Getting ‘Stranger’
‘Barb’ actress reflects on road to fame
Shannon Purser, one of the featured guests at the second annual Spa-Con, reflected on her road to fame and its impact on her life during a panel at the Hot Springs Convention Center Saturday.
Purser, known for her portrayal of the lovably awkward Barb Holland in the Netflix original series “Stranger Things,” took questions from panelists and audience members. The panel gave Purser an opportunity to expound upon her role in the series and the opportunities it has opened up for her.
Purser’s interest in professional acting came from performing in theater during high school. She said that theater gave her the means to express herself in ways that were difficult in everyday life.
“Even though I was a very weird and introverted kid, there’s like this layer of protection, almost, when you’re on stage, just like this feeling of liberation that you can be whoever you want to be,” she said.
Purser said that she landed the role of Barb after looking for jobs in professional acting for several years. She auditioned for the role after receiving an email with the character description.
After receiving the part, Purser encountered a change of pace from the theater acting that she had grown accustomed to. She said that TV acting is much more detail-oriented than theater acting, where the performers must “over-perform” to captivate their audience.
“If you’re thinking about your lines and you’re not completely in character, people can tell on screen,” Purser said.
Purser said that she saw her performance in the series as a win-or-go-home scenario.
“I just remember thinking, ‘I’ve been auditioning for years and have never booked a job. This could very well be the last job that I have, period, or the last job that I have for a long time, so I’m going to put my heart into soul into these 10 lines that I have,’” Purser said.
Purser’s performance paid off. Though she was only in a grand total of four episodes in the first season of “Stranger Things,” the buzz surrounding the nerdy and nurturing Barb made the character a fan favorite among viewers, even leading to the creation of the slogan “Justice For Barb” in relation to her untimely death in the series.
“A few weeks later, all of these notifications on my phone just started blowing up,” Purser said. “I was like, ‘What is happening?’ And then the ‘Justice For Barb’ hashtag started trending, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what?’”
Purser said that she and the series’ producers did not think that her character would gain the popularity that she has. There have been reports she will return as Barb in season two of “Stranger Things,” which will air on Netflix Oct. 31, perhaps in flashbacks. She also has a recurring role in The CW series “Riverdale.”
Purser said that her new acting career has afforded her the opportunity to advocate for diversity in body types in the film industry. She said she believes that she can represent people who fall outside of what she described as “size two and traditionally beautiful” characters often seen in Hollywood.
“It’s really important to me that that become less of ‘OK, we have the one curvy character, and the rest of the people my size just be treated like normal human beings,’” she said. “From my perspective, it would be kind of a relief and kind of a beautiful thing to feel like you can relate to someone.”
Purser said that she wants to continue such advocacy.
“At the end of my life, if I was like, ‘Oh, I was an actor,’ and that’s it, I would feel so disappointed in myself if I didn’t use the position I have to help people,” she said. “If there is anything I can do to help somebody feel less alone and feel seen, then that’s very important to me.”
In the TV realm, Purser is enjoying her work.
“Sometimes it’s really hard, and you struggle, and sometimes it’s really easy, and you lose yourself in it, and it’s incredible,” she said. “I love it.”