Peyton List

Peyton List – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Explore the life of Peyton List: from child model to Disney star to lead actress in Cobra Kai and School Spirits. Discover her biography, career milestones, quotes, and lessons from her journey.

Introduction

Peyton List is an American actress, model, and producer who began her career as a child and has grown into a versatile performer across film, television, and streaming. She is known for roles such as Emma Ross on Disney Channel’s Jessie / Bunk’d, Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai, and the lead in School Spirits.

Her journey is a story of evolution: from childhood roles under the Disney banner to taking more mature, complex characters in her adulthood. In her transition, she has faced the challenge many child actors do—redefining her image and sustaining her relevance.

Early Life and Family

• Peyton Roi List was born on April 6, 1998 in Florida, U.S.

• She has a twin brother, Spencer List, and a younger brother, Phoenix List, all involved in acting.

• The family relocated from Florida to New York when she was about 4 years old.

• In New York, Peyton was exposed early to performing arts. She trained in dance (ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap) until sixth grade.

• For schooling, she attended The Carroll School (elementary) and New Voices School for Academic and Creative Arts (middle).

Her early environment, with modeling and performance opportunities, set the stage for her entrance into acting and the entertainment world.

Career and Achievements

Early Work & Modeling

• Peyton began modeling at a young age, featuring in numerous print and commercial ads.

• Her first on-screen roles were minor appearances: an uncredited role in As the World Turns (2002) and in Spider-Man 2 (2008) as a younger version of a character.

Disney Era & Breakthrough Roles

• She earned significant recognition playing Emma Ross on Jessie (2011–2015), and later reprised or transitioned to the show’s spinoff Bunk’d.

• Concurrently, she appeared in films like Diary of a Wimpy Kid (as Holly Hills) and other youth-oriented features.

These roles solidified her as a Disney Channel alumna, endearing her to a younger fan base.

Transition to Mature & Diverse Projects

• To move beyond her “Disney” label, Peyton took on roles in series and films aimed at older audiences:

  • Tory Nichols on Cobra Kai (2019–2025), a more intense and layered character.

  • Maddie Nears in School Spirits (Paramount+), where she also serves as a producer.

  • Film credits include The Thinning (YouTube Premium), Valley Girl, Hubie Halloween, Paper Spiders, The Inheritance (2024).

Her shift toward projects with more depth reflects her growth as an artist and her desire to be taken seriously in adult roles.

Recognition & Influence

• In media interviews, she describes this present era as “stepping into herself” — finding confidence, voice, and choosing roles that resonate more deeply.

• Her partner and co-star Jacob Bertrand has praised her work ethic, calling her a muse and inspirational force behind his creative choices.

While she is still in her mid-twenties, she has made significant strides toward building a long-term career beyond child stardom.

Personality and Talents

• Adaptability: Peyton has moved smoothly from child roles, to teen sitcoms, to more dramatic and supernatural roles.

• Producer mindset: Her involvement as a producer on School Spirits demonstrates her engagement behind the scenes, not only in front of the camera.

• Work ethic: She is frequently praised by peers for her dedication, consistency, and ability to take on challenges.

• Self-awareness: Her public reflection on her image, transition, and identity suggests a maturity in how she manages her career.

• Supportiveness: Her relationship with collaborators and her encouragement of others’ creative endeavors is acknowledged publicly.

These traits help explain how she has maintained momentum in a competitive industry where many child actors fade.

Famous Quotes of Peyton List

Below are selected quotations that reflect her views on work, identity, social media, and life.

“People know a lot about my life — I’ve been on TV since I was three years old. And there’s not a lot to complain about.” “Vlogging is something that’s pretty entertaining. But like with a lot of social media, I just feel it’s so easy to stop living your life, even though you’re creating all these moments.” “I’m fully aware of how lucky I am to do the work I do. I work really, really hard, and there are a lot of privileges and perks that come with the job.” “Social media can be so addictive.” “I cannot wear low-waisted pants — I’m constantly pulling them up.” “It is so cool having complete control over something because, with acting, it’s words written by other people that you perform; you do something that’s completely not yourself.”

These quotes show that she is concerned with authenticity, balance, and the tension between public persona and private life.

Lessons from Peyton List

From her path so far, several useful lessons emerge:

1. Evolve rather than stagnate.
   Transitioning from child roles to adult ones requires conscious choices. She has done that by selecting projects that show different sides of her.

2. Take control of your narrative.
   By producing content (e.g. School Spirits) and speaking openly about her growth, she shapes how people perceive her.

3. Respect the process.
   She frequently remarks that she works hard and recognizes privilege—indicating humility and gratitude.

4. Balance presence and privacy.
   She is aware of social media’s power and pitfalls, and advocates for not letting the digital world overshadow real life.

5. Support and surround yourself with creatives.
   Her collaborations, relationships, and supportiveness suggest that growth is often communal.

6. Stay authentic even under pressure.
   The pressures of transitioning from a Disney image to serious roles can be heavy. Her readiness to express her struggles reinforces that vulnerability isn’t weakness.

Conclusion

Peyton List’s story is one of steady transformation. From child modeling to Disney stardom to more nuanced roles in streaming and genre series, she has navigated the tricky waters many former child actors confront.

Her trajectory illustrates that a performer’s identity need not be fixed—she is deliberately remaking her image and choosing more personal, layered work.