Why Young Darcy From Something Borrowed Looks So Familiar
In the midst of the spooks and scares of the Halloween season, sometimes you just need a fun romantic comedy to clear your palate. Thankfully, Netflix has tons of options to choose from when it comes to lighthearted films, including a certain rom-com that didn't perform too well upon its original release. Despite its lackluster critical reception, the 2011 film "Something Borrowed" is finally getting some much-deserved love on Netflix.
"Something Borrowed" — based on the novel of the same name — follows a lawyer named Rachel (Ginnifer Goodwin), whose best friend Darcy (Kate Hudson) is her polar opposite. Whereas Rachel is career-minded and serious, Darcy is a laid-back, free spirit. Problems arise after Rachel drunkenly hooks up with Darcy's fiancé Dex (Colin Egglesfield), whom she's secretly harbored feelings for since they were in law school together. What follows is a funny, yet heartbreaking look at how people change over time, and the all-star cast is definitely the best part of the film.
Part of what makes Rachel and Darcy's friendship so believable are the flashbacks we see of the women in their childhood. If you thought you recognized the girl who played the younger version of Darcy, chances are, you have — she's graced our screens in everything from movies to television shows, and she's only just getting started. Here's where you've probably seen her before.
Peyton List started acting at a young age
The actress who played young Darcy in "Something Borrowed" is Peyton List, who started off her career as a child model. Born in Florida, List's family moved to New York City so Peyton and her twin brother could pursue careers in entertainment, and Peyton appeared in over 400 print ads and a few uncredited acting gigs before landing her first notable role in "27 Dresses" (per Kontrol Girl). List had several small roles in films at the start of her career, including "Confessions of a Shopaholic," "3 Backyards," and "Remember Me," as well as appearances on shows like "Late Show with David Letterman" and the original "Gossip Girl."
In a conversation with Brooke Shields for Interview, List explained how she got started in the entertainment industry. "I never thought of it as a career," she said. "It started off as an after-school thing I would do growing up in New York. I would take the train to the city, my mom would take my twin brother and me. My twin brother got discovered on the Staten Island ferry, and my mom said, 'Oh, well, my daughter is the one who's always wanted to do it.' And they were like, 'No, we don't need any girls, we'll just take him.' And she kind of fought for me. So, my mom is really the one that saw that I could do it."
And it's a good thing her mom did fight for her because Peyton soon went on to make a name for herself as a recognizable child actress.
She's a Disney Channel star
List earned recognition for her role on the Disney Channel sitcom "Jessie." She played the sassy, wealthy daughter of the Ross family named Emma, who gave her new nanny Jessie Prescott (Debby Ryan) plenty of trouble. List appeared on "Jessie" throughout the show's four seasons, and reprised her role as Emma on the series' spinoff "Bunk'd." She also guest-starred as Emma on other Disney shows like "Austin & Ally" and "K.C. Undercover."
Aside from her time as Emma Ross, List also played the young version of Becky in the Disney film "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," the role of Ellie O'Brien in the Disney Channel Original Movie "The Swap," and the role of Sherri in one episode of Disney's "I Didn't Do It."
List spoke to Coveteur about her title as a Disney star, and the judgment she received as a result. "It's weird, because Disney stars are normal teenagers," she explained. "Everyone expects that because they have this show where everything is perfect—bad things do happen, obviously—but I think they just expect them to be really conservative and always cover up and not really be who they truly are ... People will ask me like, oh what do you think about Miley Cyrus, what do you think about this person? And I'm like, at least they're being themselves. Wouldn't you rather have them be themselves than have them show this fake person to you?"
She was in two Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies
Following List's success on "Jessie," she landed the role of Holly Hills in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," based on the popular children's novel. Holly Hills is the film protagonist Greg Heffley's (Zachary Gordon) love interest, and List reprised her role in the sequel "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" — for which the cast won the Young Artist Award for Young Ensemble Cast.
In an interview with Premiere, List looked back fondly on her time with the cast of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" films. "I filmed those in seventh grade, I think, and then eighth grade summer. Those were so much fun to film — we became best friends. It was like summer camp for me because we would go to Vancouver and film for a summer, and then the next summer we'd come back and do the same thing. So it really was like my summer camp."
She's moved on to some heavier material
While List originally cemented herself as a talented child actress, she's since branched out to more "adult" roles and darker genres. In 2016, she starred in the dystopian YouTube Red film "The Thinning" as Laina Michaels, a teenager who participates in a yearly standardized test that results in death for those who fail. List also had roles in dramas including "Anthem of a Teenage Prophet" and "Paper Spiders," as well as the Adam Sandler horror-comedy "Hubie Halloween."
List has also appeared in several different genres of television over the years. She played Olivia Richmond in the supernatural thriller series "Light as a Feather," she was a guest judge on the reality competition show "Project Runway All Stars," and she's even done voice work for a few shows. While there's nothing wrong with being a Disney star, List has proven her serious acting chops by giving impressive performances in all sorts of projects — and we're excited to see where she ends up in the future.
She currently kicks butt on Cobra Kai
One of List's current — and most popular — roles is in the Netflix series "Cobra Kai." She plays the badass fighter Tory Nichols, whose edgy persona is definitely a far cry from List's previous roles on Disney. In fact, List revealed that the writers for "Cobra Kai" actually liked the fact that she was well known on Disney. "When I first was talking to the writers, I was like, 'Why the hell did you choose me?'" she explained to Interview. "And they said, 'Well, we thought it'd be fun. We'll take this Disney princess girl and we'll have fun surprising people with what you can do.' And so they were kind of in on the whole thing, which I didn't realize until the wrap party for season two."
Despite the challenges of playing such a physical role and acting in some intense fight scenes, List revealed that "Cobra Kai" has taught her a lot. "I've been so empowered by the role. I feel like I have learned more from this project than anything else, and now I love it," she said.