Actress Ella Purnell is currently riding high on the success of the Amazon Prime Video series Fallout. An adaptation of the games by Bethesda, the series received positive acclaim from critics and audiences alike, with Purnell’s Lucy even becoming a popular meme. The series was reportedly renewed for another season due to the first’s success.
Fallout is not the video game adaptation Purnell will be seen this year as the second season of the Netflix series Arcane is set to release this November. The actress will be reprising her role as Powder a.k.a Jinx in the League of Legends adaptation. Purnell mentioned that one Harry Potter star inspired her unhinged performance in the animated series.
Ella Purnell Was Inspired By Harry Potter’s Bellatrix For Arcane
Ella Purnell has had a great year with the release of her post-apocalyptic action series Fallout. The actress played the role of Lucy, a perpetually optimistic Vault-dweller who gets out to search for her father in the Wasteland. The actress’ performance was lauded by critics and audiences, along with the rest of the show as well.
Purnell will also be returning to voice the role of Jinx, the unhinged criminal in Arcane. The show explored her origins as Powder, the sister of Violet a.k.a Vi, and their experiences as orphaned children in the city of Piltover. Powder and Vi are separated after their gang is killed in an explosion involving her, making Vi call her a ’jinx’.
Jinx is known for her unpredictable and violent tendencies, often causing a lot of harm to the people around her. Ella Purnell mentioned that while she was obviously inspired by Harley Quinn from the DC comics, she also was heavily influenced by Helena Bonham Carter’s performance as Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. She said to Looper,
It’s this like chaotic, violent anarchy energy. And we see that a lot with men, and we don’t see that often with women. So knowing that that was the energy I was going for, she was obviously a great jumping-off point. And I didn’t really think about Bellatrix Lestrange, but yeah, she, Helena Bonham Carter, has always been a huge influence for me. So maybe there [were] little vibes of that too. Subconscious.
Carter’s Bellatrix is one of the most unhinged villains in the Harry Potter franchise. The loyal follower of Lord Voldemort is first seen escaping Azkaban in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and is responsible for the death of Sirius Black in the climax of the film.
Ella Purnell’s Jinx Might Not Have A Happy Ending in Arcane Season 2
While season one of the Netflix series Arcane depicted the tragic backstory of Hailee Steinfeld’s Vi and Ella Purnell’s Jinx, the second season is reportedly even more devastating. The upcoming season is set to release this November, with the new teaser trailer revealing that Jinx is on the run.
Purnell revealed in an interview with TechRadar earlier this year that the second season will be heart-wrenching and devastating for her character Jinx. She even admitted that she was in tears while recording her bits for the show. She said,
I actually just went back into the studio to complete some ADR [automated dialog replacement] for the season 2 finale – and I cried. So, I think other people will cry, too. It’s devastating, and nobody will feel good after watching it.
Jinx has already been through enough devastating events in her life that have made her extremely volatile and unhinged. The trailer for the second and final season even indicates a possible death of the character, with Vi saying, “My sister is gone”. The epic clash between the two sisters might just be more than an emotional breakdown.
Arcane Season 1 is streaming on Netflix.
