'Riverdale' Stars Leaving After Season 4 Finale: Two Familiar Faces Departing The CW Drama
"Riverdale" has already been renewed for Season 5, but the popular drama on The CW will be without two familiar faces moving forward.
According to TVLine, both Skeet Ulrich, who plays F.P. Jones, and Marisol Nichols, who stars as Hermione Lodge, have revealed that they will not be returning after the Season 4 finale. Ulrich discussed his decision in a recent statement he gave to the publication.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the friendships I've made on Riverdale, and I will miss seeing everyone on a daily basis," the actor said, adding, "I'm proud to have been part of such a talented group of people, in front of the camera and behind. But I've decided that it's time for me to move on to explore other creative opportunities."
After his announcement, Ulrich took to his Instagram to share his reaction to the support he had received since the news was revealed.
"I can’t even begin to thank you all for the unwavering support and love!! It is remarkable and deeply appreciated. I may be leaving Riverdale but my experience over the last four years will never leave my heart. A very special thanks to [showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa] for giving me this opportunity," he wrote with a heart emoji wrote in the post, which can be seen below.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Nichols as she discussed her own departure from the popular CW show, which also stars KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, and Camila Mendez as Veronica Lodge.
"I had an incredible time bringing Hermione Lodge to life and working with my amazing cast, who became family," the actress told TVLine. "We had so many wonderful times together during the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We really do have the best fans ever. I am looking forward to the next chapter and am excited about the future," she then added.
She thanked fans for their support on Twitter.
Showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa additionally confirmed the aforementioned departures. However, his statement has seemingly opened the door for a possible return in the future, hinting that the characters will not die in their final appearances.
"Part of life in Riverdale - and part of growing up - is saying goodbye to people. I'm grateful to Skeet and Marisol for their incredible work on the show these last four years, and we will wish them well on their future endeavors. F.P. and Hermione will never be far from our hearts. And, of course, they're always welcome back in Riverdale," he said.
Prior to the announcement, other members of the cast shared their thoughts about where the overall story was headed as the main characters head towards high school graduation. When speaking about the show's evolution, Mendes told ET, "I think Riverdale is very much a show about the cycle of life, and things growing up, and all of that. So I think it'd be really cool to see them go off to college and grow up and see what they make out of their lives."
As for what's next for the departing actors, Ulrich is set to appear in the upcoming Tom Hanks movie "Bios" and will lend his talents to the Quibi Series #FreeRayShawn. As "Riverdale" Season 4 ends, Nichols will be seen on the big screen in the next installment of the "Saw" franchise, titled "Spiral," due in theaters May 15.
New episodes of "Riverdale" air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.
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