Early lifeMendes was born in Charlottesville, Virginia,[2] to Brazilian parents, Gisele and Victor Mendes. Her mother is from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, while her father is from Brasília.[4] She moved 16 times growing up but spent most of her childhood in Florida, where she attended American Heritage School, in Plantation. At the age of 10, she lived in Brazil for a year.[5]
In May 2016, Mendes graduated from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, alongside her co-star Cole Sprouse.[6][7][8]. At NYU, she also became friends with singer Maggie Rogers. In 2018, Mendes appeared in the music video for Rogers' song "Give a Little".[9]
CareerMendes' first acting job was a commercial for IKEA.[10]
In 2016, Mendes was cast as "silver-tongued high school sophomore" Veronica Lodge in The CW's teen drama series Riverdale, a subversive take on the Archie Comics.[11] Mendes was represented by the Carson Kolker Organization, later changing to CAA.[7]
Mendes appeared on the cover of Women's Health in December 2017 and Cosmopolitan in February 2018. She made her feature film debut as Morgan in The New Romantic, which premiered at the SXSW Festival in March 2018.[12] In the same month, Mendes joined the cast of The Perfect Date alongside Laura Marano and Matt Walsh.[13] The film was released on Netflix on April 12, 2019.[14]
Personal lifeMendes has stated she has suffered racial prejudice in Hollywood. She reports that when auditioning for characters with Latin American profiles, she has heard phrases such as "You don't look Latina enough". Mendes, who is American but is of Brazilian descent, identifies herself as Latin American. She speaks Portuguese fluently, although she was raised in the United States.[15]
"I really appreciate how these two cultures created who I am. I am a Brazilian of blood, with all the extended family of Brazilians, but I was born and raised in the United States. When I go to Brazil, I feel like an American, and in the United States, I always realize the traits that make me Brazilian."
– Camila Mendes in an interview with People Magazine.[16]
Subject: Camila Mendes 
