Who Plays Jughead Jones In Riverdale & Which Sabrina Star Almost Got The Role?

Although The CW series "Riverdale" is based on the relatively lighthearted "Archie Comics" series, the show presents a darker, more mature take on iconic characters like Archie Andrews (KJ Appa) Betty Cooper (Lily Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), and Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch).

Another classic "Archie" character adapted for the show is Jughead Jones, who appeared in the original comics as Archie's easygoing, food-obsessed best friend. Though Jughead remains Archie's best friend in "Riverdale," on the show he's presented as a moody outcast who has a history with the local Southside Serpents gang — basically the polar opposite of his mellow counterpart from the comics. This version of Jughead Jones is played by Cole Sprouse, best known for his childhood role as Cody Martin in the Disney Channel series "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and its spinoff "The Suite Life on Deck."

Sprouse took a hiatus from acting in 2011 to pursue a degree from New York University, and outside of "Riverdale," his only recent roles are the lead in the 2019 drama "Five Feet Apart" and another lead part in the 2022 sci-fi rom-com "Moonshot."

While Cole Sprouse played this darker, more pessimistic version of Jughead Jones through six Seasons of "Riverdale," the first choice for the role was actually actor Chance Perdomo, a main cast member from Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."

Another live action "Archie Comics" adaptation, "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" is a supernatural teen drama that centers around the high school life of half-witch Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka). Many members of Sabrina's extended family have ties to supernatural forces and witchcraft, including her English warlock cousin, Ambrose Spellman (Perdomo), who has charge over the Spellman mortuary and is confined to house arrest as punishment for an attempted bombing.

Prior to being cast as Ambrose, Perdomo submitted an audition tape for the role of Jughead Jones on "Riverdale," which so impressed series creator Robert Aguirre-Sarcasa that he actually wrote the "Riverdale" version of Jughead with Perdomo in mind. Though the role ultimately went to Cole Sprouse, the fact that Aguirre-Sarcasa actually wrote the part for Perdomo speaks volumes about his audition — and makes it clear why he eventually secured a major part in "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina."