Who’s Mr. Fantasy, and is he really Riverdale star KJ Apa? That’s the query many individuals have after seeing on their social media feeds a singer in a black wig who bears a placing resemblance to the previous Archie Andrews.
It began on Aug. 19, when “Mr. Fantasy” uploaded his first video to TikTok. “Howdy TikTok. Howdy Los Angeles. Howdy world,” the performer posted on the video-sharing platform. Although he didn’t introduce himself as such, commenters instantly declared that “Mr. Fantasy,” who speaks with an English accent, was really Apa, a New Zealand-born actor recognized for Riverdale in addition to films just like the just-released romantic drama The Map That Results in You alongside Madelyn Cline. Yahoo reached out to Apa’s reps for remark.
“Is that this for a present or a film I’ve to know why ur doing this KJ,” one fan commented on Mr. Fantasy’s first video. One questioned if Riverdale was actually this “traumatic” that it led to the existence of the Mr. Fantasy character.
Some commenters are not sure that Mr. Fantasy is Apa. (Mr. Fantasy’s hair and tooth aren’t precisely a match for Apa’s typical look.) However others identified that these two share greater than a passing resemblance: Apa’s tattoos are seen in lots of Mr. Fantasy’s movies, suggesting that these two are, certainly, the identical man. To this point, Apa has not claimed Mr. Fantasy as his alter ego.
Since his Aug. 19 publish, Mr. Fantasy has posted a dozen extra movies on TikTok. In a single publish, he talks in regards to the “room he’s renting” and that he’s “residing with a man known as Blaine.” In one other video, he waxes poetic about “making it” within the leisure business whereas staring out on the Hollywood signal.
And it doesn’t look like Mr. Fantasy’s time on TikTok is ending. On Sept. 2, the musician launched “half one” of a music video for his self-titled first music, which featured Mr. Fantasy in quite a lot of colourful costumes strolling round Los Angeles. The monitor, which has disco vibes and can also be accessible in full on Apple Music, was well-received by many commenters.
“Why is that this music really so good,” one commented. One other added, “I feel this could be in my Spotify wrapped.”
Lili Reinhart, Apa’s costar on Riverdale, even commented on the Mr. Fantasy video with a easy “Oh my God.”
Precisely why Mr. Fantasy is a factor is unclear, but when he actually is Apa, it’s price noting that this isn’t the primary time the actor, recognized primarily for dramatic roles, has explored comedy on-line. In the course of the filming of Riverdale, Apa would repeatedly publish movies beneath the persona “Fifi” — the title of his official, verified TikTok account is even “fifiisqueen.” The Fifi persona, nonetheless, didn’t include a wig.
And Apa has additionally shared music earlier than. Along with singing loads throughout seven seasons of Riverdale, he dropped the indie rock album Clocks in 2021.
“Music has very a lot been my option to categorical myself right here in Vancouver, whereas I’ve been type of caught on a present, the place as a lot as I’m grateful for it, it’s simply totally different,” Apa mentioned in an interview with NME in October 2021. “Whenever you’re on a set and also you’re enjoying a personality for thus lengthy, there’s plenty of guidelines and tips and instructions that it’s important to comply with that you simply don’t essentially get plenty of say in. However music has at all times been, you recognize, the one factor that I’ve full management over.”