Erika Peterson born April 5, professionally known by her stage name EJ Peterson, is an American actress, dancer and entertainer. Born in Trenton NJ, EJ began acting in local theater programs through her school, but made her film debut once she moved to Georgia.EJ was born to Mary Hicks (nee McGee) and Darryl McKnight, although she was raised by Selvin Hicks after her mother married in 1990. EJ attended school in Trenton, where she first began acting and dancing in the theater program and dance company respectively. Her most notable theatrical performance was in the school production of Mandela, the story of South African president Nelson Mandela. After graduating high school in Hamilton, NJ, EJ turned down a full scholarship offer from Bennett College to attend Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. There she majored in Music, singing and piano. Her initial dream was to sing as she began writing songs in middle school and rapping in high school. She also had an extreme desire to dance, even auditioning for Beyonce's world tour. Finally EJ's interest returned to acting.In 2014, EJ started acting again, first as an extra in some popular movies and tv series filming in the metro Atlanta area. From there, she auditioned for and landed roles in many independent features, shorts and web series. In 2015, EJ was able to sign with the Wilmington based, Nationally recognized Reel Sisters Talent Agency out of North Carolina.