Ella Purnell

Born: 17 September 1996

Age:

Years Active: 2009-present

Ella Summer Purnell (born 17 September 1996) is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in West End theatre and films such as Never Let Me Go (2010), Intruders (2011) and Maleficent (2014). Her other films include Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Churchill (2017) and Army of the Dead (2021).

Purnell has starred in series such as Ordeal by Innocence (2018), Belgravia (2020). She is known best for her work in the critically acclaimed series, Yellowjackets (2021–present), Fallout (2024–present) and Sweetpea (2024–present). She has also voiced Jinx in Arcane (2021–2024) and Gwyndala in Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–2024).

Ella Summer Purnell was born in the Whitechapel area of London on 17 September 1996, and grew up in the city's Bethnal Green area. She attended Bethnal Green Montessori, Forest School, the City of London School for Girls and the Young Actors Theatre Islington. She attended weekly drama classes at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

At the age of 18, Purnell intended to put a pause on her acting career, and earn a place at university with the intention of becoming a children's writer or teacher. She decided to travel the world for a year to "find herself" but returned to acting when she was offered a role in Tim Burton's Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), which she accepted as it had been her dream to work with Burton. She described her decision to defer university as "bittersweet at first because it felt like a lost opportunity of a different path in life" but was glad she chose acting.