2018 Altar Rock Post-production
2018 The Hate U Give[10] Chris
2019 The Last Summer Griffin Post-production[11]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013–2015 Shortland Street Kane Jenkins Series Regular
2016 The Cul De Sac Jack 6 episodes
2017–present Riverdale Archie Andrews Main role

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2017 Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series Riverdale Nominated [12]
Breakthrough Performance Riverdale Won [13]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Breakout TV Star Riverdale Nominated [14]
2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Kiss (with Camila Mendes) Riverdale Nominated [15]
Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series Riverdale Nominated [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Kiwi-Samoan actor KJ Apa scores lead US role". Suga Magazine. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Jung, E. Alex. "Riverdale's K.J. Apa on His Dye Job, Becoming a Sex Object, and Why He Ships Archie and Betty". Vulture. New York Magazine. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (24 February 2016). "Riverdale Finds Its Archie & Josie: KJ Apa To Topline CW Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 Kit, Borys (5 August 2015). "Britt Robertson, Dennis Quaid join DreamWorks' A Dog's Purpose (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Get to know KJ Apa". Television New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 Morris, Jessica (10 Nov 2017). "KJ's key to success". Salvos Warcry Magazine. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  7. ↑ Jones, Bridget (13 November 2014). "Our little brother the Shortie star". New Idea. Yahoo! New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Gidlow, Steve (9 January 2017). "Everything's Archie for "Riverdale" Star KJ Apa". MediaVillage. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Johnson, Scott (21 September 2017). "'Riverdale' Star in Late-Night Car Crash After Working 16-Hour Day". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  10. ↑ Fleming Jr, Mike (3 April 2018). "'Riverdale's K.J. Apa Set For 'The Hate U Give' As Fox 2000 Reshoots Kian Lawley Scenes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  11. ↑ Paramount’s ‘What Men Want’ Adds Shane Paul McGhie; Forrest Goodluck Cast In ‘The Last Summer’
  12. ↑ McNary, Dave (2 March 2017). "Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One,' 'Walking Dead' Lead". Variety. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  13. ↑ Staley, Brandon (29 June 2017). "Supergirl, Luke Cage, Doctor Strange Win at Annual Saturn Awards". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  14. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (13 August 2017). "Teen Choice Awards 2017: 'Riverdale,' Fifth Harmony Shut Out Competition". Variety. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  15. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (May 3, 2018). "MTV Movie & TV Awards: 'Black Panther,' 'Stranger Things' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  16. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
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