Madelaine Petsch Biography

Madelaine Petsch is an American-South African actress best known for her breakout role as Cheryl Blossom on The CW’s hit series Riverdale, which aired from 2017 to 2023. Born in Port Orchard, Washington, she spent her early years traveling between the United States and South Africa, where her parents are originally from. Madelaine began dancing at the age of three and moved into theater classes by five, later attending Tacoma School of the Arts before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time.

After an early national campaign for Coca-Cola in 2014, Madelaine booked small roles in projects such as the horror film The Hive and the TV series Instant Mom before landing Riverdale, a dark, modern take on the Archie Comics universe. Her performance as the sharp-tongued, emotionally complex Cheryl Blossom quickly made her a fan favorite and earned her honors including Teen Choice Awards and an MTV Movie & TV Award for her scene-stealing work. Building on that visibility, she developed a reputation as a contemporary "scream queen," starring in genre films like The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, Polaroid, Sightless, Jane, and The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024), The Strangers: Chapter 2 (2025) and The Strangers: Chapter 3 (2026), often taking on producing roles as well.

Beyond acting, Madelaine has cultivated a significant online presence through her YouTube channel, created to show fans a more personal side of her life and creative process. She has also branched into fashion and beauty collaborations, including a sunglasses collection with Privé Revaux, and has used her platform to advocate for environmental consciousness, a value instilled by her eco-minded parents.