Ella Purnell’s Next Killer Comedy is a Full 180 Degree Turn From Her Goody Two Shoes Lucy MacLean in ‘Fallout’

English actress Ella Purnell is known for her work on projects including Maleficent, Intruders, Churchill, Army of the Dead, and more. The critics as well as the audience have appreciated the actress for her work. She has also been a part of the critically acclaimed thriller show Yellowjackets and the post-apocalyptic drama Fallout.

Fallout is a post-apocalyptic drama series created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The show is based on a role-playing video game franchise created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky. Upon release, the series received positive responses from the critics as well as the audience and was quickly renewed for a second season. Purnell’s acting as a vault dweller was impressive and received praise. Her upcoming project is, however, a 180-degree turn from her character in Fallout.

Ella Purnell turns into a tired & overlooked killer in Sweetpea

English actress Ella Purnell’s upcoming British revenge thriller drama Sweetpea consists of six episodes and turns a quiet wallflower into a vengeful murder. The first trailer of the anticipated drama was recently released, in which the actress’ character Rhiannon Lewis mentioned (via THR),

Sometimes I make a list of people who make me feel invisible. Sometimes I make a list of people I’d love to kill. Donna in the mini market, who is never happy to help; Norman from work for failing to acknowledge my potential; and Julia Blenkinsopp, the bully who ruined my life. I am not a victim. Not anymore.

The Coming of Rage show is based on the book of the same name by CJ Skuse and is adapted by Kirstie Swain for the screen. According to Variety, Purnell’s character is described as someone who does not make much of an impression as people walk past her in the street without taking a glance at her. Her character is continuously overlooked at work and in her personal life, and her father is sick.

Purnell’s character Rhiannon Lewis’ life turns upside down when she steps into a new intoxicating and liberating role of a murderer. The recently released trailer showcase a dark premise alongside a hint of comic sensibilities. The actress is pushed into her signature wide-eyed stare in the trailer for the audience to feel the chills.

Sweetpea is very different from what the audience has witnessed with Purnell’s character on Fallout. The actress had shared with ScreenDaily that working as Lucy MacLean is challenging for her as it’s a difficult adaptation of a game as they’re changing the format and taking away the thing people love about the game. She added that showrunners Geneva Roberston-Dworet and Graham Wagner have done a brilliant job with the show.

Ella Purnell talks about Lucy MacLean from Fallout

The English actress, who has been lauded for her work on Fallout, mentioned that she loves her character’s optimism and how funny she is. Where she describes Lucy as a newbie to the wasteland, she also adds in her conversation with ScreenDaily,

She’s not stupid. Innocence doesn’t mean stupidity. You can still be naïve and innocent but strong and courageous; all these things can exist in the same person. She is a positive and happy person but can handle herself. She knows how to handle a gun and how to fight.

During the interview, she said that when she and Walton Goggins were doing press for the show, the actor said to her that Lucy was going through the same realization about her father that Cooper went through with his wife. The actress said it was one of those moments of realization for her. 

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Ella Purnell shared that for Fallout, she was being pushed out of her comfort zone as the show demanded physical work. She recalled that in a scene where The Ghoul uses Lucy as bait, she thought there were going to use green screen, but it was her being lowered into the water in upstate New York with her hands tied for the scene. She concluded,

It was the hardest job I’ve ever done, but it was also the most rewarding.

The actress will return for Season 2 of Fallout with Lucy and the Ghoul hunting for the answers. Purnell noted that she is excited to see what the writers are going to do next.

Sweetpea is scheduled for a release on October 10, 2024, on Starz. Fallout is available to watch on Prime Video.