Finishing her A-Levels in Philosophy, English, Drama and Music,[4] at the age of 18, Purnell intended to put a pause on her acting career, and earn a place at university with the intention of becoming a children's writer or teacher.[5] She decided to travel the world for a year to "find herself" but returned to acting when she was offered a role in Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), which she accepted as it had been her dream to work with Burton. She described her decision to defer university as "bittersweet at first because it felt like a lost opportunity of a different path in life" but was glad she chose acting.[6]
Purnell appeared as Hester Argyll in the BBC miniseries Ordeal by Innocence (2018)[15] and starred as Tess in the Starz series Sweetbitter (2018).[16][17] Starz cancelled the series after two seasons.[18] Purnell played Lady Maria Grey in Julian Fellowes' period drama Belgravia (2020)[19] and began starring as Jackie in the Showtime drama series Yellowjackets (2021–present).[20] She also voiced Gwyn in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy (2021) and voiced Jinx in the Netflix series Arcane (2021–2024). She began starring as Lucy MacLean in the Amazon Prime Video series Fallout (2024–present)[21] and as the main character in the dark comedy series Sweetpea (2024–present), garnering critical praise for both.[22] She also served as an executive producer for Sweetpea.[23][24][25]
Personal life
As of May2024[update], Purnell divides her time between London and Los Angeles.[26] She had a relationship with Max Bennett Kelly that was confirmed in June 2022.[26][27] Discussing her views on fame with British Vogue, Purnell shared: “There’s no end goal for me that revolves around success. It revolves around my personal growth and personal challenges.”[28]
She plays the piano and also enjoys scuba diving.[29][30]
Activism
In 2016, at the age of 19, Purnell worked with her former Forest School schoolmate Arifa Nasim to launch Educate2Eradicate,[31] a UK-based organisation building on Nasim's grassroots efforts to eradicate honour-based violence and addressing the issue of forced child-marriage.[32]
In 2019, Purnell was interviewed by sbjct, in which she commented on the importance of diversity in Hollywood, and on how she wanted to use her platform for activism: "I am no longer willing to be complicit in this industry. Don’t get me wrong; I love acting, I grew up in this world. I’m very grateful. But I’m also very aware of how damaging it can be in its lack of diversity and representation. I want to be more conscious with who I work with, and what I work on. I want to use any platform I have to bring awareness to issues that matter. I want to help people and be a part of positive change."[33]
↑ Billen, Andrew (31 March 2018). "Ordeal by Innocence: the Christie Mystery that almost got away". The Times. No.72497. Saturday Review. pp.4–5. ISSN0140-0460.
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