Peyton List (actress, born 1998)
An actress who evolved from a Disney Channel favorite into a versatile performer navigating complex roles in genre television and film.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American actress·Birthday: April 6·Generation Z
Biography
Peyton List didn't just grow up on screen; she built a career across its shifting landscapes. Starting as a child model, her early forays into film, including the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series, were a prelude to her defining role as the sophisticated Emma Ross on Disney Channel's 'Jessie.' That character, and its move to the spinoff 'Bunk'd,' cemented her for a generation of viewers. Rather than be confined by that identity, List deliberately sought darker, more mature terrain. She embraced the physical and emotional demands of playing a troubled survivor in 'The Tomorrow People,' a vengeful twin in 'Cobra Kai,' and a central figure in the chilling 'School Spirits,' proving her range extends far beyond the sitcom studio.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Peyton was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Peyton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Peyton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred as Emma Ross across two popular Disney Channel series, 'Jessie' and its spinoff 'Bunk'd,' for multiple seasons.
- Portrayed the complex role of Tory Nichols in the hit Netflix series 'Cobra Kai,' a character known for her fierce determination.
- Landed the lead role of Maddie Nears in the Paramount+ supernatural drama series 'School Spirits.'
Did You Know?
She is a twin; her brother, Spencer List, is also an actor.
List was named after the character Peyton Sawyer from the television series 'One Tree Hill.'
She is an advocate for mental health awareness and has spoken openly about her own experiences with anxiety.
“I grew up on set, so my work is just my normal life, but I take it seriously.”
