Priah Ferguson got her first big break on the Duffer Brothers’ hit series, Stranger Things. With the show now over, she is reflecting on her time on the series and what the experience meant to her.
In an interview with Atlanta Magazine, the Atlanta native opened up about the role that shaped much of her childhood.
“I have so many memories of working on Stranger Things,” Priah told the outlet. “I loved making the trips to the crafts table with Joe Keery and Maya Hawke. They’d have coffee and I’d get a Coke. Being in the hair and make-up trailer was always fun. We’d sing songs from Hamilton. We’d always play games while waiting for the next shot to be set up. It was so much fun. There are a lot of different memories.”
Stranger Things officially came to an end with the release of its fifth and final season, which premiered on Netflix in late 2025 and concluded with the series finale on December 31, 2025. The final chapter marked the end of the series after a nine-year run that began in 2016.
Ferguson first appeared on the series in Season 2, joining the cast at age 10 as Erica Sinclair. Now 19, the actress said the experience left her with lifelong memories.
In her interview, Priah said that filming the final season of the hit series was emotionally “tender” for her.
“It was certainly a tender moment for me. This show has been a part of my life for a decade. After we wrapped each season, I always had this anticipation to see what Erica might contribute to the arc of the story,” she said.
The Daddy’s Little Girls actress added that not being able to feel that anticipation again made the ending especially emotional.
“It feels emotional because I’m wrapping up my childhood,” she said.
Despite the weight of the final season, Ferguson said there was not one specific moment that stood out as the most difficult to film.
“Not really. Our ultimate goal was definitely to tell this story one last time. We all had this energy to do it right and an excitement to tell the story. But as everyone was wrapping up their final scenes and days, there was a countdown. It became more emotional. The energy kind of shifted and it became more sad.”
When asked about the biggest lesson she took from the show, Ferguson pointed to the importance of cast chemistry.
“Just how important the chemistry of the cast is. We all came together to tell a great story. I loved the momentum we created and want to bring it to other projects as an actress, I just get really excited to tell a great story as an actress and put it all out there,” she recalled.
Ferguson also shared why she believes Stranger Things resonated with viewers.
“The show speaks to people of all ages. People who grew up in the 80s, like my mom, would come on set and point out things that she had in her house growing up. It also speaks to Gen Z. I know a lot of people who I grew up with love it because it portrays so many different characters from so many different backgrounds. A lot of people related to that. They grew up with the show and with these characters. I think that’s why it speaks to so many different people. They saw us transition from youth to teenagers and all of the different emotions that involved. People related to it,” she said.
