2024 was a landmark year for female-led storytelling in movies and TV shows. Actresses such as Margaret Qualley (The Substance), Anya Taylor-Joy (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Maika Monroe (Longlegs), and many more talented stars stole the spotlight this year. Among them, there was a rising star who had a breakthrough year across all the mediums. Yes, I’m talking about none other than Ella Purnell, the new actress everyone adores. Okie Dokie, it’s time to take a look at how Ella Purnell is taking over Hollywood with her incredible acting prowess.
Continues to be a Powerhouse in Voice Acting
Ella Purnell, the English star, has been acting since 2015 and has been involved in several popular movies and TV series, including Kick-Ass 2, Maleficent, Sweetbitter, Yellowjackets, and more. She had already begun establishing herself as a rising star by then. However, she unexpectedly got the biggest breakthrough in her career voice acting the blue-haired impulsive Arcane character — Jinx.
She was adored by the fans for lending her dynamic voice to the mad genius, Jinx, who has become a legendary character in animated series history within a short span.
Purnell won her first Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television in 2021 for her role as Jinx in Arcane. Since then, she has also worked as a voice actor for the TV series, Star Trek: Prodigy and Invincible Season 2. But, Ella returned as the blue-haired girl Jinx in Arcane Season 2, which premiered this year, and gave a phenomenal performance. It was the final season of the series, and Ella breathed her soul into Jinx’s character. I’m calling it here first but she will once again win accolades for voicing Jinx in the upcoming awards season.
We don’t know if Jinx will return in the upcoming League of Legends spin-offs, but if she does, the whole fandom would unanimously want Ella Purnell back in her shoes. Well, that’s a testament to her invigorating voice-acting performance and the love she has among the fans.
Ella Purnell is the New Acting Sensation in Town
Purnell didn’t just prevail in the voice-acting and animated medium as she captivated the viewers with her acting performances in two of the best TV shows of 2024. Earlier this year, Ella starred as Lucy MacLean in Prime Video’s blockbuster adaptation of Fallout (a winner of The Game Awards 2024). She nailed the role as the naive vault-dweller who has to adapt to the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles to find her father. Her phenomenal performance as the main protagonist was one of the main reasons behind the show’s success this year.
Fast forward to October 2024, Purnell returned to our screens as the main star of the new TV show, Sweetpea, but this time she dipped her toes in the dark comedy genre. She played a transformative role as Rhiannon and her portrayal of a serial killer was lauded by critics and fans alike. The show has been renewed for a second season, and Ella will continue to amaze the fans as Rhiannon once more.
Doesn’t Wanna Be Typecast as the Video Game Actress
2024 was a milestone year for Ella Purnell in her career with her reigning supreme in the fields of acting and voice-acting. Her back-to-back remarkable performances charmed the entertainment fans and got everyone like the famous Star War meme — “We will watch your career with great interest.” Every fan, particularly gamers, wants Purnell to star in more video game TV show and movie adaptations that are coming out in plenty these days.
However, Ella has made up her mind about her future roles. In an interview with GamesRadar, she remarked the truth that she isn’t a gamer and doesn’t want to continue playing the roles in the video game universe. In her words, “Here’s the truth, and I feel guilty saying this, but I’m not a gamer, and I don’t know how I’ve managed to land two video game adaptations that have both been good.” She further mentioned:
I actually think I need to stay away from video game adaptations now, because I’m going to get typecast. I’m going to be the video game girl – Ella Purnell
Fans understood that Ella doesn’t want to be typecast as a typical video game girl actor. She recently made a major leap in her career, thanks to stellar videogame adaptations. She will reprise her role in Fallout season 2, but it looks like it might be the end of the road for her video game roles for now. It is time for Purnell to experiment with other genres to establish herself as one of the greatest and most versatile actresses of the modern era.
Watching Ella Purnell across various favorite movies and TV shows has been a joy for me this year. I totally agree with her decision regarding how she aims to keep ascending in her career, without the studios only picking her up for video game roles. I wish her nothing but the best for future projects, and I hope to become a bigger fan of hers in the future.
