Ella Maisy Purvis

Last updated
Ella Maisy Purvis
Born (2003-06-02) 2 June 2003 (age 21)
Education London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active2022–present
Television A Kind of Spark
Patience

Ella Maisy Purvis (born 2 June 2003) is an English actress.

Contents

Early life

From South London, Purvis was born on 2 June 2003 to an urban planner mother and a business coach father. [1] She trained as a classical ballet dancer before pursuing acting as a career. [2] She studied acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. [3] She was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17 and has said the diagnosis helped her, because she realised "that's why I need to do this or that” and that with it, life became "a lot easier to navigate because you don’t blame yourself". [4]

Career

She had television roles in Heartstopper and in A Kind of Spark . [5] In 2024, she was nominated for The Breakthrough Award by the Northern Ireland Royal Television Society for her work on A Kind of Spark. [6]

In 2025, she appeared in her first lead role in Channel 4 crime drama Patience , in which she plays a crime-solving neurodivergent police archivist called Patience Evans alongside a detective, Bea Metcalfe (Laura Fraser). [7] Carol Midgely in The Times said that Purvis does not "overact" the character's condition, "showing it in overt and subtle ways". [8] Purvis herself is autistic and has ADHD, which she was quoted as saying could "bring a level of authenticity to the narrative that would otherwise be lacking, which just makes for a more engaging and meaningful story". [9]

She had upcoming roles in romantic comedy film CC: Emily and the 2025 reboot of crime drama Bergerac . [10]

Filmography

Key
Denotes works that have not yet been released
YearTitleRoleNotes
2022 Heartstopper Girl 1Series 1; episode 4: "Secret"
2023 Malpractice Josephine PaigeEpisode 2
BlueprintCassShort film
2023–2024 A Kind of Spark Elinor Fraser / Bonnie BridgesSeries 1 & 2; 19 episodes
2025 Patience Patience EvansLead role; episodes 1–6
Bergerac Sophie ArmstrongReboot of original series. Post-production
TBA CC: Emily MegFilm. Post-production

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References

  1. Brown, Helen (31 December 2024). "Ella Maisy Purvis interview: 'We're finally seeing autistic people on our screens that aren't Rain Man'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. Jessop, Vicky (8 January 2025). "Patience: who's who in the cast of the Channel 4 detective drama?". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  3. Parker, Robin (7 January 2025). "Patience star: 'It's common for dramas to infantilise autistic women'". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  4. Lofthouse, Tia (2 January 2025). "Interview: Ella Maisy Purvis". Time and Leisure. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  5. Lobb, Adrian (8 January 2025). "Ella Maisy Purvis on crime drama Patience and why she doesn't want to be a 'robotic, asexual drone'". Big Issue. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  6. "FINALISTS REVEALED FOR 2024 RTS NORTHERN IRELAND TELEVISION AWARDS". RTS.org.uk. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  7. Hourihane, Anne-Marie (8 January 2025). "Patience the neurodiverse detective confronts crime that's too grisly to be called cosy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  8. Midgely, Carol (8 January 2025). "Patience review — the latest crime-solving duo have just a twist of difference". The Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  9. Craig, David (8 January 2025). "Patience star on casting neurodivergent actors – and "challenging" first week on set". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  10. Blow, John (3 January 2025). "North Shore with Joanne Froggatt, Playing Nice with James Norton and Patience. TV highlights this week". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 January 2025.