‘Riverdale’ star Bernadette Beck felt like she was there to "fulfil a diversity quota".
The actress – who played Peaches ‘N Cream in the third and fourth season of the Netflix teen drama – has hit out at the way she feels black stars have been portrayed.
Speaking to Elle magazine, she said: "I was made out to be a very unlikable character and therefore, an unlikable person in people’s eyes. "I get it, there’s always a protagonist and antagonist, but I never had much of a story plot or enough character development to even be considered an antagonist.
"I was, for no reason, depicted in a very negative, unattractive light. And I’m not the first Black actress to show up on set, stand there, chew gum, and look sassy and mean.
"I feel like I was just there to fulfil a diversity quota. It’s just to fulfil points."
Bernadette even claimed a director forgot about her during a scene "more than once" during her time on the show
She added: "The director [would] be walking off set and I’d have to chase them down because I had no idea where to stand, what to do – I just hadn’t been given any instruction."
She also commented on how the perception of a breakthrough part can impact future roles and other prospects.
She explained: "If we are depicted as unlikable or our characters are not developed or we’re looked at as the enemy all the time, that affects our public persona.
"What kind of opportunities are we losing out on even after ‘Riverdale’? Our white co-stars are getting all this screen time and character development.
"They’re building up their following, generating more fans, selling out at conventions, and fans have more of an emotional connection with them.
"But if we don’t necessarily get that, and we’re looked at with disdain, what does that do to us and how does that stain our reputation moving forward?"