‘Stranger Things’ Star Shannon Purser Opens Up About Emmy Nomination, ‘Riverdale’ Casting As Ethel

“Stranger Things” star Shannon Purser has a lot of things to be grateful for. Not only was she nominated at this year’s Emmy Awards, but she also played a minor yet impactful role in The CW’s “Riverdale” in Season 1. Purser also made headlines for her portrayal of Barb in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.”

In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 18-year-old actress couldn’t be more grateful for the chance to star in “Riverdale.” She also has only positive things to say about her co-stars. “They’re all super hot. If I had known people like that in my high school, I would have freaked out,” she said.

In Season 1, episode 3, Purser’s character, Ethel, was given plenty of screentime after it was revealed that Veronica’s (Camila Mendes) dad, Hiram (Mark Consuelos), was the one responsible for getting her father in grave danger.

Read: “Stranger Things” Millie Bobby Brown wins big at 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards

Additionally, “Justice for Ethel” also saw Veronica, Betty (Lili Reinhart), Cheryl (Madelaine Petsch) and the rest of the characters in “Riverdale” protecting Ethel. The character’s name was found in one of the football player’s playbook. Luckily, Veronica and her peers were able to remove Ethel’s name just in time.

Meanwhile, Purser talked about her recent Emmy nomination for her outstanding portrayal of Barb in “Stranger Things.” “I am so honored and humbled to be a nominee along with these other amazing actresses. I can’t wait to be at the awards to support ‘Stranger Things,’” she said.

Other nominees in the outstanding guest actress in a drama category include Laverne Cox, Alexis Bledel, Ann Dowd, Cicely Tyson and Alison Wright.

Following her success, Purser became an overnight sensation. She has over 100,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook. The young actress said that she knows the importance of using her popularity to spread awareness for the causes that are close to her heart. Having battled depression and anxiety at a very young age, Purser advocates for suicide prevention and other causes. “I think society has come far within the last few years, but there’s still so much more work that needs to be done when it comes to getting rid of the stigma against people suffering from mental health issues,” she said.

“Riverdale” Season 2 will return to The CW on Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. EST. “Stranger Things” Season 2 will stream on Netflix starting Oct. 27.