In 2011, Cole Sprouse decided to go to New York University with his brother, Dylan Sprouse, and take time off of acting. So, why get back into it now, a year after graduating? Well, that’s why… plus, the script.
“I graduated college. I had enough time to breathe and integrate myself into a real social setting,” Cole, 24, told HollywoodLife.com at the Television Critics Association’s Winter press tour. “It was absolutely necessary. I think anyone else who is in my position, who has worked since childhood in entertainment, should deeply consider college, and I recommend it wholeheartedly to almost every other person.”
Cole, who is taking on the role of Jughead in The CW’s dark twist on the Archie comics Riverdale, also revealed that he gets asked a lot about other child stars and how they grew into adult actors. His advice? Just do it however it’s right for you.
“There is no right way to do it. You do it the way it makes sense to you in the moment,” he said, adding that every situation is different, even his and Dylan’s. “A lot of questions I get are like, ‘Do you approve of Miley [Cyrus]‘ representation?’ And I think that’s ludicrous! She’s done it in a way that makes sense to her, and I have respect for someone who’s done it like that.”
‘Riverdale’ Season 1 Photos
“If some of your formative years are spent expelling all of the steam that you’ve gained within your engine, then you do it that way. I love college, I personally recommend college; you step away for a bit, and it’s an intellectual discussion,” Cole told us. “You get to internalize and externalize a lot of these deep issues in an academic environment. You simultaneously include yourself within a social environment, one that’s sort of directed by the culture you live in. That clarifies who you are as a person, and it’s really important.”
As for when to get out of the spotlight, he echoed those feelings: when you feel like it. “It doesn’t matter if you think your career’s gonna suffer by taking a break. If you think you are not having fun and being happy, that is all that really matters,” he said.
Of course we had to also ask about one of his first roles, playing Ben Gellar in Friends. Cole admitted he isn’t too familiar with the show, but based on what he has seen, today Ben would probably be “dealing with all the stuff that his dad put him through! Ross was kind of a sketchy character, so who knows!”
Riverdale premieres on Jan. 26 at 9PM on The CW.