Cole Sprouse Opens up About Skeet Ulrich’s ‘Riverdale’ Exit
As fans know, Riverdale will be down one Forsythe Pendleton Jones in Season 5.
Before the CW drama ended its fourth season early, it had already been announced that at least two actors — Skeet Ulrich (FP Jones) and Marisol Nichols (Hermione Lodge) — would not be returning. And recently, Ulrich revealed why he decided to leave after four seasons in an Instagram live. “I got bored creatively,” he shared with his fans.
“It’s easy as an actor, especially on a long-term project, to start feeling like creatively you’re repeating the same motifs,” Cole Sprouse, who plays Ulrich’s character’s son Jughead, told Variety. However, he added, since his character was “much more prominent,” “to compare and contrast our two positions is sort of fruitless.”
But Ulrich’s decision to leave the show has no effect on the actors’ relationship. “Skeet’s truly a second father to me, so I’m ride or die for that guy,” Sprouse said. “Anything that makes the guy happy is something that makes me happy. … It’s up to him, and I can tell he’s super happy, and that’s all that really matters.”
(Colin Bentley/The CW)
Like the rest of Hollywood, Riverdale‘s return to production is “up in the air,” the actor added. The series shut down with three episodes still left to shoot, and those will kick off the already picked-up fifth season. (Right now, that’s set to premiere in January 2021.) After, there will be a time jump, which will likely cover the kids’ college years and more easily allow for an explanation for FP and Hermione’s absences.
Riverdale, Season 5, January 2021, The CW
