Ella Purnell Steps Back from Video Game Adaptations After ‘Fallout’ and ‘Arcane’ Success

Ella Purnell, the acclaimed actress behind two of the most celebrated video game adaptations in recent years, has announced she plans to step back from the genre. Purnell, who voiced Jinx in Netflix‘s ‘Arcane‘ and starred as Lucy in Amazon’s ‘Fallout,’ revealed her decision during a panel at MCM x EGX 2024 in London. ‘I actually think I need to stay away from video game adaptations now, because I’m going to get typecast,’ she said. ‘I’m going to be the video game girl. There are worse things to be than that, I suppose.’

Purnell’s performances in both series have earned widespread acclaim. ‘Arcane,’ set in the ‘League of Legends‘ universe, boasts a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for both seasons, while ‘Fallout’ holds a 94% rating and became one of Amazon Prime Video‘s most-watched shows in 2024. Despite her success, Purnell admitted she is not a gamer and finds her involvement in these projects somewhat serendipitous. ‘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 confessed.

The actress, known for her roles in ‘Yellowjackets‘ and ‘Sweetbitter,’ shared that her preparation for ‘Arcane’ involved extensive research into Jinx, a fan-favorite character from ‘League of Legends.’ ‘When I found out I’d got the role, I did a lot of research,’ Purnell said. ‘There are tons of stuff about Jinx online, so I got really involved, and got very intimidated and excited at the same time.’ Her portrayal of Jinx, inspired by DC’s Harlequin, required her to channel high energy and intensity. ‘[I’m] just giving it like 150% and then come out and crash,’ she explained.

In ‘Fallout,’ Purnell played Lucy MacLean, a character who evolves from naive optimism to hardened realism over the course of the first season. The show, set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, has been praised for its faithful adaptation of the beloved video game series. Purnell revealed that her personal experiences helped shape Lucy’s emotional journey, particularly in the climactic scenes where Lucy confronts her mother and pursues her father, Hank. ‘What helped was the note that I got from [director] Wayne [Yip]… it’s just a feeling of giving up,’ she told GQ. ‘Of just knowing that everything is completely out of your control.’

While Purnell will return for ‘Fallout’ Season 2, which is set to begin production in 2025, she has no plans to take on additional video game roles. ‘My only preparation so far is that I’m attempting to work out — and that’s just me knowing that in six months I’m going to be running up a hill 500 times and trying not to have an asthma attack,’ she joked. Fans can also look forward to seeing her reprise her role as Rhiannon Lewis in the second season of ‘Sweetpea.’

Purnell’s decision to step back from video game adaptations comes at a time when the genre is experiencing a renaissance, with shows like ‘Arcane’ and ‘Fallout’ leading the charge. Her contributions have undoubtedly left a lasting impact, proving that video game adaptations can resonate with both fans and critics alike.