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[SpaceWolf]

From the Hollywood Reporter.

The star of Riverdale was involved in a late-night car crash last week after a grueling 16-hour work day outside Vancouver, Canada, prompting the cast and crew of the hit CW show to demand better safety protections during production.

K.J. Apa, 20, who plays Archie in the Warner Bros.-produced Archie Comics adaptation, apparently fell asleep driving the 45-minute trip home after midnight. He was taken to a local hospital for observation and later discharged without serious injuries. His car, however, didn't fare as well. The passenger side was apparently destroyed after striking a light pole, and the vehicle was rendered inoperable.

The crash has ignited a firestorm of protest on the Riverdale set, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The show routinely requires shoots that last until the early morning hours, and the cast and crew are not provided transportation to and from the set. Actor Cole Sprouse, who co-stars as Archie's pal Jughead and is one of Apa's close friends, had apparently planned to be in the car as well that night but changed plans at the last minute. Sprouse, a leader of sorts of the actors on the show, has asked that the Greg Berlanti-produced series provide transportation to castmembers working late hours.

A call between representatives for the actors and Warner Bros. executives is being set for Friday to discuss the issue, according to three sources. (WBTV declined to confirm any such meeting.)

Stay safe, Riverdale cast.

 

[ZeoVGM]

How the hell are they not provided transportation home on 16-hour workdays?

 

[Tagyhag]

Wow, glad he's safe. Sounds like Cole could have been seriously injured if he had ridden with him.

16 hours should just be illegal.

 

[JetBlackPanda]

Southside Serpents probably cut his brake lines?!?

for reals.. come on CW do the right thing for the cast. Safety has to be prioroty #1.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

I thought the stars got on-site trailers and such to sleep in during filming?

Yeah, this is fucked.

 

[TripleBee]

Luckily nobody died.

CW should at the very least pay for cabs if they are going to send people home after 16 hours. Though frankly you are also responsible for yourself and if you are exhausted, i'd hope you'd ask about them providing a cab - and not just hopping in your car and driving off.

 

[chefbags]

They gon get some fucking safe transportation now.

Should have been a priority in the first place.

 

[SRG01]

If this is a Canadian set, provincial health and safety may be coming down on this set hard.

 

[Firestorm]

oh what the hell
I literally just walked by him 15 minutes ago

He looked kinda shaken up and jittery which I guess this explains?

 

[ZeoVGM]

oh what the hell
I literally just walked by him 15 minutes ago

He looked kinda shaken up and jittery which I guess this explains?

You work on the set?

 

[Joni]

Should just invest a bit in drivers Warner.

 

[Firestorm]

You work on the set?

No. I live in Vancouver and the cast is seen often enough around the city.

 

[FullMetaltech]

oh what the hell
I literally just walked by him 15 minutes ago

He looked kinda shaken up and jittery which I guess this explains?

Who wouldn't. Especially after how wrecked the car got. But I agree that cast members should be escorted home if they have to be put through long hours.

 

[Kuro]

CW is still doing this shit? Tom Welling had the same issue when Smallville was running back in the day. They eventually got him a driver after a lot of coercing.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I'm confused on how the majority of responses so far are about making sure he has someone else drive instead of concern over a person working a 16-hour day at all.

 

[lenovox1]

CW is still doing this shit? Tom Welling had the same issue when Smallville was running back in the day. They eventually got him a driver after a lot of coercing.

The fuck? There's cheap and then there is violating health and safety laws and skirting SAG-AFTRA rules.

 

[Boke1879]

Actor Cole Sprouse, who co-stars as Archie's pal Jughead and is one of Apa's close friends, had apparently planned to be in the car as well that night but changed plans at the last minute. Sprouse, a leader of sorts of the actors on the show, has asked that the Greg Berlanti-produced series provide transportation to castmembers working late hours.

Talk about dodging a bullet there.

 

[lenovox1]

I'm confused on how the majority of responses so far are about making sure he has someone else drive instead of concern over a person working a 16-hour day at all.

Actors are entitled to a 12 hour rest period in between calls, which can make shooting certain scenes tricky on a television schedule. Particularly for K.J., as he is literally the center of the universe on his show.

As written, his character would be literally everywhere around town talking to and being involved in the stories of every single person in that town from morning to night across the entire week.