While there's a Stranger Things fan theory about Eleven and Hopper and many popular characters on the Netflix show, there's something special about the character of Barb Holland. Nancy's best friend Barb isn't very cool, but her dorky personality and fashion sense have a hipster vibe that fans really liked. When Barb goes to a party that she absolutely hates, she is pulled into the swimming pool and taken to the Upside Down.
It's scary when fans learn that the Demogorgon killed Barb, and people started talking about this on social media, wondering why such a great character had to die. The actress who played this character started getting a lot of buzz, too. But did Stranger Things destroy Shannon Purser's career? Let's take a look.
Shannon Purser Starred In The Netflix Movie 'Sierra Burgess Is a Loser'
Stranger Things fans have waited for season 4 for what feels like a really, really long time, and after Stranger Things, Shannon Purser starred in the 2018 Netflix movie Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a movie that received an Audience Score of 30 percent on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 61 percent score on The Tomatometer.
Shannon Purser shared her thoughts on Stranger Things and told Wonderwall Magazine that it was really nice to see people supporting her character so much. She explained, "I was really overwhelmed by the response to Barb. Stranger Things was my first acting job and I was honestly just so thrilled to be there. I didn’t think people would care about my character, much less rally behind her, so it was amazing and difficult to process. Even now, people send me pictures of them as Barb for Halloween and it definitely blows my mind if I think about it for too long."
In the same interview, Shannon talked about her role in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and she explained that she thinks that the movie has a great message. She said it's an "exploration of the pressures young people face to conform and compare themselves to each other. High school is a time when being different isn’t always nurtured or celebrated, but often shamed and discouraged."
In the movie, Sierra starts talking to Jamey over text message, and Sierra falls in love with him. Of course, he believes that she's Veronica, so it's not a real love match.
Looking at Shannon Purser's acting career after Stranger Things, it looks like it's been pretty mixed. While she won the starring role of a Netflix film, fans have found some parts of it to be an issue. A character lies about being deaf and, according to Global News, Kyle DiMarco, a model, found it offensive. Kyle said, “So one of my close friends’ deaf brother is in Sierra Burgess. When I learned, I was elated. Finally, more deaf actors/representation & ASL inclusion in films…. Only to find out the deaf character was written and used for a terrible joke. PS- pretending to be deaf is NOT ok,”
Shannon Purser Also Starred On 'Riverdale'
Shannon Purser had another great career moment when she began starring on Riverdale as Ethel Muggs, although this has been a fairly small role. In Ethel's most dramatic storyline, she gets revenge on Chuck by working with Veronica and Betty. Ethel was upset that after she was there for Chuck when he was struggling at school, he told everyone that they hooked up, and she was embarrassed.
But while Ethel isn't in many episodes of Riverdale, Shannon was really thrilled to be on the show, and it's sweet to hear the actress talk about it.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Shannon Purser talked about Riverdale and said that given how popular Archie comics have been for a long time, she was so happy to join the show.
She said, "It's so cool! One of my favorite things about TV and movies is that we can take from these very well known and beloved stories and bring them to life. I feel very honored to get to play this character that people already know and are very familiar with. So I'm really excited… You don't want to miss any episodes of Riverdale because so much happens in each one."
Shannon Purser's Other Career Moves
Besides these major roles, Shannon Purser played Megan in an episode of Room 204 called "The Hikers." She also starred in 10 episodes of the TV series Rise as Annabelle.
Shannon's other interesting role was June in the horror movie Wish Upon, which was released in 2017. Wish Upon is about Clare (Joey King), a young girl who is sad about her mother's tragic death and who finds a music box that ends up being dangerous. She learns that she can use the box to make wishes and she can hurt other people, like the person who has been bullying her. But this movie shows that wishing for something might not always be a good thing as trouble starts happening. Shannon was cast as Clare's friend June.
On Shannon Purser's IMDb page, her most recent project is Riverdale and it doesn't look like she has signed onto any other projects, so fans aren't sure what she will be up to next.
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