The Star of Sierra Burgess Is a Loser Is No Stranger to Netflix (Pun Intended)

As hard as it is to believe, Purser only physically appeared as Barb in the first two episodes of Stranger Things. It's a testament to her talents and the character's instant adorkableness that Barb's legacy continues to endure. After Barb is pulled into the Upside Down by the Demogorgon, it feels like everyone in Hawkins, IN, just moves on — and the fans were not OK with that. The #JusticeforBarb meme was born, and it was clear that Purser had arrived.

Purser costarred in the deliciously campy horror film Wish Upon alongside The Kissing Booth's Joey King. In the movie, King's character is gifted a wish-granting music box that comes with deadly repercussions. Things go about as well as you would expect from there, but even though the movie is predictable, it's worth watching to see Purser and King playing BFFs before the Summer of Netflix's rom-com boom was even a thing.

As Ethel Muggs, Purser gets to play one of the most interesting members of the Riverdale crew. In season one, Ethel finds friendship with Betty and Veronica after being slut-shamed by Chuck. She becomes an official member of the gang after that, and is even invited to Jughead's birthday party. Things take a bit of a turn in season two though, as Ethel nurses a vendetta against Veronica and her family that leads to some underhanded maneuvers to make Veronica's life miserable.

Since Purser's characters tend to be lovable underdogs, it's exciting to see her take on a role that allows her to play a character with a little bit of a dark side.

NBC's short-lived musical drama Rise gave the world Purser as Annabelle, a lovelorn, awkward teen. Her character is another "nice girl" archetype that always gets the short end of the stick. Interestingly, Annabelle is the most like Sierra, but in the Netflix movie, Purser finally gets to be the hero. And she might just get the guy, too.