Camila Mendes Reveals Which Shows She Binged to Prepare for Her Role as a Reality TV Producer in “Idiotka ”(Exclusive)
- - Camila Mendes Reveals Which Shows She Binged to Prepare for Her Role as a Reality TV Producer in “Idiotka ”(Exclusive)
Desiree Anello, Kimberlee SpeakmanFebruary 15, 2026 at 10:00 PM
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Camila Mendes at the "Idiotka" New York Premiere; Camila Mendes in "Idiotka"
John Nacion/Variety via Getty; Utopia
Camila Mendes revealed what shows she binged to prepare to step into the role of a reality TV producer in her latest film, Idiotka, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE
“I was kind of grounding her manipulation in a place that felt honest and well-intentioned,” the actress explained of her movie character
Idiotka hits theaters on Friday, Feb. 27
Camila Mendes indulged in specific reality television shows to help prepare for her latest film role.
To step into the shoes of producer Nicol Garcia in her upcoming comedy, Idiotka, the 31-year-old actress told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the movie's New York City premiere that Project Runway was one of her go-tos.
“But also, the one that we kept referencing for this was The Hype,” Mendes continued, referring to HBO’s streetwear competition series. “I watched that one quite a bit, 'cause, tonally, it felt like this is more DIY reality.”
“We're the cutting edge of reality TV,” she added. “Like, we're trying to do things differently, and that also felt very in line with Nicol's character. Like, we're not those cut and dry fashion shows, like we're doing it differently.”
HBO's "The Hype"
Tobin Yelland/HBO Max
Mendes said she also talked to people who had participated in fashion competition shows in the past.
She quickly realized that many of them mentioned “crazy experiences," where producers would be their “best friend," before eventually becoming “kind of manipulative.”
"Project Runway"
Disney/Spencer Pazer
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Disney/Spencer Pazer
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Disney/Spencer Pazer
“That was a very helpful perspective to have,” Mendes explained to PEOPLE. “So then I wanted to get on the other side of that and think, ‘Okay, well if I were a producer who really took what I did very seriously, like a reality show producer, and I wanted to do my best work, what would that look like?’ ”
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Camila Mendes at the "Idiotka" New York Premiere
John Nacion/Variety via Getty
The Riverdale alum portrays a reality TV producer in Nastasya Popov’s directorial debut. The comedy also stars Anna Baryshnikov as a struggling fashion designer named Margarita, as well as Julia Fox and Benito Skinner as fictional judges on a reality show.
“I was kind of grounding her manipulation in a place that felt honest and well-intentioned,” Mendes explained of her character. “I think ultimately, with the character I play in this film, Nicol, she's really trying to uplift Margarita and give her the platform to succeed. And she's doing that by sort of planting a few seeds and being a little manipulative.”
As for what Mendes loved most about filming the comedy thriller? She told PEOPLE, "The beauty of this project is that we hired so many of our friends."
"I adore Benito, and I've been wanting to do something with him for so long, and I was so happy that he joined the project," Mendes continued.
She also recalled one of her “favorite” moments on set, during which Fox, 36, improvised storming off in her underwear.
“It's an iconic moment, and it makes me burst out laughing every time,” Mendes teased. “That's, like, part of her character's look ... I don't wanna ruin it.”
Idiotka hits theaters on Friday, Feb. 27.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
