It was difficult to imagine the charming Ella Purnell as a psychotic killer until her role in the Starz series Sweetpea. In this show, she portrays Rhiannon Lewis, a girl who is often overlooked by others. Rhiannon manifests her suppressed rage by going on a killing spree against those who have wronged her. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Purnell discussed her approach to playing a serial killer.
“I know actors are never supposed to judge their characters, and I try hard not to judge my character,” she said. The Yellowjackets star explained that she can neither justify murder nor comprehend how people can take someone’s life but she could relate to her character’s need to be seen and heard.
“The feeling of being seen and having an impact. And, what could be more permanent and impactful than ending someone’s life?” was something she used to play her character. Her character’s arc goes from being a wallflower to a murderer to being a sexually and professionally in-charge woman.
The actress elaborated on playing different phases of her character and portraying the gradual transition she went through. “It was very important to me that I was able to beat out very, very subtle shifts,” she said. “Every single scene should feel like one percent of change or one percent of growth. She is developing so quickly in real-time.”
When asked whether she would define Lewis based on her heinous activities or if there was something more to her, Purnell said she “struggles” to pinpoint it. “ I am a very, very empathetic person. I can get inside anyone’s head, and I can justify anything. And it’s hard in a situation like this to do it,” she added. The actress focuses on her character’s emotional motivations to understand her actions.
Whatever happened to Lewis as a child, she carried it through her adulthood and created a victim mentality, which Purnell found flawed. “just because these horrible things have happened to her, it doesn’t justify what she does — it makes you understand why she’s doing it,” she explained.
