Shannon Purser Dishes on 'Overwhelming' Emmy Nomination and 'Riverdale's 'Intense' Second Season (Exclusive)

The 'Stranger Things' actress opened up to ET about her unexpected Emmy love and how the attention has been 'really overwhelming.'

When Shannon Purser's Stranger Things character, Barb, became a fan favorite, the actress said she was surprised but appreciative of her sudden fandom. When she received a unexpected Emmy nomination last month for her performance in the Netflix series, Purser said the experience was "crazy."

"I'm just so thankful," the 20-year-old star told ET's Denny Directo at Variety's Power of Young Hollywood event, sponsored by H&M, in Los Angeles on Tuesday. "I don't think I would have imagined this in a million years, so I'm kind of just trying to enjoy the ride."


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Purser, who is currently playing Ethel Muggs on The CW's dark teen drama Riverdale, said that the attention and the critical acclaim she's enjoyed so far has been "really overwhelming."

"I think I'll be like, handling it fine and then I'll take a shower and I'll just start crying. Like, it's so much," she shared."But it's everything I've wanted for such a long time. It's incredible."

With the Emmy Awards just over a month away, Purser said she's already started giving a lot of thought to what she's going to wear on the big night.

"We're getting there. I think I have one [outfit] that I've like, got my eye on, so I'm very excited about that," she said.


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"It's so cliché, but it is such an honor just to be nominated," she added. "I mean, the other actresses I'm nominated alongside are incredible, so it's a dream."

Purser is nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, where she's up against Alexis Bledel for The Handmaid's Tale, Laverne Cox for Orange Is the New Black, Ann Dowd for The Leftovers, Cicely Tyson for How to Get Away With Murder, and Alison Wright for The Americans.

Purser's nomination is one of 18 nods Stranger Things earned this year, including nominations for Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series -- for David Harbour's performance as Police Chief Jim Hopper -- and Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, for 13-year-old Millie Bobby Brown's performance as Eleven, a mysterious psychic child.


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While Purser is thrilled for the love she's getting for Stranger Things, she's also excited for the upcoming second season of Riverdale, which she says is going to be even more wild than the first.

"A lot of people thought the mystery was done with finding out Jason's killer, but season two is even more intense," she teased. "There's gonna be a lot of twists and turns, so hold onto your seat!"


Riverdale returns for its second season on Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. The second season of Stranger Things hits Netflix on Oct. 27.


WATCH: 'Riverdale' Season 2 Sneak Peek: Archie's Going 'Darker' -- Plus, Check Out the Season 1 Gag Reel!

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