Shannon Purser's New Role Is No 'Stranger Things'

Just when fans were starting to fall hard for Barb in Stranger Things, the writers of the show — spoiler alert — took her out of our lives. It was one big tease, if you ask me: introducing such a beloved character to so many fans who fell in love with her only to take her away from us so brutally after a few short episodes. The cruelty of that move will never be forgotten in my mind, but there is good news for Barb fans. In response to her huge success in Stranger Things, Shannon Purser is getting a number of roles in upcoming Hollywood projects. And, even though a few of them have been small, the actress who played Barb's upcoming role in Wish Upon will finally give her the screen time she deserves.

Really, it’s about time that this actress stepped out from the shadow of Barb’s ‘80s eyewear and directly into the limelight of a starring role in a big Hollywood project. That’s exactly what Purser is doing with her role in Wish Upon, a project that will put her in the lead, right beside Joey King (the actress from The Conjuring), in this John Leonetti film.

That’s a big step up from the five episodes in which she played Barb in Stranger Things, and an even bigger step up from her role in the Melissa McCarthy movie Life of the Party. As exciting as it may be to see Purser in acting right alongside McCarthy, her part in that comedy is definitely a smaller one. Even though her listing is toward the top for Life of the Party, with other actresses like Gillian Jacobs, Julie Bowen, and Maya Rudolph leading the film, Purser’s role was considerably smaller.

But I’m happy to report that Purser’s part in Wish Upon will take her straight from the corner that’s she’s been sitting in and put her directly in a starring role. Alongside King, Purser will star in the thriller about a misfit who finds a box that finally promises her the life she wants. Not surprisingly that life comes at a considerable cost. That sounds like the perfect role for Purser to me. Especially because it will finally give her the screen time this leading lady deserves.