Ella Purnell is having a huge year. Between her roles in Arcane, Sweetpea, and Fallout, the Yellowjackets star is finally having her moment as one of the most promising young actors on television. But much earlier in her career — 2010 to be exact — she had her feature film debut in the Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation Never Let Me Go. Directed by Mark Romanek and starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley in its leading roles, the film features Purnell as the younger version of Knightley’s character, Ruth. Though she had a relatively brief role in the film’s first act, Purnell was key to building the character of Ruth, and the role not only put her on the map, but showed her potential for playing complex characters.

‘Never Let Me Go’ Teases Ella Purnell’s Star Power

Never Let Me Go is set in a dystopian alternate reality where children are raised to be organ donors without their consent. Called “carers,” those who are selected for this role in society will gradually give away all their vital organs to others, and therefore will die in early adulthood. Meanwhile, the carers’ sacrifice ensures that the average human life span can extend beyond 100 years. When the film begins, Ruth (Purnell) and Kathy (Izzy Meikle-Small) are best friends at Hailsham, an English boarding school for carers which is run by Miss Emily (Charlotte Rampling). Purnell’s Ruth is more popular and outgoing than Kathy, who is very quiet. As tweens, Ruth and Kathy become involved in a love triangle with their classmate Tommy (Charlie Rowe). At first mocking Kathy for her crush on Tommy, Ruth later pursues him behind Kathy’s back, and the two start dating.

Related Ella Purnell and Tim Burton’s Forgotten Fantasy Adventure Is Waiting for You on Streaming Before ‘Sweetpea’ and ‘Fallout,’ Ella Purnell charmed audiences in this lesser-known Tim Burton film.

There is a jealous, mean streak to Ruth, as opposed to Kathy’s constant gentle resignation. Ruth may act selfishly and jealously, but Purnell also shows Ruth’s knowing and sometimes hurt expressions as she watches her friend and Tommy flirt with each other. In one scene, Ruth walks in on Kathy sitting on her bed listening to a tape that Tommy gave her, and when Kathy turns to see Ruth, rather than making fun of her friend as she had done before, she is silent, with an expression of wounded clarity, as though she knows with certainty that Tommy chose Kathy over her. It is only after this moment that Ruth pursues Tommy for herself. The same dynamics persist as the trio gets older, and Knightley portrays Ruth’s flaws (cruelty, impulsiveness) but also her care and selflessness, particularly towards the end of the film. Even at age 14, Purnell set up a stoic, interesting character that Knightley could build upon for the second half of the film.

Ella Purnell Consistently Brings Nuance to Her Characters
Image via Showtime

In her earliest role, Purnell had the challenge of playing, to some degree, a mean girl. However, because of her performance, Ruth comes across as someone who has a lot going on inside. Purnell seems to have carried this ability to make even the most unlikable characters interesting with her going forward. In a 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Purnell explained that she was adamant that Jackie in Yellowjackets be more than a stereotypical mean girl, adding that she “definitely was over playing anything close to stereotypical” and “wanted to make sure that she was vulnerable.”

Purnell’s performance in Sweetpea stands out as one of her most intriguing roles to date, as she goes from an anxious, neglected wallflower to a serial killer in a shocking character arc. In an interview with Collider, Purnell showed the deep character analysis she did on Rhiannon, explaining that “I underestimated her, and not in the murder sense, but just because someone’s quiet doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot to say.” Just like she did with Ruth, Purnell found the human core in Rhiannon, a character who we might be tempted not to empathize with. Purnell’s transformative role in Never Let Me Go was just the beginning of her exciting, dynamic career.

Never Let Me Go is available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.

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Release Date October 15, 2010 Runtime 103 Minutes Main Genre Drama Writers Alex Garland , Kazuo Ishiguro Tagline Based on Expand