From calling Hiram a 'little bitch,' to those epic Core Four clapbacks, Ashleigh Murray dishes on Josie McCoy's 'Riverdale' return!
Don't mess with Josie McCoy!
On this week's all-new episode of Riverdale, Josie and the Pussycats pounced back on our screens for a highly-anticipated reunion filled with moving musical moments and jaw-dropping clap backs.
Who else spit out their milkshakes when Josie, who is now a world-renowned pop sensation, called Hiram a "little bitch" (twice!) in the episode? It seems that Josie's sass has only increased over the years and we are one hundred percent here for it!
Now that the episode has aired, star Ashleigh Murray is dishing exclusively to ET about those The Pussycats spinoff rumors and how she really felt about calling out Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart and Madelaine Petsch's characters on screen all these years later.
ET: Let's talk about this episode! So much went down, and we loved it so much because Josie came back sassier than ever. What was your initial reaction when you found out that you got to call Hiram a little bitch?
Ashleigh Murray: I was shocked. I was like, "Oh, we're there now? We're there." We're just calling people "bitches," left and right. That's cool because if you're going to be a bitch, I'm going to call you one. So, that was great. I couldn't believe that I was going to be able to say it as Josie to Hiram on this network, twice. So, that was great.
We also have to talk about the scene where Josie calls out Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Cheryl for the way they treated her in high school. What was that like for you? When you read that in the script, what was your initial reaction?
When I've read it in the script, I was like, "Dang girl! You've been holding a lot in!" It's a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot. Aren't we grown now? That's the thing. I'm my own person, so when I look at it, I have to take myself out of it. And I have to take my own maturity and my own ability to let things go, away from it, and really fully accept that that is where she is. Doing that scene, it's funny because the episode is so long, so they have to cut things out -- but there are just a few little extra lines that you don't even see her say. She's like calling people out left and right.
What was so funny is that when we shot that scene -- well, actually I think we were just doing the rehearsal of it. But we were going through the lines and I don't think everybody knew what was really about to go down, and so there were bursts of laughter in between each moment. I was like, "Well, you did this, and you did that, and don't even talk to me!" It was very funny. I don't know, I didn't really feel any way about it. It was something that was necessary for her, and that's what I played.
What was one of the lines that was cut from that scene? Was it something about Josie and Archie's brief romance?
No, actually, she didn't say anything about that. But there was a line in there that I wish they had kept quite frankly. I don't know if I can say it, but I'm going to say it anyway: There is a line that Josie says to Kevin that's about Kevin and Archie. I don't think it's in there, but she basically says, "The only two people who don't deserve to get dragged right now are Archie and Kevin, because they're the only ones who have stood by me!" -- or something to that effect.
Aww I wish that line had stayed in there!
Yeah! I do too, because those are the moments that I feel like she's not just angry. She's not just [makes cat hissing sounds] all the time. She can have those moments, and still be level-headed enough to say, "I respect you. I respect you. I'm mad at you for setting me up this way, this is exactly why I told you I didn't want to come, but that's all right." I would have loved to have seen that at least stay in, so you get a taste of Josie that is not just the finger wagging attitude girl from Riverdale.
The end of the episode was really great because it seemed like it was really setting you guys up for a spin-off called The Pussycats. Is that a potential? Could we see these girls on a different show?
I don't know! I don't know. That is not my decision. That's not my apartment. My pay grade is a little bit lower than that, so I don't know. If that's what they want to do, I'm sure we will all find out about it just as everyone else will. But right now, we have a really lovely episode that everybody gets to enjoy and you can. You can dream. You can imagine, "Oh, this is what could happen. This is where it's going to go." They set it up in a really wonderful way, so I don't know.
Would you be interested in playing Josie again, or do you feel like this was a great bookend moment for you and you're ready to say goodbye to this character?
I don't know. I feel like what I was able to do was really fulfilling for Josie, and for me personally. If something new were on the horizon -- I don't know, we'll see it. It depends on what it is, and if it's a story that I feel like is worth telling for her.
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
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