Madelaine Petsch Shares Her Firsts

Oh God, I don't even wanna say

'cause then people will watch the film.

So, we're gonna [smacks lips]

[clicks tongue] [whistles] See ya.

[upbeat music]

Hi Teen Vogue, I'm Madelaine Petsch

and today, I'm gonna share with you some of my firsts.

What was my first word?

My parents used to tell me this all the time.

It was something to do with my brother.

My first word was something to do with my brother.

'Cause my brother's name is Sean

and I think I would always say,

like, Where's Shah?

That's what I used to say, Where's Shah?

That's what I used to say. Actually, this is so funny

because we were just talking about it.

My first CD was Christina Aguilera.

I remember that I worked really hard to make,

I think it was like $17.99.

I worked really hard to make $17.99 for my parents.

I gave them, like my mom, back massages and stuff

to make the money.

And then I went and bought a Christina Aguilera CD. [laughs]

I remember it so well.

I wanted it before this trip, actually,

before we went on some like, road trip or something

for my Walkman.

What was her first album? It had Genie in a Bottle in it.

It was, wow, and it came out 20 years ago.

We were just talking about that. I think it was self-titled.

It was a,

Genie in a Bottle is still a bop, guys!

It's still a bop!

The first vacation I ever went on

was probably to go visit my family in South Africa,

but I don't remember that.

I think I was eight months old.

So the first one that I remember

was going to Mazatlan, Mexico with my family.

And then we ended up making it like a yearly thing,

where we'd go to Mexico, some part of Mexico.

And I remember I used to love Bingo as a kid, randomly.

Also used to win all the time, no big deal.

The first rap song I ever learned all the lyrics to

was Lose Yourself by Eminem.

You can't ask me to do it, though,

'cause I know that's the next question,

'cause I already did it for the rap party

of season one of Riverdale,

in front of all of the crew and cast

and I embarrassed the hell out of myself.

So we're just not gonna do it again.

[Crew Member] And I was gonna ask you!

I know you were! [laughs]

Oh.

My first social media handle,

which by the way, for you young uns back there,

I am 25 years old, which is very old, I know.

And I had am AIM login,

which you might not even know what that is,

but it was in AOL Instant Messenger

and it was froggyfriend184.

What? Like, I look back on it now and it's funny

because in The Office,

Dwight has like a frog thing next to his,

I don't know if you've ever noticed it,

but he's got like a little frog bumper sticker on his desk.

And I'm always like, yeah, we get it.

Me and Dwight get it.

Me and like six year old me and Dwight get it.

My first job ever was working for my parents.

I don't think I actually really did anything of help or use,

but they let me think I did.

But my first job when I moved to LA

was assisting a headshot photographer

and doing all of her retouching,

which was a fantastic job

and it taught me a lot about being behind the camera

and all the ins and outs.

I think then first Red Carpet I ever attended

was The CW Upfronts, which is absolutely bizarre,

but for the first season of Riverdale.

I might've gone to like, maybe a Maybelline launch

or something before that,

but I think the first big carpet I did was The CW Upfronts,

which is very big for my first carpet.

My first best friend was this other redhead

in my small town named Elizabeth,

and we were literally attached at the hip

and we, it's,

I even wonder where she is now, actually.

If you're out there, let me know.

First time I ever embarrassed myself.

I embarrass myself on the daily.

There's no first time.

I am like a walking embarrassment

half of the time when I open my mouth,

so I probably embarrassed myself six times today

and I don't even realize it, whatever.

I was like eight years old

and I peed my pants in front of my friends.

Whatever, like we all do it, right?

Not anymore, obviously,

but like back in the day.

I peed my, okay I peed my pants when I was eight years old.

I didn't, I thought the bathroom wasn't working,

there was someone there and I had to go

and it just, I let it out at my friend's house.

Sorry.

My first job in show business,

other than being a personal assistant to a photographer,

I actually used to do something

called brand ambassador work.

If you've ever seen somebody on the street

handing out free samples or something,

I did something like that

but there was a whole online forum for it.

And so I ended up working as a production assistant

on one day of Master Chef Junior, randomly,

which is how I met Gordon Ramsey and now we're like friends.

No big deal. [laughs]

[crew member laughs] And like, it was crazy

because we did a YouTube video together

very recently, like in the last year

and I told him that story and he's like, That's so cool!

I was like, Yeah, no big deal.

The first time I was recognized in public was crazy

because it kinda came outta nowhere.

I was at The Grove,

which is one of my favorite places in LA,

and this group of young girls

started screaming, Madelaine Petsch!

and I was like, They don't,

this can't be me, like there's gotta be

another Madelaine Petsch here or something.

And then I turn around

and there's a hoard of like 15 young girls

like Terminator-running at me.

And it was like, what do I do?

I was like, okay, I'm just gonna hold my arms out

and they can all hug me or something. It was so awkward,

I was probably more nervous than they were

'cause I didn't even know what to do.

But I think it was cute and I'm sure they know who they are.

[laughs] I was such a weirdo when that happened.

What was my first thought when I woke up this morning?

I have to take my dog for a walk.

That was truly my first thought.

Gotta take Olive out.

The first app I check or go into

is actually an app called Elevate.

I don't know if you've ever heard of it

but it's a way to kind of stimulate your brain.

I don't like to go onto Instagram immediately.

I like to do something that's gonna make me wake up more

and use my brain.

So it has five different levels that you do every day,

and it's like writing, math, spelling,

and it quizzes you on stuff

and it kind of gets your brain going.

So I do that once a day for about 20 minutes.

Not sponsored.

Oh man, I don't even know the answer to that.

Somebody from my small town

who doesn't need a shout out, I'm sure.

So, we'll pass on that one.

If I won a billion dollars,

the first thing I would do is legitimately got to the ASPCA

and donate a large majority of it to that.

They're a fantastic organization.

My first audition was for a UCLA student film

and I bombed it.

I remember I went in

and I had to be this like confident, sassy girl,

and I walked in and I was like,

I got this, I'm confident, I'm sassy.

All went out the window when I walked in, terrified.

It was like a bunch of students in college

who like, by the way, weren't mean.

They were very kind.

But, you know,

I don't know if you've been to an audition,

but when you're there, sometimes,

they kind of write you off, like right when you walk in.

And so they weren't really looking at me.

They had already decided I wasn't for the role

and you can feel that energy

and it makes you really insecure in the beginning,

especially in the beginning of your career.

And I was supposed to sit down confidently in the scene,

like in a chair halfway through

and I completely missed the chair and I fell on the floor

and I kept just doing the scene, sitting on the floor,

which now, in retrospect, I should've just gotten up

and started the scene over again.

But I just kinda kept to it and stayed committed

and then they said thank you halfway through the scene

and I left.

Look at me now, UCLA!

Aww, my first pet was this really cute

black and white cat named Mika

and I don't even know what happened to her.

I'm sure she probably died but my parents didn't tell me.

[laughs] You know, like it was one of those things

where I was like, Where's Mika?

And they were like,

Oh, she ran off to live with another family.

And you're all laughing 'cause you get it.

Like, I'm sure your parents told you

that [beep] too. [laughs]

But honestly, I have no idea what happened to her.

I'm sure she's somewhere living a really good life.

The first thing I'd do on a day off.

I don't love days off, which is a weird thing to say.

I'm very into self-care, even on days that I am working.

So on days off, I just get ancillary work done

or business stuff, like answer emails and stuff.

I don't have an assistant, I do everything myself.

So I just get all that done,

or I'll edit a YouTube video.

That's fun for me.

Read a script.

I love work, so, boring.

I'm actually wearing it right now.

My first big splurge was this rose gold Cartier ring.

I now buy myself one at the beginning of every season

to have something that I can remember.

I called my mom, I was super nervous to buy it.

I was like, this is a big investment, should I get it?

And now it's kind of nice to look down

and it feels like I've got things

that remind me of where I came from,

and it's a little thing that I do for myself ever year.

I don't buy a lot of stuff.

I don't really splurge too often,

but it's nice to have those little things

that remind me of where I came from and where I'm at now.

I'm 25 years old, that was a long time ago.

What do you expect from me?

I mean, the first movie that made an impact on me,

I'm gonna change the question,

was Harry Potter, talk about it all the time.

I'm actually wearing Harry Potter socks right now.

I'm not gonna show you, but I have,

Ron Weasley's on my right ankle

and Harry Potter is on my left.

Not kidding.

My first role model was my mom.

I know that's kind of maybe a cop out answer

or you probably expected somebody else, I don't know.

But my mom is just like,

the most selfless and amazing human being on the planet.

I don't think I'd even know where my head was

if I didn't have my mom. She just keeps me grounded

and she's just the most phenomenal woman.

I could gush for hours.

That's still my role model, honestly.

The way she loves, she's so unconditional

and she's so forgiving.

She's just beautiful.

Oh my God, I remember this so well.

The first makeup I ever bought was that,

was it Covergirl or Maybelline,

the Dream Matte Mousse? Do you know what I'm talking about?

That stuff in the weird little pot

and I was convinced it was like the best foundation ever.

And I would cake it on my face

and it was probably three shades too dark for me,

and it was probably a disaster.

But I so specifically remember putting that on

with a weird brush.

I don't think I had any idea what I was doing,

but I still think I probably have that somewhere.

That's gross.

The first book I ever read.

My mom used to read to me as a kid, Harry Potter,

and so, probably that,

probably was the first book I ever read.

Gee, do you wonder if I'm obsessed or not?

This was so fun, reminiscing about memories

I can't really even remember.

But thanks for having me, Teen Vogue!

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