Ella Maisy Purvis
Ella Maisy Purvis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 June 2003 |
| Education | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Television | A Kind of Spark Patience |
Ella Maisy Purvis (born 2 June 2003) is an English actress.
Early life
[edit]From South London, Purvis was born on 2 June 2003 to an urban planner mother and a business coach father.[1] She trained as a classical ballet dancer before pursuing acting as a career.[2] She studied acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[3] She was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17 and has said the diagnosis helped her, because she realised "that's why I need to do this or that” and that with it, life became "a lot easier to navigate because you don’t blame yourself".[4]
Career
[edit]She had television roles in Heartstopper and in A Kind of Spark.[5] In 2024, she was nominated for The Breakthrough Award by the Northern Ireland Royal Television Society for her work on A Kind of Spark.[6]
In 2025, she appeared in her first lead role in Channel 4 crime drama Patience, in which she plays a crime-solving neurodivergent police archivist called Patience Evans alongside a detective, Bea Metcalfe (Laura Fraser).[7] Carol Midgely in The Times said that Purvis does not "overact" the character's condition, "showing it in overt and subtle ways".[8] Purvis herself is autistic and has ADHD, which she was quoted as saying could "bring a level of authenticity to the narrative that would otherwise be lacking, which just makes for a more engaging and meaningful story".[9]
She had upcoming roles in romantic comedy film CC: Emily and the 2025 reboot of crime drama Bergerac.[10]
Filmography
[edit]| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Heartstopper | Girl 1 | Series 1; episode 4: "Secret" |
| 2023 | Malpractice | Josephine Paige | Episode 2 |
| Blueprint | Cass | Short film | |
| 2023–2024 | A Kind of Spark | Elinor Fraser / Bonnie Bridges | Series 1 & 2; 19 episodes |
| 2025 | Patience | Patience Evans | Lead role; episodes 1–6 |
| Bergerac † | Sophie Armstrong | Reboot of original series. Post-production | |
| TBA | CC: Emily † | Meg | Film. Post-production |
References
[edit]- ^ Brown, Helen (31 December 2024). "Ella Maisy Purvis interview: 'We're finally seeing autistic people on our screens that aren't Rain Man'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
- ^ Jessop, Vicky (8 January 2025). "Patience: who's who in the cast of the Channel 4 detective drama?". Evening Standard. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Parker, Robin (7 January 2025). "Patience star: 'It's common for dramas to infantilise autistic women'". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Lofthouse, Tia (2 January 2025). "Interview: Ella Maisy Purvis". Time and Leisure. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Lobb, Adrian (8 January 2025). "Ella Maisy Purvis on crime drama Patience and why she doesn't want to be a 'robotic, asexual drone'". Big Issue. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ "FINALISTS REVEALED FOR 2024 RTS NORTHERN IRELAND TELEVISION AWARDS". RTS.org.uk. 11 September 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Hourihane, Anne-Marie (8 January 2025). "Patience the neurodiverse detective confronts crime that's too grisly to be called cosy". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Midgely, Carol (8 January 2025). "Patience review — the latest crime-solving duo have just a twist of difference". The Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Craig, David (8 January 2025). "Patience star on casting neurodivergent actors – and "challenging" first week on set". Radio Times. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
- ^ Blow, John (3 January 2025). "North Shore with Joanne Froggatt, Playing Nice with James Norton and Patience. TV highlights this week". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
External links
[edit]- Ella Maisy Purvis at IMDb
- Ella Maisy Purvis at Spotlight