Ella Purnell Found A Critical Design Flaw In The Fallout Vault Suit Even Todd Howard & Bethesda Couldn’t: “You’re working a 16-hour day and suddenly…”

Lucy's vault suit is straight out of the games, but doesn't score high on practicality.

https://fandomwire.com/ella-purnell-found-design-flaw-fallout-vault-suit/

SUMMARY

  • The long-awaited Fallout TV series is finally here on Amazon Prime, and was praised for its costumes that bring the wasteland to life.
  • Actors Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten faced challenges with their costumes - Purnell's impractical vault suit and Moten's heavy power armor.
  • Despite the scorching heat and costume difficulties, the cast persevered, creating a series true to the harsh wasteland.
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Fans of the post-apocalyptic Fallout video game series don’t need to wait any more for its highly anticipated TV adaptation, as the series has finally started streaming on Amazon Prime, that too with rave reviews and excellent reception.

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While the VFX and set design are sure to impress, the costumes also play a huge role in bringing the harsh reality of the wasteland to life. However, for lead actors Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten, these costumes weren’t just immersive – they were downright challenging.

Purnell Reveals Her Number One Issue With The Vault Suit

The one-piece vault suit made going to the loo a bit of a task for Purnell. Credit: Amazon
The one-piece vault suit made going to the loo a bit of a task for Purnell. Credit: Amazon

Purnell takes on the role of Lucy, a vault dweller who has spent her entire life underground. Her costume, a bright blue and yellow jumpsuit, looks one-to-one with the games. But while the jumpsuit might look sleek on screen, Purnell quickly discovered a practical problem. Speaking with Variety, she said:

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You play these games and you don’t think about how hard it is to pee in a vault suit. Then you wear a costume and you’re working a 16-hour day and suddenly you’re butt-naked in a cubicle, because you got to take your whole thing off to pee.

Moten, on the other hand, faced a different kind of challenge. He portrays Maximus, a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, known for their iconic power armor. This suit of advanced weaponry might look intimidating on screen, but for Moten, it was a 120-pound burden. Taking it off wasn’t a quick process either, as it required a full 10–12 minutes.

Fallout‘s Cast Endured Agonizing Weather While Filming

Ella Purnell in Fallout (2024) | Image via Amazon Studios.
Ella Purnell in Fallout (2024) | Image via Amazon Studios.

The scorching heat of the different filming locations made things even tougher for the cast and crew. Speaking about the harsh weather conditions and how the actors mitigated their effects, Moten only had one thing to thank:

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Cold packs. On a set as large as ours, there are so many people to help us through any hard days. Any action sequences out in the sun in this show are most likely brutally hot.

Interestingly, Purnell sees the heat as a strange kind of authenticity. “It’s so ‘Fallout,’ isn’t it?” she observes. The harshness of the wasteland is a core tenet of the franchise, and the heat, while unpleasant for the actors, makes their performances that much more immersive.

The power armor apparently weighed a portly 120lbs. Credit: Amazon
The power armor apparently weighed a portly 120lbs. Credit: Amazon

Thanks to the actors’ insights about the impracticality of Fallout‘s costumes and the brutal filming conditions, their dedication to bring the beloved wasteland to life is even more appreciable. The combined efforts of the cast and crew have resulted in an adaptation that sits among the all-time greats.

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All eight episodes of Fallout are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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Written by Viraaj Bhatnagar

Articles Published: 193

A lifelong gamer, lover of cars, and Master's student of Automotive Journalism, Viraaj Bhatnagar is a gaming writer at FandomWire who aims to be one of the greats. When he's not hunched over on his laptop typing out copy, he can be found lapping circuits in Gran Turismo or slaying draugr in God of War.