Ella Purnell’s career has recently taken off in impressive fashion, and these are the best TV roles of the young actress so far.Ella Purnell has been acting in movies and TV showsa bit longer than you may have guessed, with her first role coming in 2010 in the dystopian romantic drama,Never Let Me Go.
From there, she continued working only in film until 2015, when she appeared in the 2015 TV movie,Cyberbully. It would be another three years before her first TV series role, which came inOrdeal by Innocence, a British miniseries where she co-stars as Hester Argyll.The last five years have really seen Purnell’s star riseon television.
Ella Purnell stars in the two-season Starz series,Sweetbitter, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Stephanie Danler. In the series, Tess (Purnell) is a transplant to New York City who gets a job at a popular downtown restaurant. There, she’s introduced to the party-loving but close-knit group of employees.
ThoughSweetbitterended on a cliffhanger in season 2after the show was canceled, the buildup to that moment is an intriguing and emotional journey that sees Tess slipping deeper into a hedonistic lifestyle, in part to impress the other employees of the restaurant. It’s a coming-of-age story that people of all ages and genders can relate to.
Tess is an interesting character. On the one hand, she’s desperate, borderline creepy, and seeks attention any way she can, but on the other hand, she’s a charming, kind young girl just trying to make her way in a new, big city. It’s a careful balancing act that Purnell pulls off for the most part.
Belgraviais a British historical drama miniseries in the vein ofDownton Abbey, not least of all because the shows share the same production team and executive producers in Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant. The series depicts the events of the Duchess of Richmond’s ball in June 1815, then jumps ahead 26 years.
Ella Purnell appears in the main cast as Lady Maria Grey, daughter of the Dowager Countess of Templemore, Corinne Grey, played by Tara Fitzgerald. Maria’s mother has identified John Bellasis (Adam James) as a suitable match for her, but she instead falls in love with the lower-stationed Charles Pope (Jack Bardoe).
Despite the Duchess of Richmond’s ball being a real historical event, Lady Maria Grey is a fictional character.
Though she is often told to mind her place in the wider social landscape of 1800s England, Maria has a mind of her own and an intense curiosity about things women of her time were not expected to have. It’s a simple role, but one that Purnell brings a lot of charm and lightness to.
The first introduction most people had to Ella Purnell came in the Showtime series,Yellowjackets. The thriller series follows a girls' high school soccer team whose plane crash-lands in the remote Canadian wilderness, forcing them to fight for survival against the elements and their growing paranoia.
The series jumps between the past and the present, but one character not around in the present is Jackie Taylor, a high schooler played by Purnell. Jackie is the captain of the team and beloved by everyone. However, she’s also the last to adjust to their dire situation, which ends upcosting Jackie her life.
Purnell remains in subsequent seasons ofYellowjacketsas a spirit, either imagined or perhaps not. It’s a bracing performance from Purnell, who plays the lovable, girl-door-type perfectly, but when the societal rules begin to break down, Jackie’s wide-eyed innocence becomes a grim and tension-filled role.
Sweetpeais a dark British comedy-drama starring Ella Purnell as Rhiannon Lewis, a shy, timid young woman whose long been picked on by the world. After her only friend, her father, passes away, a series of unfortunate events drives Rhiannon to get a handle on her life, which she does by murdering those who cross her.
It’s a role that allows Purnell to access the full range of her acting capabilities.
It’s gruesome subject matter to be sure, butSweetpeamanages to wring a lot of comedy out of the situation, thanks in large part to Purnell’s cheery and goofy performance. She’s like if Dexter were self-aware and not very good at killing. It’s a role that allows Purnell to access the full range of her acting capabilities.
Purnell is absolutely delightful as Rhiannon. It’s inspiring watching the wallflower gain confidence over the course of the series, but then you remember how she’s going about getting her groove back. There’s a lot of comedy inSweetpea, but the undercurrent of darkness makes it a more engaging watch.
When it was announcedFalloutwould be becoming a TV show, some fans were delighted, while others winced, wondering what would be made of the beloved video game franchise. Then the first trailer dropped with Ella Purnell’s wide-eyed and gusty Lucy MacLean at the center, and all worries were quelled.
Lucy MacLean is an optimistic character who is a dweller of Vault 33. After her father is seemingly abducted, she travels alone to the surface world, encountering real life for the first time she can remember. Lucy’s efforts to meld the realities of surface life with her idealized views present an engaging, and often funny, theme for the series.
Ella Purnell is incredibly effective at slowly turning Lucy from a naive simpleton to someone who could credibly survive on the surface world.There’s a strength to the character that Purnell never overtly makes clear until the end ofFallout, but is always there even when she’s submitting an application for an appropriate husband.
Ranked among thebest animated shows on Netflix, which is a particularly impressive feat considering the quality of animation to be found on the streamer,Arcaneis an adult, steampunk adventure series based on theLeague of Legendsvideo game universe. Video game adaptations can be tricky, butArcanenails it.
Elle Purnell voices Jinx (originally named Powder) in the series, Vi’s (Hailee Steinfeld) younger sister. Jinx is a morally complex character whose difficult past has turned her into a manic and impulsive criminal. She’s dangerous, butPurnell’s work gives her a significant amount of pathos that helps you understand why she’s the way she is.
The beautiful animation, complete story that works for video game fans and newcomers, and maybe most importantly, the voice work have madeArcanea celebrated series.Jinx’s fate inArcaneseason 2would not be nearly as powerful withoutElla Purnell’s intense and emotive voice work.
