Is ‘Riverdale’ Star KJ Apa Married?
At just 24-years-old, KJ Apa has accomplished a great deal in his young life. While starring as Archie Andrews in the CW drama series Riverdale has been one of his biggest achievements, KJ Apa is about to take on something even bigger, fatherhood. Read on to learn more about Apa’s impressive career, his role on Riverdale, and his relationship status, as well as his impending fatherhood.
A New Zealand upbringing for KJ Apa
Keneti James Fitzgerald Apa, better known today as KJ Apa, was born on June 17, 1997, in Auckland, New Zealand. Apa was welcomed into the world by Samoan father, Tupa’i, and his European New Zealander mother, Tessa. Apa’s father is also a Samoan chief. According to IMDb, Apa loved rugby and music as a boy. When he wasn’t on the field with his mates, Apa was known to play his guitar around the street corners of Auckland.
While Apa experienced the typical New Zealand upbringing, things began to change when his mother signed him up for acting classes when he was 16-years-old. Apa quickly landed his first professional role, portraying the character Kane Jenkins on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from 2013 until 2015. Apa’s natural ability and raw talent for acting were quickly uncovered, and he was soon setting his sights on something bigger than the New Zealand soap opera scene.
Setting his sights on Hollywood and moving to the other side of the world
After two years on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street, KJ Apa landed his first big acting gig. Landing the leading role of Archie Andrews on the CW’s Riverdale in 2016 forced Apa to abandon his New Zealand roots and move to the other side of the world. While it was a risk, the move has been quite beneficial for Apa as Riverdale is currently in its fifth season of production.
Along with filming his eventful scenes as Archie Andrews on Riverdale, Apa has landed multiple roles for other productions since leaving New Zealand. In 2017, Apa landed the role of the teenage Ethan Montgomery in the film A Dog’s Purpose. Apa also obtained roles in the films The Hate U Give, The Last Summer, I Still Believe, Dead Reckoning, and Songbird. While Apa has been quite busy in his acting career, that didn’t stop him from finding love through all the chaos.
Fatherhood is just around the corner for KJ Apa
KJ Apa is about to be a father, and this isn’t just some baseless Riverdale rumor either. Apa announced the happy news to his 19.3 million Instagram followers in May 2021. While Apa and the expectant mother, 27-year-old French model Clara Berry, are not yet married, they have been publicly linked since February 2020. Now, after a whirlwind courtship, the young couple is looking forward to becoming parents.
Neither Apa nor Barry has released any further details about their baby. Fans will just have to stay tuned to hear more about the baby’s due date and gender. When the baby does decide to make their grand entrance, Apa will become the second Riverdale star to enter parenthood while filming for the show. Vanessa Morgan, who plays the fiery Toni Topaz on Riverdale, welcomed her son, River, with estranged husband and Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech in January 2021. Let’s hope that Vanessa Morgan and KJ Apa’s kid’s lives are never filled with as much upheaval as the lives of their Riverdale characters have been.
Related: Who Is KJ Apa’s Girlfriend, Clara Berry?
