If you’ve been dreaming of Ella Purnell becoming a gaming superstar, brace yourself for a letdown. It turns out she’s not actually a gamer and is looking to steer away from video game roles after her stints in “Fallout” and “Arcane.”
During her appearance at MCM x EGX 2024, as reported by Popverse, Purnell touched on how fortunate she felt to land the roles of Lucy and Jinx in these popular series. However, she also revealed she’s not eager to dive deeper into the realm of video game adaptations.
She confessed, “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. I don’t know how that’s happened, but it has. I don’t know the answer.” This might come as a surprise to those who thought she was a casual gamer, given her expressed interest in the Fallout games and lore beyond just her scripts for the series.
And she’s not off the mark. While the quality of video game adaptations—whether animated or live-action—has improved over the years, the occasional flop still sneaks through. Look at the disastrous Borderlands movie that finally hit theaters this summer. With Hollywood pushing video games as the next treasure trove for ideas, we’ve got to remember that not every adaptation is guaranteed to be a hit. In fact, we’re still stunned by just how impressive the first season of “Fallout” turned out to be.
Actors tend to have a dilemma when they repeatedly work within a single niche: they risk being typecast, and when that genre fades, so could their careers. Purnell is mindful of this and wants to avoid being pigeonholed as just the “video game girl.” “I actually think I need to stay away from video game adaptations now, because I’m going to get typecast,” she explained. “I’m going to be the video game girl. There are worse things to be than that, I suppose.” Considering her success with shows like “Yellowjackets” and “Sweetpea,” it seems wise to explore other avenues.
But don’t count her out of the video game world just yet. There’s still a chance Purnell could reprise her role as Jinx if she makes a comeback in future League of Legends series post-Arcane season 2. Plus, with “Fallout” filming its second season, there’s no doubt she’ll remain involved for a while. Just don’t expect her to jump into any brand-new video game projects. Not many actors can boast of starring in such outstanding video game adaptations, after all.
