A New Face in Crime Television
A new TV detective show centered around the Yorkshire Police is set to catapult star Ella Maisy Purvis into a whole new stratosphere. Absolutely finds out why she is one to watch in 2025.
From Award Nominations to Leading Roles
Absolutely is comparing framed award certificates with Ella Maisy Purvis. Hers is fresh from a nomination for an RTS Breakthrough Award for her role in A Kind of Spark, mine is a football coaching award from three years ago. Whereas my coaching career pretty much ended then, you get the sense this recognition is just the beginning for Ella, particularly with her first lead role soon to hit our TV screens.
Introducing Patience Evans
Ella plays Patience Evans, who works in the criminal records department of Yorkshire Police, cataloguing and filing the evidence produced during major cases. A young autistic woman, she craves routine and order, relishing the solitude and structure her job provides but she yearns for more. A brilliant, self-taught criminologist, Patience has an instinctive eye for crime scenes and a passion for problem-solving. Detective Bea Metcalf (Breaking Bad’s Laura Fraser) is the first person to spot and utilize her talent, which opens a door into a whole new world for Patience.
Landing the Role
“It was an open call,” Ella says on how she first heard about the part. “I was filming something in Ireland and what really drew me to it was the production company, Eagle Eye. They were like, this is no question, we are casting an autistic person as the autistic lead [Ella is neurodivergent]. I was OK, I feel confident I am in safe hands from the get go here, so I sent in a tape, but I was so tired when I did it…”
Ella goes on to describe her audition process, including her self-perceived awkwardness and her surprise at landing the role despite feeling she had “blown it.”
Ella’s Enthusiasm and Authenticity
This wonderful snippet of our interview is Ella in a nutshell. It’s 30 minutes where we go off on wonderful tangents, full of colourful language (oddly refreshing), that you just don’t know what will come next. As she says, this is all new to her – being interviewed – so for now we are just enjoying going on the ride with Ella.
A Passion for Crime Dramas
“Firstly, I love crime dramas,” she grins. “I can quote Line of Duty, word by word, I love it. I read the first episode of Patience and the ending is really, really interesting. It’s a fantastic cliffhanger. I remember thinking when are the other scripts going to come through?”
Ella’s enthusiasm for the script and the character is palpable as she discusses what drew her to the role.
Taking on a Lead Role
“Really scary! I didn’t feel pressure from anyone, it was a good type of nervous, it was an oh my gosh, I am actually doing it! We had a test shoot day and I remember it was in this big cool manor house in Antwerp, costume fittings, meeting everyone, it was snowing and it was gorgeous. I remember standing there with my costume thinking we are in the big league now! I can’t turn back now…”
Behind the Scenes
Despite the show being set within the Yorkshire Police, filming only took place in the county for one week out of a four-month shoot. “We only did a week in York, the rest was in Belgium, a day in France. It felt so surreal, I am in this gorgeous apartment, in a lovely part of Antwerp, a car picks me up every morning, I go to work and there is a trailer with my name on it, surrounded by all these lovely people… On my first day, I saw a guy get set on fire! I was sitting there thinking I get paid to do this.”
Understanding Patience
Ella provides insight into her character, Patience, describing her love for animals, her passion for justice, and her unique perspective as a neurodivergent individual. She reflects on the similarities and differences between herself and Patience, highlighting the depth and complexity of the character.
Portraying Autism on Screen
When asked about portraying autism on screen, Ella thoughtfully responds, emphasizing the importance of showing a young woman with depth and character, viewed through a neurodivergent lens.
Looking Back and Moving Forward
“It was gorgeous,” she says on the experience of A Kind of Spark. “In terms of experience, on season one, I hadn’t been on set for longer than 6-7 hours, and I was there for a couple of months filming and I pretended to know everything, but I was making mental notes. I basically learnt how to be an actor there. Season 2 obviously was fantastic and we have just won an award. I am really vain and I had to frame my nomination.” Ella best make room for plenty more of those in the future.
Patience will be screened on Channel 4 in early 2025.
