Camila Mendes is stepping behind the camera — well, sort of.
In her upcoming comedy Idiotka, the actress plays Nicol Garcia, a reality TV producer navigating the chaos of a fashion competition show. And to get into character, Mendes did what many of us would: she binge-watched reality television.
But this wasn’t casual viewing. It was research.
📺 The Shows That Shaped Nicol
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the New York premiere, Camila Mendes revealed that Project Runway was one of her go-to references.
But the show she kept coming back to was HBO’s The Hype — a streetwear competition series she says matched the tone of Idiotka more closely.
“We’re the cutting edge of reality TV,” Mendes explained, describing the DIY, unconventional energy that aligns with her character’s ambition to do things differently.
Unlike polished, traditional fashion competitions, Idiotka’s fictional show aims to disrupt the format — much like Nicol herself.
🎭 Understanding Manipulation From Both Sides
To deepen her preparation, Mendes also spoke to former contestants from fashion competition shows. Many described “crazy experiences” with producers who first built trust, then leaned into manipulation to drive drama.
That insight helped her shape Nicol.
Rather than portraying a villain, Mendes grounded her character’s manipulative tendencies in intention. Nicol, she says, genuinely wants to uplift the film’s struggling designer protagonist, Margarita — even if she plants a few strategic seeds along the way.
“I was kind of grounding her manipulation in a place that felt honest and well-intentioned,” she shared.
🎬 Inside Idiotka
Directed by Nastasya Popov, Idiotka stars Anna Baryshnikov as Margarita, alongside Julia Fox and Benito Skinner as over-the-top judges.
Mendes described the set as a collaborative, friend-filled environment. She was particularly thrilled to work with Benito Skinner, saying she’d wanted to collaborate with him for years.
One unforgettable moment? Julia Fox improvising a dramatic storm-off in her underwear — a scene Mendes promises is as iconic as it sounds.
🌟 A New Shade of Camila
Best known for her breakout role in Riverdale, Mendes continues to expand her range, taking on characters that blur the line between charm and calculation.
With Idiotka, she dives into the messy world behind reality TV — where authenticity and manipulation often sit uncomfortably close.
Final Words
Camila Mendes didn’t just watch reality TV for fun — she studied it. And in doing so, she found the emotional truth inside a character who could have easily been played as purely scheming.
Idiotka hits theatres on February 27 — and if Mendes’ preparation is anything to go by, expect backstage drama, sharp satire, and a producer who’s more layered than she first appears.
