Shannon Purser

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Shannon Purser
Shannon Purser by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Purser in 2017
Born (1997-06-27) June 27, 1997 (age 28)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. [1]
Alma mater Kennesaw State University
OccupationActress
Years active2016–present

Shannon Purser (born June 27, 1997) is an American actress. She made her acting debut as Barb in the Netflix drama series Stranger Things (2016-2025), for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. [2]

Contents

Purser made her film debut in the supernatural horror film Wish Upon (2017), [3] and starred in the romantic comedy Sierra Burgess Is a Loser (2018). She also portrayed the recurring role of Ethel Muggs in the CW teen drama series Riverdale (2017–2023). [4]

Early life

Purser was born on June 27, 1997, in Atlanta, Georgia. [1] [5] In 2016, Purser was attending Kennesaw State University. She formerly worked at a movie theater in her hometown of Roswell, Georgia, [6] but quit in order to focus on acting. [7]

Career

Purser made her acting debut in the Netflix science fiction drama series Stranger Things . She portrayed the character Barbara Holland, an intelligent and outspoken girl, who is the best friend of Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer). Despite her only being a minor character, several outlets called Barb one of their favorite characters. [8] [9] This role brought Purser to international fame, [10] [11] and earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. [12]

Purser portrays Ethel Muggs in The CW's teen drama series Riverdale . [13] In 2018, she played the titular role in the film Sierra Burgess Is a Loser . [14] She had a minor role in the comedy film Life of the Party , which ended up being cut. [3] Purser played Annabelle Bowman, a member of the drama troupe at Stanton High, in the drama Rise, and read the audiobook of Leah on the Offbeat .

Personal life

Purser is an amateur visual artist and musician. She has spoken about living with OCD, [15] and regularly advocates for mental health and anxiety-awareness. [5] In 2017 Purser came out as bisexual. [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Wish Upon June Acosta
2018 Life of the Party ConnieDeleted scenes
2018 Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Sierra Burgess

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Stranger Things Barbara "Barb" Holland 3 episodes (season 1)
2017–2023 Riverdale Ethel Muggs 25 episodes
2018 Rise Annabelle Bowman10 episodes
2018–2019 Final Space Shannon Thunder (voice)4 episodes
2020 Room 104 MeganEpisode: "The Hikers"
Equal Del Martin Docuseries, 1 episode
2022 The First Lady PegEpisode: "Please Allow Me"
2025 Mono Torayo Kurokuma (voice)English dub

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2017 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Stranger Things Nominated [17]

References

  1. 1 2 Radloff, Jessica (August 17, 2016). "Why Shannon Purser A.K.A. Barb Had to Quit Her Movie Theater Job Because of Stranger Things". Glamour . Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  2. ↑ Chaney, Jen (July 27, 2016). "Stranger Things' Shannon Purser on Playing Barb". Vulture.com . Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Gardner, Chris (September 7, 2016). "Barb Takes Hollywood: 'Stranger Things' Breakout Meets Casting Directors and Lands a Movie". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ Osborn, Alex (August 30, 2016). "Stranger Things Actress Shannon Purser Joins Riverdale". IGN . Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Radloff, Jessica. "Shannon Purser Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards". TV Guide . Archived from the original on July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ Mulkerin, Tim (July 29, 2016). "She has worked on the stage for several years, and this was her first TV role. The breakout star from 'Stranger Things' still has a surprisingly normal day job". Techinsider.io . Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  7. ↑ Strong, Mary (August 20, 2016). "'Stranger Things'; Shannon Purser Quits Her Day Job". Inquisitr . Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Coates, Tyler (August 1, 2016). "This 19-Year-Old Unknown Actress Just Became an '80s Cult Icon". Esquire . Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ Moylan, Brian (July 25, 2016). "Praise Barb, Stranger Things' Best Character". Vulture.com . Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  10. ↑ Radlof, Jessica (August 17, 2016). "Why Shannon Purser A.K.A. Barb Had to Quit Her Movie Theater Job Because of Stranger Things". Glamour. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ Hogan, Michael (December 17, 2016). "Shannon Purser: 'People have actually had Barb's face tattooed on their bodies'". The Guardian . Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  12. ↑ Mitovich, Matt (July 13, 2017). "Emmy Nominations: SNL, Westworld, FEUD and Stranger Things Lead Pack, Freshman Hit This Is Us Scores 11 Nods". TVLine . Archived from the original on July 21, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ Evry, Max (August 30, 2016). "Riverdale Cast Adds Shannon Purser and Robin Givens". ComingSoon.net . Archived from the original on August 31, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  14. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (January 5, 2017). "'Stranger Things' Shannon Purser To Star In 'Sierra Burgess Is A Loser'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  15. ↑ Purser, Shannon (May 4, 2018). "Shannon Purser: What I Wish I Knew About My OCD Years Ago". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  16. ↑ Moniuszko, Sara (April 19, 2017). "'Stranger Things' star Shannon Purser comes out as bi, addresses queerbaiting". USA Today . Archived from the original on April 20, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  17. ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (July 13, 2017). "Barb From 'Stranger Things' Scores Unexpected Emmy Nomination". Variety . Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
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