Who Is Ella Purnell? Surprising Facts About the 'Fallout' and 'Yellowjackets' Actor

Ella Purnell, a 28-year-old British actor has been on a role lately when it comes to her TV performances.

She is behind some favorite television characters of late, from the popular soccer captain Jackie in Yellowjackets to the perceptive protagonist Lucy in Fallout. She also starred in Netflix's animated series, Arcane, voicing the blue-haired and unpredictable protagonist named Jinx.

Purnell has built a loyal fanbase for her fan-favorite roles, and she has her own story to tell. The actress told Vogue in an October 2024 interview that her career has been "very much been a marathon, not a sprint," as she has been in the acting industry since she was a child. Though the actor keeps a relatively low profile outside of her career, there is sure to be a long and fruitful journey ahead for Purnell.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the British actor, including surprising facts and details on her dating life, as Purnell continues her rise.

She starred along Kiera Knightley in the 2010 film Never Let Me Go.

The 2010 film based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro of the same name, featured a stacked cast including Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Knightley, and a tween Purnell. She played the young version of Ruth (the older version played by Knightley), in which she brought to life one of the sci-fi book's favorite characters. The film was critically acclaimed but, ultimately, did poorly in the box office. Still, it was quite notable for Purnell, who work alongside some of the industry's best at such a young age.

She was a baby model.

Purnell is no stranger to the camera, as she previously told Interview Magazine. She did a bit of baby modeling. She has been known for her captivating doll-like stare, and one can only wonder if she learned it all in her infancy. Purnell switched over to acting at age nine, and by the time she was 11 years old, she was performing in Oliver! in London's West End. 

Despite her stellar American accent, she's a true Brit.

During her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Purnell confessed that early in her career she only spoke in an American accent on set to get in character, leading her to have to convince her co-star she was actually British as she kept the act up off-screen. Purnell is a London native who grew up in Bethnal Green in the city's East end. 

She both starred in and produced her latest project, the television series, Sweetpea.

Based on the novel by CJ Skuse, Purnell's latest project titled Sweetpea premiered fall 2024. She plays Rhiannon Lewis, the constantly overlooked main character whose life pushes her into extreme circumstances. Purnell played a huge role in crafting the on-screen character through her role as a producer, thus giving Rhiannon the most intimate and accurate portrayal possible. The six-episode series is available to stream on Hulu.

She is dating indie musician Max Bennett Kelly.

Purnell has been dating the indie musician, Max Bennett Kelly likely around three years, though the couple has kept pretty quiet about the details online. They have made few public appearances, but Kelly did join Purnell at the world premiere of Fallout. As an artistic pairing, the couple collaborated on the 2023 short film, Junk Male in which Kelly starred and Purnell directed.