Born in England but raised in Australia by his Norwegian father and Irish mother, Purcell was a bored landscaper who decided to attend a drama school. He became a TV star in Australia before debuting in America as the title character in John Doe. In 2000, he won the Green Card lottery and now lives in Los Angeles with his family.
He was a classmate of Hugh Jackman at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts. Left high school to form a landscape gardening venture with some friends. His pre-acting stints also included surfing. Has four children - Joe, Audrey and twins Lily and Gus Did all of his stunts in the sword fight scene against Blade in Blade: Trinity.