Fallout TV Series Adds Arcane, Yellowjackets Star Ella Purnell in Lead Role

Ella Purnell, the actress known for her roles in Yellowjackets and Arcane, has been cast in a lead role within the upcoming Fallout TV show, according to new reports. It has not been specified yet which exact role she’ll be taking on in the show nor has Amazon confirmed Purnell’s involvement with the Fallout series. This report makes for the second actor or actress that’s supposedly attached to the show following another report from last month which said Walton Goggins would be taking on a lead role, too.

Variety reported on Purnell’s involvement with the Fallout show but said Amazon did not comment on the character the star would be playing just as it didn’t say anything about Goggins’ role. However, a source described to the outlet that Purnell would play a character who is “upbeat and uncannily direct with an all-American can-do spirit” who also has “an intensity in her eyes” that could make her dangerous.

Goggins, by comparison, is supposedly going to be playing a Ghoul in the Fallout show which is a bit more telling about his character. The Fallout games are filled with all different types of NPCs encompassing all manners of personalities and outlooks, so it’s difficult to associate Purnell’s role with any one character based on that description alone. Many Fallout characters are unnaturally cheery and are certainly dangerous, though, so that sort of role seems like it’ll fit right in with whatever story is planned for the Fallout series.

Prior to this new role, Purnell was already known most recently for her role as the teenage version of Jackie in Paramount’s Yellowjackets series which is currently being talked about via Season 2 updates as of late. She also voiced Jinx in Riot Games’ Arcane show which is based off of League of Legends. Jinx is a pivotal character in the show and has consistently been a popular pick in League itself, so there are plenty of opportunities for Fallout fans to have seen Purnell’s work elsewhere prior to the release of Amazon’s Fallout series.

That show still does not have a release date yet, but we’ve been getting updates on it periodically. Bethesda’s Todd Howard confirmed back in late 2021 that the show was still happening, and earlier this year, it was announced that the series had gained new showrunners.