Lili Reinhart On Doing Better

In striving to be an authentic role model, the actress producer prefers to lead by example — by showing that being human means being vulnerable, tender and Raw

- Chelsea Tang

Lili Reinhart runs her buzzy Instagram account seeming to follow a certain subconscious pattern: there are photos of fresh-faced Lili frolicking in nature, smiley Lili coddling her miniature Schnauzer mix doggo Milo and made-up Lili posing at various photoshoots (accompanied by tongue-in-cheek captions).

If not for her name being a household one, courtesy of the American actress’ breakout role as Betty Cooper on The CW teen soap Riverdale (for the uninitiated, a dark remake of the timeless Archie comic series), Reinhart’s life would really be like any other everyday person’s. And even though she’s decked out in a decadent quilted Miu Miu jumpsuit for this cover shoot in Los Angeles, being “real” and “organic”, especially on social media, where her 29 million-strong fanbase resides, is something she considers to be imperative.

“I am, you know, a real Midwestern girl. I love junk food and sitting around outside with my friends listening to music,” she says, as a small chuckle leaves her glossed lips. “I love playing with my dog Milo, who’s like my best friend. And I just love having people over in my home and having good conversation.”

That’s Lili Reinhart. Unapologetically and undeniably. In August 2020, four months after a mandatory quarantine introduced the longest break in the actress’ career since signing on to Riverdale, Reinhart went on a solo road trip to Mount Shasta in Northern California — the famed getaway destination for spiritual healing. There, she hiked up the volcano, and promptly uploaded picturesque landscape shots to her Instagram. For some mental clarity and healing, the caption to the post reads.