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To be the very model of a modern major character like the heartily earnest Lucy MacLean from Fallout on Amazon's Prime Video, it takes work. For actor Ella Purnell who brought Lucy to life, it took a lot of reference - both in the basics such as the script, talking to the showrunners, and using their fashion, but as she told us in her MCM x EGX 2024 spotlight panel, it also involved watching movies & TV for specific characters.

"I'm just fascinated by psychology and building characters. I really would love to be a proper character actor where I transform a lot, and that for me is everything," Purnell told Popverse's Veronica Valencia, who moderated the panel. "Watching a lot of things that are good [comparisons] and [give] references for the tone of the show or film that you're in. For Fallout, it was Ned Flanders [from Parks & Recreation] and Leslie Knope [from Parks & Recreation]. And a lot of Ted Lasso thrown in there as well."

That's a smart trio of good-natured, well-mannered, cheery types that fits the rustic Americana vibe of Fallout, especially maligned against the apocalyptic vibe of Fallout. But that's not all she watched.

"I watched a lot of westerns, because that was something Lucy did. She loved watching westerns with her dad, and thinks like that," she added.

You can watch the full Ella Purnell spotlight panel from MCM x EGX 2024 as a Popverse member anytime.

Catch up with all out MCM/EGX 2024 coverage here.