The real friends are the ones who celebrate with you.
— Ella Purnell
When you're growing up, the most important thing is to try to not change yourself too much. Be you, because everyone else is taken.
What I use when I'm acting comes from what I learn about myself.
All women are strong, and we don't need to write stronger female roles; what we need to start writing is real women that have emotions and have real-life thoughts.
Whenever anybody asked me, 'Who is your number one director to work with?' I would always say Tim Burton.
I don't know any 21-year-old who's not having an existential crisis.
I love movies where you can tell who's directed it even before the credits roll in, like Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino. People who make very stylized types of film.
I didn't really have idols growing up, but some of my friends were huge fangirls.
I love pasta. It's something in the water. The pasta and the bread in New York are so good.
I'd like to be smart, fun, and real. It's very easy to just put together a pretty dress, some heels, and some jewels. I don't want to be that girl. It's all about being brave, taking risks. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
The 1950s is my favourite era.
It's very hard to not give in, to sell your soul: to flatter a more experienced male person of power, a producer or director, in order to get what you want. You feel a pressure to flutter your eyelashes and flirt because you know that will work, and I think it's admirable to not do that.
The detail that goes into couture stuff is insane. Everything is handmade - every sequin, every double stitch.
That's something I want to do: cover all sorts of genres to find the one I love most.
Moving to New York is a big, brave thing to do.
When I got to know Margot Robbie on the set of 'The Legend of Tarzan,' I learned just how important it is to be lovely to everyone you meet.
Amy Winehouse is one of my biggest inspirations.
At 9, I started taking classes at Sylvia Young Theatre School. One day, they asked if I wanted to join their agency. You get in if you're cute, I guess.
I like to prove people wrong.
I have anxiety and have had depression in the past.
The world is changing, and you have to keep up with the way the world is changing as well as your own expectations that you set for yourself or that your family might set you.
I don't want to inspire people to look pretty and buy makeup. I want to inspire them to knit scarves for Syrian refugees.
I always feel like sugar cubes aren't big enough.
I'm really interested in food now. I never used to be. I always used to just eat when I'm hungry, and now it's an experience.
What I love about this job is it's literally a different day every single day, isn't it? One day you're a nurse, the next day you're in a band - you can just make it up. I'm just a big kid, and that's really what this job is - just playing dress-up every day.
I can't just pretend to be someone else all my life. I have to mix it up.
Growing up and working at the same time is difficult.
I want to be a part of a movie that changes people's conceptual framework, and suddenly you see things in a different way.
I used to think fashion was silly, and now I think it can be one of the purest expressions of art.
I think passion in a physical way goes hand in hand with taste and smell.
When I worked with Keira Knightley in 'Never Let Me Go,' I learned how to be classy and sophisticated.
I think it's really hard for filmmakers to adapt books.
I did a bit of baby modeling. I loved it.
If someone says I can't do something, I always think I'm going to totally do this to annoy you.
I'm very fortunate that I really like acting, but it's not all I want to do. I love to sing. I love blues. I love jazz.
Twenty is a hard time. It doesn't matter what profession you're in or how much experience you have, you're always going to be haunted by this feeling of failing. It's terrifying.
Social media can be so damaging.
I had quite a bit of experience doing things that had been adapted from a book and playing real-life characters and playing the younger version of actors. That's kind of my thing.
I'm blessed with being quite secure - not necessarily about my looks, but if someone says, 'I don't like what you're wearing,' I am never going to go and cry about it. I think that does come with age, though.
I've acted for as long as I can remember, really.
I don't think there was any point where I was like, 'I want to be an actor for the rest of my life.' The nice thing about being a kid is you don't have to make those decisions. Then all of a sudden, you blink, and you're 18.
Keira Knightley remains one of my mentors. I absolutely love her and will turn to her for industry advice or reassurance or validation at any time. She is very classy and elegant and lovely. I have a bit of a woman-crush on Keira.
There's a joke in my family that I'm going to make a career out of playing other people's younger selves.
I can do a really good animal impression! I'm great at ducks, cats, dogs, and occasionally dolphins.
