by Cecilia Farmer

Big, brown eyes. There are few actresses who can pull a viewer in with her gaze alone, but it is the first thing you notice about Ella Purnell in all her films. There’s a child-like innocence that comes through her face which is often juxtaposed with serious, dramatic turns in such notable films as Ways to Live Forever, Maleficent, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. It doesn’t seem altogether long ago she was charming audiences with her alluring, somber performances as a young child actress, but Ms. Purnell is taking on more mature, coming-of-age roles.

This year, Ella Purnell is gathering national attention on the new Starz series Sweetbitter, a show about a naïve, young woman, Tess, who enters New York’s hedonistic, fast-paced restaurant scene as a waitress, unprepared for the behind-the-scenes intrigue and sexual politics. In an interview with Variety, Purnell shared that she identified with Tess because of her transition from child to adult, particularly in the past two years. She feels a duty to faithfully represent a coming-of-age story for a female protagonist that doesn’t involve a love story, “Everything seems to be about love when it comes to coming of age, and it’s not. . . . realizing that you’re an adult and you’re breaking authority, or learning how to trust yourself rather than [being] the adaptive child who does what she’s told; that’s much more of an interesting story to watch.”

We look forward to new developments in Ms. Purnell’s career as she continues to grow in to a seasoned actress and an inspiration for young woman – Happy 22^nd birthday! 

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By Ashley Callahan

Talented actor, Robbie Kay, celebrates his twenty-third birthday today. From sweet, boyish characters to action and science fiction, the young star has grown up in the spotlight. He has appeared in major feature films such as World Wide Motion Pictures’, Ways to Live Forever (2010) and Griff Furst’s Cold Moon (2016). With work that has been notably well received by critics, Alicia Cox of the magazine, Chatelaine, commented on his work in Fugitive Pieces (2007). She states, “Robbie Kay, who plays the young Jakob, gives a remarkable performance with little words and a lot of emotion. When he smiles, you can’t help but to be affected.”

Kay was born in Lymington, Hampshire, England although he moved to Brussels, Belgium at an early age. In 2006, the family moved to Prague where he attended the International School of Prague. After having traveled for much of his early life, he now resides in Houston, Texas, which he relocated to in 2011. His first role was in Peter Webber’s Hannibal Rising (2007). Since then, he has worked with actors such as Christopher Lloyd and Ella Purnell. In 2009, he was nominated for the Young Artist Award for best performance in both Fugitive Pieces (2007) and Pinocchio (2008). He was nominated again in 2014 for a Teen Choice Award for “Choice TV: Villain” for his performance as the sinister Peter-Pan in the Once Upon a Time series. Robbie Kay’s most recent projects have included the independent romantic comedy, No Postage Necessary (2018), and the comedy-horror flick, Blood Fest (2018). We look forward to see where the young star’s career takes him next and wish him well this upcoming year. Happy Birthday, Robbie Kay!

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