Priah Ferguson Parents: Meet Her Mother and Father
Priah Ferguson’s parents are Adjua Ferguson and John Ferguson, two creative professionals with backgrounds in graphic design, art direction, and entrepreneurship. Their daughter is best known for playing Erica Sinclair in Netflix’s Stranger Things. The family also includes Priah’s younger sister, Jayda Ferguson.
Both parents supported Priah’s interest in acting during childhood, helping her explore local theater, acting workshops, and professional auditions. Their creative influence also extended into Bold Honey, a production platform founded by Priah to support storytelling by young women and girls of color.
Priah Ferguson Parents and Family: Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Mother | Adjua Ferguson |
| Father | John Ferguson |
| Mother’s Profession | Graphic designer and entrepreneur |
| Father’s Profession | Art director and design professional |
| Younger Sister | Jayda Ferguson |
| Family Hometown | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Mother’s Business | P.J. Tuttles Party Decor & Cakes |
| Father’s Documented Employer | Work & Co (2022) |
| Family Creative Project | Bold Honey |
| Famous Family Member | Priah Ferguson, actress known for Stranger Things |
Who Are Priah Ferguson’s Parents?
Priah Ferguson grew up in an Atlanta family with professional connections to visual art, design, and creative entrepreneurship. Her mother, Adjua, developed a career in graphic design before launching a children’s party-decoration business, while her father, John, worked in advertising and digital product design.
Their identities are supported by the family’s own published interviews. In June 2012, Adjua identified John as her husband and named their daughters Priah and Jayda. A decade later, John discussed his design career and his involvement in a creative company founded by Priah.
These accounts provide a documented picture of the Ferguson family’s professional background. They also help explain the creative environment in which Priah developed her interest in performing arts, without assuming that her parents’ careers directly determined her success.
Who Is Priah Ferguson’s Mother, Adjua Ferguson?
Adjua Ferguson is a graphic designer and entrepreneur associated with Atlanta, Georgia. She developed professional experience in commercial design before starting a business focused on decorative products for children’s celebrations.
In a June 4, 2012, interview with Inspired by Savannah, Adjua explained that she had worked as a professional graphic designer since 1999. Her previous projects involved brands including Kodak, Newell Rubbermaid, and Jerzees.
After losing her design job while expecting her second daughter, she began exploring ways to work independently. Her experience in marketing and visual design eventually became the foundation of a business that combined children’s party products with original character illustrations.
Adjua Ferguson’s P.J. Tuttles Business
Adjua established P.J. Tuttles Party Decor & Cakes, a business creating themed decorations featuring characters representing girls of color. Its products included party invitations, banners, bottle labels, coordinated decorations, and cakes.
During her 2012 interview, she explained that the idea emerged while shopping for birthday decorations for her daughter. She found relatively few designs featuring girls of color and decided to create her own alternatives using her graphic-design skills.
After sharing photographs of the decorations online, Adjua began receiving orders and expanded her products through Etsy and Big Cartel. The project reflected both her entrepreneurial interests and her desire to provide more representative options for children’s celebrations.
These details describe her documented business activity in 2012. The original interview does not establish whether P.J. Tuttles is still operating or whether Adjua currently works in the same professional capacity.
Who Is Priah Ferguson’s Father, John Ferguson?
John Ferguson is an Atlanta-based creative professional whose documented experience includes graphic design, art direction, advertising, and digital product design. He developed an interest in visual creativity during childhood and later pursued professional opportunities in the design industry.
According to a June 1, 2022, Muse by Clios interview, John was working as a design director at Work & Co. He had joined the digital design agency in the summer of 2020 and was associated with its Atlanta office.
Before Work & Co, John worked with agencies including Ogilvy, Razorfish, Huge, and SapientNitro. His experience covered commercial advertising, creative direction, and projects involving digital products and visual communication.
In the interview, John also discussed attending a performing arts program during high school before developing an interest in desktop publishing and graphic design. His professional background therefore includes both performing arts exposure and years of work in visual storytelling.
John Ferguson’s Black Bauhaus Mvmt
Alongside his agency work, John founded Black Bauhaus Mvmt in 2017. The creative initiative drew inspiration from the Bauhaus art movement and elements of Black cultural history.
In his Muse by Clios interview, he explained that the project focused on diversity, education, and mentorship for underrepresented communities within the design industry. It represented an opportunity to pursue creative interests beyond his regular agency responsibilities.
John also worked with Priah on Bold Honey, a separate creative production platform. His documented role as its creative director connected his professional design experience with his daughter’s growing interest in developing stories behind the camera.
His position at Work & Co and involvement in these initiatives were publicly documented in 2022. Their current employment and operational status have not been independently established for October 2026.
How Did Priah Ferguson’s Parents Support Her Acting Career?
Priah Ferguson became interested in acting during early childhood after watching films and television programs. She was curious about how performers appeared on screen and began asking her parents questions about the entertainment industry.
In an NYOTA Magazine interview republished in November 2025, Ferguson recalled repeatedly watching films including Daddy’s Little Girls and Crooklyn. Her parents explained that the performers were actors and that acting required training and professional work.
They subsequently enrolled her in local theater productions, dance activities, and acting workshops around Atlanta. These opportunities initially allowed her to explore performing rather than immediately pursue a professional television career.
Her early interest eventually developed into a more serious commitment when acting instructors recognized her abilities and encouraged her family to consider auditions and professional representation.
Acting Classes, Coaching, and Early Auditions
In a December 2025 SixtySix Magazine interview, Ferguson recalled beginning with local theater and dance before deciding to concentrate on acting. Her mother supported that decision and helped her pursue training.
Priah also discussed attending workshops led by Atlanta acting coach Jemal McNeil. According to her account, McNeil encouraged her mother to recognize Priah’s potential and explore more professional opportunities.
The family eventually connected with an acting agency, leading to auditions for television and film productions. Ferguson’s early screen work included a small appearance in Atlanta before she secured the role of Erica Sinclair in Stranger Things.
Her parents’ support forms part of Priah Ferguson’s biography and early acting career. Their involvement helped her access training and representation, while individual casting decisions remained the responsibility of the productions considering her for roles.
Does Priah Ferguson Have Siblings?
Yes, Priah Ferguson has one publicly identified younger sister named Jayda Ferguson. Their mother, Adjua, confirmed both daughters’ names in her June 2012 interview, making the family relationship supported by a firsthand source.
Priah has discussed having a younger sister in several interviews, particularly when explaining how she developed Erica Sinclair’s personality in Stranger Things. Her experiences as an older sibling provided familiar examples of teasing, disagreements, and humor between family members.
Although Jayda has been mentioned publicly, detailed information about her personal life and professional activities is limited. Her relevance to Priah’s biography comes primarily from their family relationship and the influence Priah has described on her acting.
Did Jayda Ferguson Inspire Erica Sinclair?
Priah Ferguson portrays Erica Sinclair, the younger sister of Lucas Sinclair, in Netflix’s Stranger Things. Caleb McLaughlin plays Lucas, whose relationship with Erica includes frequent arguments, teasing, and moments of sibling loyalty.
During a May 2022 Seventeen interview, Priah explained that she drew inspiration from her own younger sister when developing Erica’s behavior. She recognized aspects of her sister’s confidence and resourcefulness in the fictional character.
Ferguson also discussed this connection in her SixtySix Magazine interview, explaining that real sibling experiences influenced some of Erica’s expressions and interactions.
The distinction is that Priah is an older sister in real life, while Erica is Lucas Sinclair’s younger sister on television. Their situations are different, but Ferguson drew on familiar family interactions to make Erica’s personality more convincing.
What Is Bold Honey, the Ferguson Family’s Creative Company?
Bold Honey is a creative production platform founded by Priah Ferguson. The project was developed to support storytelling and creative opportunities focused on young women and girls of color.
In his 2022 Muse by Clios interview, John Ferguson described working on the company with Priah, Adjua, and their younger daughter. He identified himself as Bold Honey’s creative director and discussed the importance of creating opportunities for underrepresented storytellers.
Priah also mentioned the platform during her 2022 Seventeen interview. She explained that Bold Honey was intended to develop content centered on young Black girls, connecting the company with her interest in writing, directing, and producing.
The platform brought together the family’s established design experience and Priah’s growing interest in creating entertainment beyond her acting performances. It is one of the clearest documented examples of their professional collaboration.
The interviews establish Bold Honey’s existence and stated creative goals in 2022. They do not independently confirm its current production activity, financial performance, or projects completed by October 2026.
How Did Priah Ferguson’s Family Help Her Prepare for Stranger Things?
Priah Ferguson’s family supported her acting preparation before she became known for Stranger Things. Because the Netflix series filmed in the Atlanta area, her local representation helped connect her with the audition opportunity.
In her NYOTA interview, Ferguson recalled that her original audition was for a character named Tina, described as Lucas Sinclair’s younger sister. The role was initially small, but the show’s creators later expanded Erica Sinclair’s appearances.
Her parents also helped her become familiar with the 1980s setting of the series. The story takes place decades before Priah was born, making its music, fashion, and popular culture different from those she experienced growing up.
In an interview with SYFY, Ferguson explained that her mother shared memories of 1980s hairstyles, clothing, and music. She also watched films and television programs from that period to understand the show’s setting.
These experiences provided useful cultural background for her performance, although they were only one part of the preparation involved in portraying Erica Sinclair.
Ferguson’s television work eventually expanded beyond her original supporting appearance, and she developed additional credits in film and animation. Those productions are discussed in the separate Priah Ferguson movies and TV shows article.
How Priah Ferguson’s Family Influenced Her Creative Interests
Priah Ferguson’s family has a documented history of creative work that predates her television career. Adjua’s experience in graphic design and entrepreneurship, John’s work in advertising and art direction, and their encouragement of Priah’s early acting interests demonstrate several ways creativity was part of her upbringing.
Their involvement also continued beyond her childhood auditions. Published interviews describe the family’s collaboration on Bold Honey, while Priah has explained how experiences with her younger sister influenced her performance as Erica Sinclair.
Together, these firsthand accounts provide a clearer understanding of the Ferguson family’s role in Priah’s development: they supported her early interest in performance, helped her explore professional opportunities, and later collaborated with her on creative projects beyond acting.
