The Rising Star: Priah Ferguson's Journey to Fame

The Netflix series Stranger Things would not quite be the same without Erica Sinclar. Many fans of the sci-fi show would agree that her somewhat comedic relief is an indispensable part of the show and what makes it a great show to binge on.

This is largely due to Priah Ferguson’s acting chops.

Priah’s performance as Lucas Sinclair’s (played by Caleb McLaughlin) quick-witted, brave, sarcastic, and tell-it-as-it younger sister gained her notoriety among the show’s fans in Season 2, after which she earned a spot as a full-time actor in Seasons 3 and 5.

Additionally, she is an accomplished voice actor, lending her voice in Hamster & Gretel as Bailey Carter and in My Dad the Bounty Hunter as Lisa.

We might have fallen in love with her on-screen performance as Erica Sinclair, but there is an incredible story behind her rise to stardom. Here is everything you need to know about Priah Ferguson's journey to fame.

Born on October 1, 2006, Priah, an Atlanta native, has had a passion for acting and a fascination for being on screen from a tender age.

She fell in love with acting when she was just 4 years old after watching Daddy's Little Girls and Crooklyn. A year later, she enrolled in acting classes and camps, where she gradually honed her acting skills.

It was not until her pre-teen years that the self-professed acting nerd started taking up roles in short films produced in Georgia.

Before her breakout role on Stranger Things, she appeared in several short films and TV shows produced in Georgia. She first appeared in Suga Water as Young Kai in 2015. Her performance in Suga Water was followed by appearances in Deus ex Machina as Little Girl and Ends as Charlie.

In 2016, she made her television debut on the television series Atlanta, playing the role of Asia on Donald Glover's comedy-drama series that aired on FX Network. She also made appearances on Coffee X Cream and Mercy Street.

In the words of her mother, Adjua Ferguson, it took “old school hard work, talent, and dedication to her craft for years” for Priah to land her breakout role on Stranger Things. About five years after dipping her toes into acting by taking acting lessons, she was starring in one of the most beloved shows on Netflix.

And true to her mom’s words, Priah’s hard work, talent, and dedication to her role paved the way to tremendous success. She was center stage in some of the show’s most iconic scenes, such as the free ice cream for services rendered scene in Season 3.

Her portrayal of Erica in the show endeared her to the show’s faithful following, making her a fan favorite.

Her ability to provide comedic relief with sassy comebacks garnished with wit showed she could carry any scene on her back and make it memorable.

While the world was introduced to Priah on Stranger Things when she was just 10 years old, she was not new to acting. Her journey has been a lifelong pursuit of perfecting a craft she is greatly passionate about.

Unknowingly, she has opened the gates of the science fiction genre to young Black talents while giving the Blerd community a memorable representation in one of Netflix’s most successful shows.