Ella Purnell talks Fallout, Arcane, and more at FANEXPO Chicago 2024 panel (Get the details!)

Star Trek: Prodigy, Yellowjackets, Arcane, and Fallout. All hit shows and one actress has been a part of all of them. And that would be the one and only Ella Purnell! She's such a talent and has been a part of so many great projects that we all enjoy. Of course it's probably Fallout on Prime Video that has become a breakout role of sorts for the actress. But no one can deny the amazing other productions and roles she's been a part of.

That's why it was so special to celebrate her, and get to know Purnell a bit more at FANEXPO Chicago 2024! And while not all of you fans were able to make it, that's what we're here for. We had the opportunity to attend, including Purnell's panel, and have provided highlights for you below. It'll be like you were there! Read on below on everything we learned about Purnell herself, as well as her impressive projects.

Fallout on Prime Video tidbits

Purnell shared that she herself is not a gamer, and actually did not know about the Fallout games before being cast in the series. However to help with her research and to understand the world, she played Fallout 4 and others to help prep. Though she wasn't "good at it," she hilariously revealed. We still appreciate her effort!

Since you're not a gamer, how did Fallout come to you?

Ella: They sent me [the script] actually. The first interaction I had was a meeting with Geneva and Graham, the writers, and Jonah, and they wanted to explain the tone and the character to me before I read the script. And I'm really glad they did because I'm not sure I would have got the part had I not had that initial meeting and understood the comedy, the satirical elements of of the show. They described Lucy as, Leslie Knope meets Ned Flanders. So yeah, I suppose that because Lucy doesn't exist in the game - it is it's own story within the bigger world of Fallout. Being a gamer wasn't really a prerequisite. Thank gosh. And then, yeah. Did the audition and somehow, here we are.

What scene or sequence ended up being the most challenging to film and why?

It's generally the emotional scenes, more than the technical scenes. Things that are shot in one take, they're tricky but I quite like them because they're challenging and it kind of really stimulates my brain in a good way. The emotional scenes I struggle with because it's very vulnerable. It's just a very vulnerable thing, and you're in your head, and you wanna get it right, and you're self conscious, and you're also in a bad mental place. And so I'd say, the finale of Fallout was really hard. We actually had to reshoot that scene, twice because it was so tricky to nail the right tone, and there were rewrites, and there was just a lot going on. Same with Yellowjackets. Some of the more emotional scenes in that were tricky. That's the stuff I struggle with the most usually.

When did you realize when you were making it that Fallout could be something really special?

It was when we were filming the scene with the Gulper where Lucy and the Ghoul are fighting on the the dock, this 15-foot mutated salamander. And it was so tough. It was100 degrees. Walton [Goggins] is sweating because he's head to toe prosthetics, and he's wearing a shirt, a waistcoat, a jacket, and a hat. Like, they could not have put him in more clothes if they tried. There was slime everywhere. Everyone was falling over. Everyone was sweating. I was missing a shoe. And it was just incredibly challenging. And my makeup artist, Mike Harvey, who just got nominated for an Emmy, he was like, you know, it's the toughest shoots that make the best shows. And I was like, I think you might be right. Because even though it was so tough and the crew was struggling and the cast was struggling and everyone was just very tense, we all kind of knew to push through because we were making something really cool. That was, like, early on. I think it's episode, I wanna say, 3 or 4. So, yeah. Early on.

When you think about the first season, is there anything else that comes to mind other than that difficult sequence?

Fallout is probably the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. I love Lucy. I love that character. I love the entire crew and the cast, and it truly is such a special and important time in my life. The first day I ever tried on the vault suit - I I played the games, and I've spent so much time researching, and really just living, breathing, eating everything Fallout. And putting on the vault suit and looking in the mirror for the first time was - [I get] emotional. It was not lost on me how important this is and [what] a special and profound opportunity I had been given, and I really wanted to do it justice.

What can you tell people about Fallout season 2?

I say nothing. No. I actually don't know anything. They won't tell me anything. I'm desperate to read some scripts and to know anything. I keep trying to get the writers to tell me things, [but] they won't.

What are you most looking forward to exploring with Lucy going forward?

That's the thing about TV is you just sort of do what you're told. Something I personally love exploring with her is the theme of morality and identity. Lucy represents the good in this trifecta of the good, the bad, and the ugly, with Lucy, Maximus, and the Ghoul. And I guess I I'm excited to see what they do with that. You know? Because in the finale of season 1, everything she learns in that scene is enough to break a person. It does break a person. And I just have no idea what she's going to do. I have no idea where we're gonna pick up. So I'm excited to see what they do with it.

Ella Purnell's other projects

Purnell directed a short film called Junk Male, and was asked whether she'd consider directing again and on a bigger scale. Perhaps even an episode of Fallout. The actress shared that she definitely does want to get behind the camera once again, that's what she's working towards.

At the moment though, she doesn't think she's ready to direct something as big as Fallout. But perhaps in the future. Like 10 years down the line. Well, we certainly have faith in her! While we won't see her as a director right now, she has taken on the role of executive producer in an upcoming series and has more projects coming up. Read on below for the details!

What can you tell people about your upcoming series, Sweetpea?

I'm very excited for people to watch Sweetpea. I'm producing that as well as starring in it. [The character's] name is Rhiannon. She's sort of like a wallflower, nobody sees her, invisible, kind of person, and she develops a taste for murder. There seems to be a theme, really, with all of my projects. It's a British show. It's on Starz [in the U.S.] and it comes out later this year.

There's also the upcoming movie The Scurry, directed by Craig Roberts.

It's a horror comedy about killer squirrels. It's a British indie film. I love Craig Roberts. I think he's insanely talented. If you don't know him, you should get to know his work. He's just he's a weird guy. And it reads kind of like Shaun of the Dead, but it's not. I have no idea how this film's going to turn out. It's either gonna be the coolest thing ever or it's gonna ruin my career. [Laughs] But I think it's going to be good. I trust him a lot.

What was your favorite scene to watch from Arcane?

It's in the first episode of season 1 and, it's when Vi and Mylo, Claggor, and Powder are walking back into the Undercity, and it's the coolest sequence. It's the music, and you see the way that it's edited together and cut together. It just looks so seedy and it really paints a picture of where they're from and what it's like. It's also the music in Arcane, I think, is probably my maybe second favorite thing about the entire show. I think it's so good and so well placed. That's probably one of my favorite sequences.

Arcane is on Netflix. And let's talk about or touch on season 2, which is finally coming out soon. The second and final season, I should say. How long ago did you record?

I say nothing because I'm terrified of getting sued by Netflix. However, what I will say is it's very good and it [will be] out soon.

Talk a little bit about being a part of Star Trek: Prodigy and getting to voice a character that means a lot to a new generation of Star Trek fans.

Just an incredibly humbling experience. I really don't know anything about Star Trek. I was not a big Star Trek fan before I got involved. And what I loved about it was that, like you said, you are bringing it to a new generation. I know how much it means to so many people. I know how important it is, and I know what an honor it is to be a part of the world of Star Trek. And so being able to actually see that in real life [at conventions] was really cool.

In Yellowjackets, how did it feel for you to watch yourself get cooked and eaten?

I knew it was going to happen. I kind of put two and two together. But I was filming Fallout and the schedule was very, very demanding. I was exhausted, and I was getting the scripts for [Yellowjackets] season 2, but I wasn't maybe reading them as quickly as I should have been. I had a lot going on. And, I just woke up one morning, and I had all these pictures from my Yellowjackets cast mates of them taking selfies with my charred corpse. You know when you wake up and you're like, don't know where you are, it was like that but on steroids because I woke up and I was like, 'am I dead? What's happened?' So it was a little bit disconcerting. I'm gonna tell you a secret. I actually haven't watched that episode because I don't know what it's going to do to my mental health.

What is it like to be introduced to these communities and accepted by these really passionate communities?

It's really nice. It can be really daunting coming into a franchise that's so beloved. I reframe the way I think about it because I try not to be afraid of it and I try to really do my part to do it justice, do the source material justice. It was very important to me that I tried to understand the law of Fallout as much as I could, that I played the game, that I spent my time on Reddit on the forums doing my research.

If you'd like to see more videos of Ella Purnell from FANEXPOChicago, be sure to head over to our X (Twitter) page to watch them all!