Why Ella Purnell Was Shocked by Sweetbitter's Second Season
Ella Purnell never worked in fine dining. The closest she ever got was a job at a pub in London; “we served food,” she says, “but it wasn’t the most elite place.” Going into her second season of Sweetbitter, the Starz series on which she plays a newbie employee at one of New York’s most exclusive eateries, however, she doesn’t feel like she’s entirely without the proper professional experience. “I feel like I’ve worked in a restaurant now,” says the actress, who previously appeared in Ordeal by Innocence and will star in the upcoming Julian Fellowes's series Belgravia.
Here she talks to T&C about the series’ shocking first episode and what she’s secretly doing in every restaurant she visits.
The first episode of the new season, which aired last week, opened with a surprising scene. The whole staff of the restaurant goes to a farm, where an animal who’ll be served at the restaurant is slaughtered in front of them. It was unexpected for me as a viewer, was it unexpected for you?
I had no idea! When I first read the script, I hadn’t spoken to anyone about the new season or what the themes would be. But even though the season starts out exciting, it also gets better as it goes on.
In the first season, your character was finding her way in a new job in a new city among new people. The second season skips ahead just a bit. Now that she’s not so wide-eyed, what are you enjoying most about playing her?
In season one, life was happening to Tess and she was always trying to keep her head above water. In this season, she’s reached a place where she’s comfortable enough to start pushing boundaries. What I like so much about this season is that now the big questions aren’t whether she’ll get a job or make a friend, but about whether she’ll become the person she wants to be. She’s given herself permission to ask for what she wants, and while she’s not always likable she’s definitely interesting.
What part of her reinvention has been the most shocking to you?
Tess is just as in love with [her colleague] Simone as she is with [her colleague] Jake, and they end up in this war that’s just brutal. There’s utter disappointment and betrayal. And then there’s the last scene in the last episode of this season… I can’t say much, but it’s a shocker.
Has working on this show changed the way you experience restaurants?
It’s completely changed the way I view eating. I don’t just eat to kill time anymore. And while I don’t know everything about which wine goes with which dish, I appreciate aspects of food a lot more. Now I love going to restaurants and trying to figure out who’s the Tess or the Simone, and who’s sleeping with whom. I want to know all the gossip.
The idea that if you’re read the book, you’ll know what happens isn’t true anymore. Are there places you’d like to see the show go?
I’d like to see absolute disruption in the workplace. You start to see it this season—that opening scene is an intense message that things are about to change—but I’d love to see more when it comes to the hierarchy of the restaurant. And I’d like to see Tess go further in her self-exploration.
Do you get special treatment at restaurants from servers who recognize you?
No, that hasn’t happened yet. But I’d love it.
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