English actressElla Purnellis going from the optimistic Lucy McLean thatFalloutfans fell in love with, to a violent serial killer with her next role in the Starz thrillerSweetpea. The new series, based on the novel by C.J. Skuse, is Purnell’s first TV role since Prime Video’s post-apocalypticFallout.
The first image of Ella Purnell inSweetpea(courtesy ofTVLine)showcases the actor’s dysfunctional and murderous character, Rhiannon.Struggling with her crumbling life, including a nonchalant boyfriend, a dead-end job, and having to care for her ill father,Rhiannon finds a new, exhilarating hobby: murder.This naturally leads to complications in her normal life, and Rhiannon struggles to keep her buried desires hidden from those around her.
Check out the first-look photo below:
Alongside Ella Purnell (who also executive produces the series),Sweetpeastars Nicole Lecky, Jon Pointing, Leah Harvey, Calam Lynch, and Dustin Demri-Burns.The adaptation was created by Kristie Swain, who executive produces with Purnell.Sweetpeais being directed by Ella Jones. The official synopsis for the new series reads:
“Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make much of an impression — people walk past her in the street without a second glance. She’s continually overlooked for a promotion at work, the guy she likes won’t commit, and her dad is really, really sick. Then everything in her life turns upside down. Rhiannon is pushed over the edge and loses control. Suddenly the wallflower is gone, and in its place is a young woman capable of anything. Rhiannon’s life transforms as she steps into a new, intoxicating power, but can she keep her killer secret?”
Ella Purnell Returns in Fallout Season 2
Ella Purnell’s career broke new ground after her starring role in theShowtime horror seriesYellowjackets.However, Purnell’s most high-profile and popular role to date is Lucy inFallout. Adapted from the acclaimed video game franchise of the same name, Season 1 earned rave reviews from critics and fans, breaking streaming records on Prime Video.Season 2 was quickly announced and is currently in early development.
While no plot details for Season 2 have been released yet, Purnell has discussed where she wants her character to go when the show returns. Starting off in the safety of an underground vault, Lucy slowly becomes shaped and changed by the harsh wasteland throughout the first season. While Purnell hopes that a part ofLucy’s signature all-American optimism remains, she knows that the character has gone through too much to remain entirely unchanged. Purnell said:
“Part of me thinks she’ll always be Lucy, and the other part of me wonders how anyone can survive that betrayal and hurt and trauma. Her entire world has just been ripped apart and ripped at the seams. It crumbled in front of her in a second. She’s always had such strong core beliefs, but they were rooted in her dad. So, when you take away that base foundation, I just don’t know how she’ll fare, I just don’t know.”
Sweetpeareleases on Starz (US) and Sky (International) later this year.
