After experiencing great success in FalloutElla Purnell’s next leading role is in the STARZ show Sweetpeawhich premieres on October 10. Purnell previously appeared on STARZ with 2017’s Sweet bitterBut her popularity in the industry soared after she starred in Showtime’s Yellowjackets As the charismatic Jackie, a tall soccer captain stranded in the desert with her classmates after a plane crash. in SweetpeaCreated by Kirstie Swain and based on CJ Skuse’s 2017 book of the same name, Purnell plays a deeply troubled young woman named Rhiannon.
The 10 episode series Sweetpea Follows Rhiannon’s depression and anxiety in the wake of her father’s death. Various stressors, such as her sister preparing to sell their family home to Rhiannon’s childhood bully Julia (played by Nicôle Lecky, sense8) and her employer ignores her potential at work in favor of a nepotism hire. She reaches a breaking point that results in a crime of passion, after which she develops a taste for murder—and lands in the crosshairs of a junior detective named Marina (Leah Harvey, foundation).
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Screen Rant Interviewed Purnell about her role in SweetpeaHow she saw the various complicated character relationships in the new STARZ show, and what she expects will happen in it Fallout Season 2.
Ella Purnell breaks down the adversarial dynamic in Sweetpea
“The disappearance is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that she carried into her adult life.”
Screen Rant: I love the different dynamics in SweetpeaBut of course, it all starts with Rhiannon vs. Julia. Why did Julia have such a hold on her so many years after the bullying?
Ella Purnell: That’s a great question. It’s definitely Rhiannon’s heart and not something I’ve talked about very much today, actually. I’m really glad you took it. I think she is, as often happens when you experience a traumatic event in childhood, stuck in the past. She can’t understand what happened to her. She can’t process it, she can’t accept it, and it really feeds into everything in Rihannon’s life.
When we meet Rihanna in episode 1, she is invisible. No one sees her. She is considered a wallflower, and that is how she is labeled, and she was frightened. But also I think that it is something that is a little self-inflicted. I think when she was a child, she learned how to hide away to avoid her school bully. And so this invisibility is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy that she carried into her adult life.
Screen Rant: There’s also Marina, the junior detective played by Leah Harvey. They have a moment of understanding early on, but you still have to cover up some murders. Can you talk about your cat-and-mouse game with the cop?
Ella Purnell: Yes, I love Leah too. They are such a phenomenal actor, and it is a joy to work with them. Some of my favorite scenes are Rihanna vs. Marina, and the cat-and-mouse thing is so exciting. Of course, it works as a fantastic narrative device to heighten the stakes and the unseen.
I was just talking about how Rhiannon loves when she starts to kill and feel the power. She likes to be visible, but then she is also visible. Marina is on you, and as you say, Marina sees you. What are the chances that someone who has connected so much with Rhiannon, who is really inside Rhiannon’s head, is assigned to her case? I think Rhiannon sees that, and she realizes that this is a real threat. This person sees you in a way that no one else does.
Looking forward to Sweetpea & Fallout Season 2
“It could really go a million different ways, and I’m really excited to see what they choose.”
Screen Rant: The last episode left me immediately needing season 2. Are you hoping for season 2, and how far do you expect to take the story?
Ella Purnell: Oh, my God. Let’s get season 1 first and see what people think. I would like to. I adore this character and this team, and this has truly been the most fulfilling, incredible and challenging part of my career. I would be so honored to do it again, but it’s way down the line.
Screen Rant: You’ve been killing it in the TV department lately, in between, YellowjacketsAnd Fallout. What are you most excited for fans to see in Fallout Season 2?
Ella Purnell: I don’t know what they want to see. I don’t have a script yet, so I don’t know when we will film. I am useless because I know nothing. [Laughs]
They left her in such a vulnerable state. I don’t know what will happen. She could become a serial killer, and it would make sense. But she could also just pull her shoes up and oki doki her way out of this situation, and that would make sense too. It really could go a million different ways, and I’m really excited to see what they choose.
More about Sweetpea Season 1
Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make an impression – people pass her in the street without a second glance. That is until she is pushed over the edge and loses control. Rhiannon’s life transforms, but can she keep her killer a secret?
Source: Screen Rant Plus