Riverdale's Drew Ray Tanner Spills on Co-Stars & Graduation Episode

Hello. Hello. How's it going?

It's going really well. How are you?

I like the pink shirt.

Oh, thank you. You know, it's uh it's a little um depressingly uh overcast in Vancouver today. And if you could see outside, it's not looking the best, but I like to bring the warmth and you know, a little bit to this interview and whatnot. I think that's the way to go.

Congrats on season 5.

I appreciate that. Thank you.

Have you been watching?

Yeah. Yeah. Uh we've had two episodes so I'm keeping I'm keeping up to date with it. I'm excited for tomorrow's episode though.

Why?

Um it's it's the final day of high school.

Were you sad when you filmed it?

Yeah, I was. I was. I kept on going around and telling people, I'm like, guys, like This is the last night. I don't I don't think you guys realize this is the our last time playing high school students. I mean, it's appropriate. I'm almost turning 29. It's about time.

It's about time you're out of high school.

Yeah, I didn't want to say anything, but, you know, that's how I feel.

What is the most similar Did you you went to real high school, right?

Uh yeah, I did. Yeah.

Okay. I just make sure usually actors sometimes do it online. What is the similarity between your high school experience and Riverdale?

There there was a lot actually. I mean, Riverdale it exists in this heightened reality universe. Um you know, there was not as much murder in my in my high school days. There was probably You know, probably a good thing. Um just like, you know, relationships, that kind of thing, the drama that's behind certain couples and that kind of stuff. Young love was a very real thing in in my life. You know, my my very first girlfriend, I thought we were going to marry each other. Yeah. Yeah. We we were talking about university and college and graduating and what that was going to look like and how we were going to navigate it and all of that is very real in these last few episodes of uh Riverdale for the high school uh segment. And um that I really resonated with. Yeah, sorry to ramble on about that. Yeah.

Oh my God. You're good. And it's probably interesting because not a lot of people can relive high school twice. In like a written world and then a real world, so that's cool for you.

That's true. That's true.

Okay, we're going to play a little game because it's going to be fun, okay?

Okay.

So this is first impression. Well, before before we do that, let me ask you, is is was your high school experience anything like what you see on the show?

Yeah, same thing with you. It's like the relationships and talking about like what's going to happen in the future. The only thing is that I switched to online school in 10th grade. So, but ninth and 10th grade were very much and then no murder, of course. So.

Okay, okay.

First impressions game. So basically, I'm going to read off some of your cast members and you're going to say what you remember is maybe your first interaction with them. And your first impression of them. Does that make sense?

This is dangerous, but yes. Yes. What's true.

Okay, first one. First impression in what you remember saying to Cole Sprouse?

I think my first impression was that's the that's the guy from Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. I think I remember being like, I love that movie as a kid. I I never I was actually a little too old to remember Zach and Cody, like I didn't watch it. I stopped with like That's So Raven. That's where I stopped watching like those types of shows. And so I didn't know him from that, but my first impression was I was coming in I had like one line that day. Yeah. And he rehearsed with everyone in the scene. He he took everyone away and we all rehearsed the scene and I only had one line. So I shouldn't have even been there, but I felt so accepted. I was like, whoa. First of all, I've never had like a you know, a main character on any project rehearse anything beforehand like that. especially with somebody who's just was being a day player. So my first impression was extremely professional, very artistic, um and very intelligent.

That's so cool too. Because like he has been in it forever and he still acted like just like totally

He brought me in. He said, yeah guys, let's do the scene and and let's get let's get it right before the cameras roll and I was just I was not expecting that. okay. I was like, oh yeah, yeah, sure. I'll I'll do whatever you need. Down.

Okay, first impression of Lily.

First impression of Lily. Yeah. Um, I think I was wondering how they achieved the ponytail. So flawlessly. Yeah. I was like, there's no way that thing is real. You know what I mean? Like there's no thing that there's no way that that thing is real. So it's going every time. Right. And and the the ponytail really exposes the face, you know, it really draws back everything. I thought she was super sweet. Uh and very warm. And uh yeah, that was my first impression though was just, you know, there's a lot of effort going into this ponytail.

Uh, first impression of, let's say, Vanessa Morgan.

Vanessa Morgan. Um, first impression of Vanessa, super uh it was interesting because she had sort of I think this was like my first sort of uh realizing the the the colossal nature of Riverdale by being on set was my first scene was with her, Cole Sprouse, and uh Jordan Connor. And um, we were getting ready in the makeup trailer and again this is my very first day. I don't really know anyone. I'm not really saying anything, but her and I traveled in um in the same car to set. Okay. And we were on location and when we got there, there was like 50 kids outside waiting to see some of the people filming. And people instantly recognized her and she waved at everybody and she said hello and my first impression was hey, I didn't know you were famous like this. And B, uh you're so humble and you're handling this so well. Yeah. And I looked up to that. I was like, that's really cool. That I'd never really seen a group of people hanging outside of a location to say hello to someone. Right. And they were screaming her name. It was like pandemonium. And I was like, you're handling this like a chef. I thought she was a class act. And uh and also very talented as well.

That's so sick. Nothing but high things to say about your cast members, which is great.

For sure. I was, you know, you're at like first impressions are always going to be good because my experience was always one of gratitude. I came in, I was only supposed to be in like two episodes. And I really was like going to be there, do my thing and leave. I wasn't expecting to stick around. And so, you know, I came in with that. I didn't really step on any toes. I didn't, you know, overextend my my welcome. I just was there as a fly on the wall, it felt like. And so I got to experience people in some really good environments. Yeah.