When most people see
Shannon Purser , their first thought will probably be , “ Justice for Barb !” referring to Purser ’ s short-lived character on the first season of the Netflix hit , Stranger Things . For Purser , the thought that this role would become such a big part of the popular consciousness never crossed her mind while filming .
“ I honestly didn ' t think anyone would care about or even remember her ,” Purser said . “ I was especially shocked when people really rallied for Barb .”
It wasn ’ t only viewers that remembered her role . Purser earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her turn as Barb .
“ Being nominated for my first role was overwhelming ,” Purser said . “ I never expected it and I didn ' t really let myself imagine it either because it seemed so impossible . I still can ' t really believe it , even now . I ' m so thankful that people saw something in my performance that they thought was worth rewarding . It really was an honor .”
But that ’ s not the main focus for Purser now . She ’ s got new projects coming out in 2018 . The first one up is NBC ’ s Rise , which Purser said was a truly unique experience .
“ Working on Rise was unlike anything else I ' ve done because we got to combine musical theater and TV ,” Purser said . “ We spent lots of time doing dance rehearsals or learning and recording music . It was a lot of work to have a show within the show , but so much fun and really rewarding . I also got very close with the rest of the cast and had a great time working with them .”
“ I play Annabelle and she ' s just a normal teenager in a lot of ways . She loves theater and performing and really just wants to belong . Things really start to change for her , though , later in the season .”
It wasn ’ t difficult for Purser to slip into the role since it was something she could relate to .
“ I really enjoyed getting to sing with the cast . It brought back memories ,” Purser said . “ I grew up doing plays at school and church and community theater . I think that ' s really where I feel in love with performing .”
Just as Purser was able to connect with her character and the show , she suggested that was one reason why anyone should be able to get invested in Rise .
“ I believe that a lot of people will be able to see themselves in this show ,” Purser said . “ We have a very diverse cast of characters who are all dealing with very real and relatable problems . Rise has a lot of heart and will add to very important discussions going on in our society .”
Surprisingly , that ’ s not the only high school based project Purser has coming out in 2018 . This fall will see the release of the film Sierra Burgess Is a Loser , which will feature Purser ’ s first leading role .
“ Getting to lead was incredible ,” Purser said . “ I truly feel honored that I was chosen and that I was trusted to tell this story . It ' s a pretty big responsibility and a real test of whether or not you can capture people ' s attention . I hope I do .”
“ I feel like I grew a lot as a human and an actor during the filming process . I feel so lucky to have gotten to work alongside some incredibly kind and talented people like our director Ian Samuels and our writer Lindsey Beer .”
The film is a modern retelling of the Cyrano de Bergerac story , featuring romance and a case of mistaken identity . And while she maybe wouldn ’ t go as far as Sierra does in the film , Purser said she could definitely understand her motivations , and found herself relating to the character .
“ I ' d never go to the lengths she did , but I ' ve definitely changed myself for a boy before ,” Purser said . “ There ' s so much pressure at that age to be prettier or skinnier and Sierra seems pretty unapologetic but she definitely has those insecurities buried down inside her . I think I was pretty similar when I was that age . I enjoyed getting to be so authentic and vulnerable and also getting to stretch myself as an actor , especially comedically .”
Like with Rise , Purser said that audiences should find themselves drawn in by how the movie will speak to them about experiences they ’ ve had in their own lives .
“ The movie is just very sweet .” Purser said . “ There ' s an innocence and honesty there that reminds me of John Hughes movies . I think Sierra will really speak to everyone who felt misunderstood or not good enough in high school . It ' s funny and sweet and serious , at times . I really hope people love it as much as we do .”
“ People can expect to probably flash back to their high school experience and remember the awkwardness and the crushes and the heartbreaks . I think people will laugh and maybe cry , too . It really tugs at the heartstrings .”
As for the future , Purser isn ’ t looking to stay in one lane . She hopes to expand her repertoire even further .
“ I want to try a little bit of everything ,” Purser said . “ I do tend to get cast as the innocent , awkward girl , so it would be fun to get to play someone kind of rough around the edges and badass .”
But that doesn ’ t mean she ’ s ready to start locking herself down with projects just yet . For her , it can also be fun to just see where life takes her .
“ After the Rise premiere , I ' m recording an audiobook for an author friend of mine . After that , I have no idea ! But that ' s kind of exciting , isn ' t it ?”
www . clichemag . com 43