Shannon Purser

Shannon Purser rose to international attention with her first screen role as sidekick and best friend to Natalia Dyer's conflicted heroine on "Stranger Things" (Netflix, 2016- ). The Atlanta, Georgia native was working at a movie theater when she decided to focus on acting. She struck pay dirt with her first screen role, the acerbic Barbara "Barb" Holland, best friend to Dyer's Nancy Wheeler. Purser's dry delivery, combined with the character's whole-hearted embrace of her outsider status, endeared the actress to fans and press alike, who were crushed when Barb was discovered dead in the seventh episode after encountering the series' malevolent creature.

The popularity of Purser's character paved the way for more significant roles in major productions, including the perpetually lovelorn Ethel Muggs in "Riverdale" (2017- ), the CW's dramatic take on the venerable Archie Comics series, and a supporting role in "Life of the Party" (2018), a comedy written by and starring Melissa McCarthy.