Shannon Purser is all smiles while arriving for the premiere of Tully held at Regal LA Live on Wednesday night (April 18) in Los Angeles.
The Stranger Things, Rise and Riverdale star was joined at the event by former Last Man Standing stars Molly Ephraim and Kaitlyn Dever, as well as Kaitlyn‘s real sister, Mady.
Shannon had a bit of a “pinch me” moment after walking the black carpet for the screening event.
“Every now and then it hits me that this is my life,” she reflected on Instagram. “I get to do what I love and be around people I greatly admire.”
“Today, I got to sit in a movie theater with Charlize Theron (she was sitting somewhere else and doesn’t know who I am, but still) and watch her new movie Tully (which is quite good and you should see it).”
Shannon adds, “A surreal experience in a surreal life.”
FYI: Shannon wore an Eloquii suit and shirt with Aldo shoes.
Shannon Purser looks so cool in her own zine inside the new issue of Heroine magazine, available now!
The 20-year-old actress opened up about Stranger Things, mental health and working during high school. Check it:
On when she knew Stranger Things was a hit: “I don’t know if there was a particular moment when it first hit me. But it was definitely so interesting after the show had come out and wondering whether anyone would watch it…and then being on Twitter and Instagram and seeing people start to post about it all the time.”
On filming the show while she was in high school: “I filmed Stranger Things in my senior year at high school and it was a bit strange. At the time nobody knew what the show was going to be and I loved it. I kind of felt like I had this double life where every couple of days or so I got to be on set and do this amazing thing and then I’d go back to school and I’d have a biology test or something…I think people were intrigued but definitely once the show came out and they realized, ‘Oh this is what she’s been working on this whole time,’ that’s when people started to freak out a little bit.
On using her platform to discuss mental health: “I think it’s ridiculous there is this significant percentage of people in the world who are dealing with mental health issues who are shamed into silence. People speak freely about other illnesses and issues so why should mental illness be this thing that’s shameful or something people can’t talk freely about? I think it just does a lot more harm than good and if there’s anyway I can help, then that’s what I want to do.”
Shannon was photographed by Fabien Kruszelnicki and styled by Courtney Kryston.
For more from Shannon, visit TheHeroineMagazine.com.
How gorgeous does Auli’i Cravalho look?!
The 17-year-old singer and actress hit the red carpet alongside her fellow co-stars at the premiere of her new show Rise at Landmark Theatre on Wednesday night (March 7) in New York City.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Auli’i Cravalho
Auli’i was joined by co-stars Josh Radnor, Rosie Perez, Marley Shelton, Damon J. Gillespie, and Shannon Purser.
Abigail Spencer, Sara Bareilles, Ben Feldman, Casey Johnson, Ted Sutherland, Taylor Richardson, Rachel Hilson, Joe Tippett, Jaime Cepero, Jason Katmis, Sean Grandillo, Rarmian Newton and Ellie Desautels also hit the red carpet.
FYI: Auli’i is wearing a Cynthia Rowley dress and gorjana jewelry. Shannon is wearing a Rachel Roy suit, a Calvin Klein shirt, and Aldo shoes.
Super exciting news for fans who were sad about Barb’s fate on Stranger Things… we’ll get to see a lot more of Shannon Purser on TV!
You might have also seen the actress on Riverdale, but now she has signed on to star in her very own Netflix movie, called Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Shannon Purser
The Ian Samuels-directed flick also stars Chrissy Metz, RJ Cyler, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, Alan Ruck, and Lea Thompson.
The film is “a modern rom-com retelling of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, set in high school. It centers on Sierra (Shannon), an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Kristine) in order to win her crush,” according to Variety.
We can’t wait!
Shannon Purser has only been in the limelight for a few years, but she is already using her platform to speak out about important issues and to reach out to her followers with messages of hope and resilience.
In a new Instagram post, the Stranger Things and Riverdale actress opens up about taking medication for her anxiety and depression, and how it has changed her life.
“I’ve been taking Prozac for my anxiety/depression for several years now,” she writes. “Sometimes I think back on when I first realized that I needed help. I was at the lowest point of my life. I didn’t want to get out of bed or eat. I didn’t want to be alive.”
“The thing I am most thankful for was being able to ask for and receive help. This medication coupled with therapy has completely changed my life for the better. I finally have hope for my future and I wanna be there to see it.”
“Meds aren’t for everyone and that’s okay. There are lots of alternatives and your doctor can help you figure those out! Maybe you have a healthy brain and you don’t need them at all! I suppose I just want this post to reach anyone who feels like they’re alone in their struggle with mental illness. Maybe you feel like you’re weak somehow for needing medication or therapy. You’re not. There’s a whole family of fighters all around you, hiding in plain sight. I know saying that it gets better is a clich�, but it really does.”
We thank Shannon for speaking out and for helping to lessen the stigma around both mental health issues and the medication needed to combat them.
Shannon Purser has a gorgeous singing voice (remember Debby Ryan‘s floored reaction?) and she is putting it to good use this week!
The 20-year-old Stranger Things actress wrote a song yesterday (October 27), and uploaded a clip of it to Twitter for her fans to enjoy.
“I wrote and sleepily recorded a song before I took a nap,” she wrote. “I remember little of it and now I’m going to listen to it, pray for me.”
“Wait this is good,” she realized a moment later. “Ok it doesn’t suck is more accurate.”
It definitely doesn’t.
Start working on your album now, Shannon!
Shannon is pictured at the Stranger Things Binge with Barb at Topshop Oxford Street, London on Thursday night (October 26).
Listen below:
Shannon Purser debuted a stunning candle tattoo this week for a powerful reason.
“Candles have always represented warmth, comfort, and the presence of something higher than ourselves,” she wrote on Instagram. “For me, this is the presence of God.”
“This tattoo brings back memories of my mom burning sweet smelling candles during the fall and winter and of nights spent in prayer and meditation with the candles lit. Thanks so much to the lovely artist, @sophiecestlavie. I love it so much.”
So do we!
The tattoo is of a large, lit candle with wax dripping down the sides, framed by flowers. Shannon did not reveal where the placement is, but it looks pretty large.
“took 3 1/2 hours, but it was totally worth it,” she tweeted.
Congrats on your gorgeous new ink!
