Ella Maisy Purvis

Last updated

Ella Maisy Purvis
Born2003 (age 2122)
Education London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active2022–present
Television A Kind of Spark
Patience

Ella Maisy Purvis (born 2003) is an English actress. She is known for her role as a neurodivergent police archivist in the 2025 TV series Patience .

Contents

Early life and education

Ella Maisy Purvis was born in 2003 in South London, 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; with it, life became "a lot easier to navigate because you don’t blame yourself". [4]

Career

Purvis 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] The series was renewed for a second season. [10]

Purvis featured in the 2025 reboot of crime drama Bergerac , and has a role in romantic comedy film CC: Emily . [11]

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; episode 4
TBA CC: Emily Meg Post-production

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. Born in south London in 2003,
  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. Sayce, Rebecca (15 May 2025). "York-set crime show that's 'Channel 4's biggest drama of 2025' confirms new detective for second season". Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  11. 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.