Ashleigh Murray loves playing Josie McCoy on Riverdale. But there's one part of being famous that she doesn't love — being confused with other young Black actresses.
In an interview with Teen Vogue's Gabe Bergado, Murray said she's often confused for black-ish star Yara Shahidi. And she also pointed out that confusion like that happens way more often to people of color.
It's something that I have dealt with for a while," Murray told Teen Vogue of being confused for other people. "I noticed it when I first started working. Even in commercials, my friends or friends of friends would tag me in photos and be like, Oh my God, is this you? It's the most random other Black girl. It doesn't look anything like me, we're not even the same age."
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Murray went on to explain why situations like this shouldn't be written off as harmless mistakes.
"There's always this underlying perception and that joke of, every Black person looks alike. You can label that for any race, but it tends to happen a lot with people of color," Murray told Bergado. "Specifically, with Black women. It's just unnecessary. People aren't confusing Madelaine with anyone else, or Lily, or Cole, or K.J., or anybody. I think it's something that needs to be talked about and pointed out."
She makes a great point. Her fellow Riverdale cast members aren't being confused with other people. And it's important for Murray to be recognized for her accomplishments.
"We are not all the same," Murray told Teen Vogue. "If you care that much, if you're that invested in us as artists and the changes that we're trying to make and the work that we're putting out there, then at least give us the same decency and respect to know that I am not Yara Shahidi and never will I be."
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