Jemimah Wright explores actress Camila Mendes’ candid admission that years of success, therapy and self-awareness still left her searching for something more, leading her from proud atheism towards spiritual exploration.
Actress Camila Mendes, best known for playing Veronica Lodge in the hit series Riverdale, has opened up about moving from atheism to spiritual exploration during a candid interview on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast.
The 32-year-old actress revealed that despite years of therapy, self-awareness and a successful career in Hollywood, she eventually found herself longing for something deeper.
“When I was a teenager I was an atheist,” Mendes told Shetty. “I was very proud of being an atheist, reading Richard Dawkins.” But she explained that her certainty began to unravel in adulthood. “I was well into my 20s and it wasn’t until I sort of hit rock bottom that I went to Hoffman that things started to change for me.”
Mendes, who rose to international fame through Riverdale and has since starred in films including Do Revenge, Upgraded and Música, said she had rejected spirituality for much of her life.
Mendes, who rose to international fame through Riverdale and has since starred in films including Do Revenge, Upgraded and Música, said she had rejected spirituality for much of her life.
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“It was so funny because I rejected spirituality for so long,” she said. “I’ve been in therapy for almost a decade and kind of hit a plateau. I’ve talked about my problems and rationalised them and I can talk and talk but I don’t feel like I’m healing. I feel like I’m stuck in this cycle of being very aware of what my problems are but not really being able to implement any change.”
She continued: “I need something more. I need a larger purpose. I’m craving something more meaningful.”
She continued: “I need something more. I need a larger purpose. I’m craving something more meaningful.” The “Hoffman” Mendes referred to is the Hoffman Process, a week-long personal development retreat founded by Bob Hoffman in the 1960s. The programme combines psychological exercises, emotional healing practices and spiritual exploration to help participants address negative patterns formed in childhood. Although it includes spiritual themes, it is not a Christian programme or based on biblical teaching.
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For Mendes the experience appears to have marked a significant turning point and she now describes herself as someone who has become open to spirituality after years of proudly rejecting it.
Born in Virginia to Brazilian parents, Mendes spent part of her childhood moving between the United States and Brazil before studying acting at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Alongside her acting career, she has spoken publicly about recovering from an eating disorder, body image struggles and anxiety.
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Her comments highlight something many people recognise: understanding our struggles doesn’t always bring healing. Self-awareness is valuable, therapy can be life-changing and success can open doors, but none of these things necessarily answer our deepest questions about identity, purpose and meaning. Mendes’ reflections are a reminder that the human longing for something “more” ultimately point beyond ourselves. As St Augustine famously wrote: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
Mendes has not professed Christian faith, but her honesty about the limits of self-sufficiency is striking. In a culture that often celebrates autonomy and self-fulfilment, her words echo a truth many believers have long held: we were made for more than ourselves. May she find her purpose, healing and hope in Jesus.
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