‘I Want Each Role To Scare Me A Bit’: Ella Purnell Talks About Why She Takes On Such Complex Characters, And Honestly It Makes Me Love Her Roles Even More

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When it comes to new shows coming out on the 2024 TV schedule, one that you must see is Sweetpea. The October release sees Fallout familiar Ella Purnell star as the quiet-but-powerful Rhiannon, a wallflower who begins to murder people after shying from confrontation for most of her life. Purnell has regularly played complex characters such as Rhiannon and Lucy MacLean, but now, the actress has explained why she chooses those roles in the most perfect way.

The dark comedy is about Rhiannon, a young woman who begins to slowly become more sure of herself as she murders people who take advantage of her, leading her down a long road of twists and turns. It's a story that many people can understand – after years of being put down and stepped over as if she were invisible, she fights for her right to be seen when all she's done is give and give for others. Obviously this takes more of a twisted turn with the inclusion of killings and juxtaposing that with her character finally standing up for herself is what makes Rhiannon such a complex character.

Purnell's been on this train with roles for a while. From her time as Jackie in the Yellowjackets Season 1 cast to her starring voice role in Arcane -- one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix -- Purnell hasn't shied away from embracing characters who aren't black and white. While speaking to her about Sweetpea, I had the chance to ask the actress why she loves to take on gigs like this, and her response was simple: that she's drawn to those roles and wants each part "to scare her" a little as an actress.

I swear it's just a coincidence. I think I'm really drawn to challenges. I want each role, each job, to scare me a bit. And I want to finish it feeling like I've grown not only as an actor and a creator, but also as a person. That I'm somehow better for it or have learned something from it. And I suppose I don't want to do the same thing.

As someone who has enjoyed much of Purnell's career, she's gone all over the map when it comes to the characters she has played, all of which have their distinct personalities. Jinx, a great TV villain and one of the main characters of Arcane, is very different from a character like Lucy, whom Purnell will be reprising in Fallout Season 2. But both have distinct storylines and intricate backgrounds that lure the Sweetpea star in.

Purnell elaborated on this fact, stating that if she feels she's "done" a role before, she doesn't really want to do it again and that if it doesn't scare her, it's not worth the time:

If I feel like I'm reading a part that I could do easily or I've done it before, it's kind of similar to another one, or it doesn't scare me, I don't really want anything to do with it, and they're kind just the things that I'm drawn to. And then I think the murder and the blood and the trauma just kind of comes with the territory of things that feel like they would be difficult to do.

With Sweetpea, Purnell continues to expand on her already vast catalogue of incredible characters, and I have a feeling that with this new addition, we're all going to want more from Rhiannon. And honestly, as someone who has loved every single one of her roles, the idea that she does it to "scare" herself a little and get out of her comfort zone increases my respect so much -- and makes me want to rewatch the shows of hers that I enjoy.

Even if more Sweatpea doesn't end up being on the docket, I'm sure you'll be seeing Purnell in more interesting stories as well. Either way, get ready for Purnell to keep embracing the "scary."