The Stunning Transformation Of Ella Purnell
Ella Purnell might not be a name you recognize immediately, but she's certainly someone you've seen. Purnell starred in Prime Video's post-apocalyptic "Fallout" in 2024 as Lucy, the naive Vault Dweller who ventures into the big, bad wasteland to find her kidnapped father. The show went straight to number one upon its release. Not too shabby.
While "Fallout" may a big win for Purnell, it's far from her first. The London born and bred actor got her start as a child actor, appearing in a number of major films as the younger versions of A-list actors, before landing a string of successful projects in adulthood. As of 2024, Purnell may only be 27, but she's already had quite the career — and if the popularity of "Fallout" and her other endeavors are anything to go by, this is only the beginning.
Let's find out a little more about Purnell's journey from child actor in London to one of Hollywood's up-and-coming stars.
Ella Purnell was raised in London
Ella Purnell may be best-known for playing Americans, but she was actually born and raised across the pond in London, England. Born on September 17, 1996, Purnell grew up in East London's Isle of Dogs neighborhood with her mother, stepfather, and three brothers. Her biological father and his second wife lived close by in London's Fulham. Although a self-professed tomboy, Purnell didn't alway find life with three boys easy. "Try doing puberty when you have three little brothers telling you how spotty and gross and disgusting you are," she told Interview in 2016.
Purnell eventually left London, but it remains her favorite city. "It's my home," she said to Conde Nast Traveller. "I have so many memories of growing up in this town." Purnell also visited Sweden every year with her family when she was a kid. "My stepmum is Swedish and has a house in Amål, which is this tiny, tiny town, and everybody knows each other," she said.
Ella Purnell was in a West End show at age 11
Ella Purnell began acting at the young age of 9 after joining the Sylvia Young Theater School, and before that, she'd done some modeling as a tot. "One day they asked if I wanted to join their agency. You get in if you're cute, I guess," she quipped to Interview magazine. Then, a few years later, she was cast in the West End production of "Oliver!" as one of the orphans. "It was an experience," recalled Purnell to WhatsOnStage. "120 kids working on it and three different teams of kids." Yes, Purnell has a theater kid past, not unlike Timothée Chalamet.
The show gave her the "stage bug" — however, at the time, she did not for a second consider that this extracurricular activity might one day turn into a full-fledged career in show business. "It was always just a hobby, something fun I looked forward to after school," she told Crash. "It never really felt like a job, I was too young to understand that this was the beginning of a career. ... I'm not one of those people who've wanted to be an actor since they were four."
Ella Purnell played young versions of A-list stars
After getting her start on the West End, Ella Purnell landed a few high-profile film gigs as a child actor. Interestingly, a number of her early roles involved playing the younger versions of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. In "Never Let Me Go," she played a young Keira Knightley. In "Maleficent," she was a young Angelina Jolie. And a handful of years before Margot Robbie transformed into Barbie, she was in "The Legend of Tarzan." And yes, Purnell played a younger version of her character.
"It became my thing for a while," Purnell said to the Independent. Although she worried that only playing young versions of lead actors might limit her career in the long run, she wasn't about to turn down a good opportunity. As she told the outlet, "If someone asks me to be the young Margot Robbie, I'm not gonna say no!"
For each role, Purnell tried to imitate how her older counterparts spoke — and sometimes, they also had to imitate her. She also got the chance to work with some of the best role models a young actor could ask for. "It really helped, watching how disciplined they were and how they were devoted and committed to their craft," she said to Crash. "I actually just like to get to know them and see them as real-life human beings. Working with smart, driven women was a huge inspiration at a young age."
By 16, Ella Purnell was ready to go all in on her acting career
Although Ella Purnell grew up in the acting industry, it wasn't until she reached her teen years that she realized that she had a real chance at turning her acting hobby into a long-term career. When she was around 16, Purnell, like other teens her age, began to think about her future. However, her future plans looked a little different from her classmates' plans. "When everyone else was thinking about what universities they were going to go to, I started to think of acting as a career choice," she said to Crash.
Purnell did consider getting a "normal job," but knew that acting was the right path for her. "I looked at the pros and cons of having a regular nine-to-five job as opposed to having mine and it was an absolute no-brainer," she said. What's more, she already knew the acting world suited her lifestyle and personality perfectly. "I just love being creative and self-employed. I also enjoy travelling and meeting new people. I'm very easy-going, I take each day as it comes," she said.
She landed a life-changing role when she was still a teen
Ella Purnell's first big leading role came when she scored a part in Tim Burton's 2016 "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." In 2014, when she was just 18 years old, she learned she'd been picked to play Emma, a "peculiar" girl who floats away unless she wears lead shoes. Getting the chance to act in a Tim Burton movie was a dream come true for Purnell. As the actor told Vogue, "Whenever anybody asked me, 'Who is your number one director to work with' I would always say Tim Burton."
However, even though the project was, in a way, Purnell's big break, she was careful not to think in terms of "making it." "I didn't ever think of it as the end goal," she told Crash of the film. "That movie inspired me to do more rather than thinking that I'd made it. When you start to have that mentality, you set yourself up for failure."
The film marked the start of a major life chapter, as it was the first project she scored after graduating from school. "It was the end of an era, the beginning of my adult life," she said. "Terrifying but equally exciting."
As a young adult, Ella Purnell felt 'lost'
After the success of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," Ella Purnell's career suddenly slowed down. She found herself adrift, waiting for the next gig to manifest, and doubting her decision to pursue acting. "I thought, 'I'm 21, I haven't had a job in a while, I really don't know if this is a job I want to continue doing,'" she confessed to the Belfast Telegraph.
It wasn't that Purnell was struggling to find any work. Rather, she was struggling to find work that she connected with. She didn't want to take on roles like, as she told the Belfast Telegraph, "the girlfriend of the main, male character; a female that needs saving; or the goal, something that is wanted. Just there to be a sex object, portrayed as weak, pretty, nice."
Purnell began to consider alternative paths — she thought about heading to university, but never did. Soon, her mental health began to suffer. "I felt really quite lost and didn't know who I was," she said.
Sweetbitter was Ella Purnell's first major grownup role
Eventually, Ella Purnell found the meaty, nuanced role she had been looking for with Tess in Starz' coming-of-age series "Sweetbitter." Based on the novel by Stephanie Danler, the show followed a young woman trying to make it in the restaurant industry in New York City. For Purnell, who was already feeling unmoored in the adult world, the role couldn't have been a better fit. "It's been very therapeutic and at this age, you actually don't have to reach that far to play 'lost' because I think we all have that there somewhere inside us," she said to Glamour of the role.
The show represented a "real turning point" in Purnell's career and life; the former child actor felt all grown up. "It's symbolised this weird transition from child to adult actor," she said. "Now I think I'm viewing myself in a different way as I don't feel like a kid anymore and I always did."
Ella Purnell learned to set boundaries as she got older
As Ella Purnell got a little older and experienced life as an adult actor, she began to learn about setting her own clear boundaries in an industry that can so often be filled with misogyny and unhealthy expectations. As she aged, Purnell reflected on her early years in the industry and realized that she had put up with a number of inappropriate scenarios. "I've gone into photo shoots when I was 15 and they've pulled out a bra and a pair of knickers for me to wear," she told the Independent. "As a 15-year-old, I don't have the power to say no because I'm thinking, 'Am I going to get cancelled? Am I not going to work again? Am I going to burn bridges?'" Luckily, Purnell had a team of family and agents around her to make sure she always felt comfortable.
As a young adult, Purnell began to stand up for herself, saying no to things she didn't want to do. As she told Collider, she began to realize, "No, it's okay to have preferences. It's okay to not feel comfortable doing this, doing that."
Ella Purnell set down roots in the United States
Ella Purnell moved to New York City while making "Sweetbitter" in 2018. While she was there, she made friends with a group of young women who helped her feel right at home. "I didn't know anything about the city, I didn't really know anything about the states," she told Collider. "And they introduced me to New York. And it was just really — it was really like a crazy — I felt like I found my 'Sex and the City' crew!"
After living in New York City while making "Sweetbitter," Ella Purnell decided it was time to take her career to the states full-time. So, in 2019, she packed up and settled down in Los Angeles. Soon after she made the move, the global pandemic hit and she went into lockdown. "I moved and then COVID happened ... So I've lived there for maybe three years but have only actually been there for three months," she told The Face in 2022. "I've basically just set fire to all my money for s**ts and giggles!" Although Purnell didn't spend a ton of time in L.A., her career was clearly taking root in America.
Yellowjackets was a huge hit for Ella Purnell
In 2021, Ella Purnell landed a role in "Yellowjackets." Although the show began as a small indie project on Showtime, it quickly became a word-of-mouth hit and one of the biggest shows of the year. For Purnell, it was her first experience of "going viral." "I'd definitely say 'Yellowjackets' is the most viral thing I've done, for lack of a better word," the actor told The Face. "People are still discovering the show. Seth Rogen tweeted about it yesterday, which is the coolest thing in the world."
The show was Purnell's first project after the COVID-19 lockdowns — and it was, as she explained, a pretty intense reintroduction. The show follows a high school soccer team who are in a plane crash and stranded in the Canadian wilderness — and it required a lot of high intensity acting. "I haven't acted in two years!" she recalled "I don't know if I can still do it! And suddenly you're screaming and hyperventilating and throwing yourself on the floor, and someone's literally on fire, someone else has got brain damage. So intense!"
Ella Purnell worked with Zack Snyder in Army of the Dead
Ella Purnell's next big role came in the form of "Army of the Dead," a Zack Snyder Netflix film about a zombie outbreak that also stars former pro wrestler Dave Bautista. Purnell was excited to try her hand at a gory action flick, even though, as she told British Vogue, she's not exactly a fan of scary movies.
At first, she was worried that her character would be overly sexualized. "It all felt very boys' club," she said to the Independent of the project, adding, "I came in hot, saying, 'I'm not gonna wear high heels! I'm not gonna wear a push-up bra!'" Evidently, she didn't have to worry: Her character was a zombie-killing tomboy and the costume team dressed her accordingly.
When the film dropped on Netflix, she was shocked at the intensity of the fans' reaction. In short, they did not like her. "I got more s**t for that movie than I've ever got in my whole career," she said. She added, "It got to the point where I couldn't post a picture without people commenting, 'You should kill yourself', 'You're a terrible actress.'" Luckily, Purnell didn't let the hate get to her too much.
Ella Purnell began dating Max Bennett Kelly
Ella Purnell has been dating Max Bennett Kelly in 2022. Kelly is a musician who released his first album, "Junk Male," in 2023. That same year, Purnell helped Kelly with a short film for his new album. "Couldn't have done it without Ella, she really brought this film to life," he wrote on Instagram. "So professional so bold ugh i'm so proud. Seriously such an amazing director and I'm very happy we got to do this together."
Kelly has also helped Purnell out over the years. Back in June 2022, Purnell took to Instagram to thank him for helping her move. "There's just no way I could have gotten through this without him," she gushed in a long post. She went on to explain how overwhelmed she felt. "It's emotional being loved like this — being in the light of someone so kind and generous and gentle. Max, I adore you. You are so wonderful, so vibrant, so funny, so talented, so smart," she wrote.
On February, 14, 2024, Purnell once again took to Instagram to post a cute shout out to Kelly, writing simply, "Happy valentines baby."
Fallout transformed Ella Purnell into an action star
Ella Purnell landed her biggest role to date in 2024's "Fallout." Based on the popular video game series, the show is set in a post-apocalyptic, lawless wasteland. Purnell plays Lucy, a naive Vault Dweller who has been sheltered from the real world for her whole life. The character is, as she told Refinery29, "Ned Flanders in the apocalypse" — and she was very excited to take on the challenge. "As soon as I read the script, I knew I had to be a part of it," she said. However, stepping into such an iconic universe came with a fair amount of pressure. "Coming into anything that is well-loved and already very firmly established is hard. You want to treat the source material with respect, especially when it's something as good as 'Fallout,'" she said. "You really want to do justice to the people who work so hard on the games and the fans who are so passionate about the games."
However, even though Purnell was nervous to play a hero in such an iconic universe, she soon found herself transforming into a bona fide action star. As she told Collider, "I am proud of my stunt work because I am a clumsy, uncoordinated, not-fit person. Or I was." She went all in on the process, even kicking her smoking habit. "That's not something I ever thought I could do, so I'm proud," she said.
Ella Purnell is eager to explore other genres
Ella Purnell's star is only continuing to rise thanks to her work in "Fallout" and "Yellowjackets." As far as future projects are concerned, she's an executive producer and star of the upcoming TV series "Sweetpea." She'll also lend her voice to the "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" animated series, which will also feature wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista and Vanessa Hudgens.
If there's one thing Purnell is going to do, it's let herself be pigeonholed. "What I really fancy doing is a drama, maybe something in nature, like 'Into The Wild' or something like that. Or something musical... something like 'A Star is Born,' a biopic," she told Who What Wear.
What's more, Purnell is also interested in getting back to the stage. "Theater feels so much more grounded and thorough to me," she said to What's On Stage, comparing stage to film. However, although Purnell wants to tread the boards once again, she wants to make sure she is ready. "I need to become a better actor before I go onstage," she told Interview in 2016. "It's harder to fake it onstage than onscreen." Whatever Purnell does next, we know we'll be seeing a lot more of her.