Ella Maisy Purvis
English actress (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ella Maisy Purvis (born 2 June 2003)[1] is an English actress. On television, she is known for her role in the CBBC series A Kind of Spark (2023–2024) and as the title character in the Channel 4 series Patience (2025–).
Ella Maisy Purvis | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 June 2003 London, England |
| Education | London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (FdA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2022–present |
Early life and education
Purvis was born in South London to an urban planner mother and a business coach father.[2]
She trained as a classical ballet dancer before pursuing acting as a career.[3] She studied acting at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art graduating with a foundation diploma in 2023.[4][5]
Purvis was diagnosed with autism at the age of 17 and has said the diagnosis helped her; with it, life became "a lot easier to navigate because you don’t blame yourself."[6]
Career
Purvis had television roles in Heartstopper and in A Kind of Spark.[7] In 2024, she was nominated for The Breakthrough Award by the Northern Ireland branch of the Royal Television Society for her work on A Kind of Spark.[8]
She appeared in her first lead role in the Channel 4 crime drama Patience in 2025. She played a crime-solving neurodivergent police archivist named Patience Evans, working with detective Bea Metcalfe (Laura Fraser).[9] Carol Midgely in The Times said that Purvis does not "overact" the character's condition, "showing it in overt and subtle ways."[10] Purvis herself is autistic and has ADHD, which she was quoted as saying could "bring a level of authenticity to the narrative that would otherwise be lacking, which just makes for a more engaging and meaningful story."[11] The series was renewed for a second season.[12]
Purvis was among the cast of episode 4, series 1, of the 2025 reboot of crime drama Bergerac.[13]
Filmography
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Heartstopper | Girl 1 | Series 1; episode 4: "Secret" |
| 2023 | Malpractice | Josephine Paige | Series 1; episode 2 |
| Blueprint | Cass | Short film | |
| 2023–2024 | A Kind of Spark | Elinor Fraser / Bonnie Bridges | Series 1 & 2; 19 episodes |
| 2025-present | Patience | Patience Evans | Lead role; 14 episodes |
| 2025 | Bergerac | Sophie Armstrong | Series 1; episode 4 |
| 2026 | Finding Emily | Meg | Supporting role; uncredited |