Skinswas a unique show. Written by people in their late teens and early twenties, and acted by real teenagers, the show had a fresh and realistic look at teenage life. WithoutSkins, there wouldn’t beEuphoria, as the British show was the first to capture the life of partying, drugs, and fun (but with dark consequences) thatEuphoriahas brought to the extreme.Skinswas created by father-son duo Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain.Elsley told The Guardian: “Jamie said: “Write a show about teenagers, but one that actually means something.” I didn’t quite know what that would be, so I said: “You’d better tell me.” We sat at the kitchen table and came up withSkinsin about half an hour.” That’s how they createda game changer for teen dramas.
For most of the teen actors in the show,Skinswas their first role ever. Since then, some have become Academy Award winners, Academy Award nominees, and some have headlined some franchises with great box office success, while others have left acting completely. Let’s see where the first generation of theSkinscast is today:
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Houltplayed Tony Stonem, the charismatic, self-centered leader of the first generation of characters. At the end of the first season, he gets hit by a car and spends the whole second season trying to overcome his injuries, while becoming a better person, friend, and brother. Hoult had already been noticed before the show, as he played Marcus inAbout A Boywith Hugh Grant when he was 13. Since the end ofSkins, he has become a staple of Hollywood movies and franchises. He played Beast in theX-Menfranchise, was the lead inWarm Bodies, appeared inMad Max: Fury Road, and wasalmost cast in the Matt Reeves iteration of Batmanas the titular hero. We can see him inThe Great, where he’s… well… great, having incredible chemistry with Elle Fanning, and his next movie isThe Menu, also starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes.
Dev Patelplayed Anwar Kharral on the show. Anwar was a goofy kid who had a pick-and-choose attitude towards his Islamic faith, as he drank, took drugs, and wanted to have premarital sex (although was too awkward for women). In the first season, he had some trouble accepting that his best friend was gay, but ultimately supported him.Skinswas Patel’s first role ever. During the second season, he shot a small film calledSlumdog Millionaire, and the rest is history. Since then, he has worked on all kinds of projects, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Supporting Role for the character he played inLion.His performance onThe Green Knightwas magnetic and will open a path for him as a great leading man. He’s our pick for the new James Bond, that’s for sure. In the last two years, he’s started working behind the camera with his own production company, and he just directed his first movie,Monkey Man,that he co-wrote and also stars in.
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuyahad a small role inSkinsas Posh Kenneth, who got that nickname because he tried to make it as a rapper while having an accent that showed his social class. Kaluuya was also a writer on the show. Since the end ofSkins,Kaluuya has become a very well-known actor thanks to movies likeGet Out, where he played the lead. He’s been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and last year, he won his first Academy Award for his spectacular performance as Fred Hampton inJudas and the Black Messiah.We’ll see him next inNope, his second collaboration withGet Outdirector Jordan Peele. And it probably won’t be the last time they work together, as Peele has already said thatKaluuya is his all-time favorite actor.
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Kaya Scodelario
Kaya Scodelariowas 14 years old when she got the part of the enigmatic Effy, sister to Tony (Hoult) during the show’s first two seasons. She became the main character of the second generation. Effy becomes the most important character in the whole show. Charismatic and smart, Effy had a dark side that kept appearing during the show, while she battled with depression. Scodelario hasn’t stopped working since the end ofSkins.She was the female interest in theMaze Runnertrilogy and had one of the lead roles in thePirates of the Caribbean:Dead Men Tell No Tales.Right now, she’s the lead in thethrillingResident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.
Joe Dempsie
Joe Dempsieplayed the hedonistic party animal, Chris, a character with a tragic backstory and a lot of charm. During the first season, he dates one of his teachers (in a story that has aged terribly), and in season two, he starts a serious relationship with Jal. His death at the end of the second season is the saddest moment in the show’s whole run. After Skins, Dempsie appeared in many British shows likeMerlin,andDoctor Who, but he became most known for his role as Gendry (the bastard son of King Robert) inGame of Thrones.His last role was in the Netflix show,Pieces of Her, with Toni Collette.
Hannah Murray
Hannah Murrayplayed Cassie, a quirky character who marched to the beat of her own drum. The character had severe mental problems and an eating disorder. Her character was one of the first to tackle anorexia in a realistic and layered way. She also had a “will-they-won’t they” relationship with Sid. AfterSkins, Murray went back to school to get her degree, while keeping up with her acting career. She appeared in some indie films likeBridgend,God Help the Girl(for which she won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival), andDetroit.Like Joe Dempsie, most people know her for her role inGame of Thrones,where she played Gilly, the fierce wildling who ended up in a relationship with Sam Tarly. Her last show was the Quibi original horror series,The Expecting.
April Pearson
April Pearsonplayed Michelle, the cool girl everyone had a crush on, while dating Tony on and off. Her character was part of a love triangle with Tony and Sid. AfterSkins, Pearson appeared inTormented, Age of Kill, andFractured.A couple of years ago, she started the podcastAre you, Michelle from Skins?,where she has interviewed some of the show’s cast members and has talked extensively about her experiences onSkins.Pearson told DigitalSpy: “I think the beauty of that series was finding these actors who had no experience and were just putting themselves out there and being completely vulnerable on-screen. If someone asked me to play Michelle now, it’d be really hard to find that character again, without overthinking it and being too actor-y about it.”
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Larissa Wilson
Larissa Wilsonplayed Jal, the best friend, and the group’s moral compass, while also being an incredible clarinet player. In season two, she started dating Chris; a relationship that showed new sides of both characters and why they worked so well together. Wilson had some small roles afterSkins,inTormented, Trollied,andSuspects.She hasn’t acted since 2014, but last year, she wrote and directed her first short film,Shift.
Mitch Hewer
Mitch Hewerplayed the openly gay character of Maxxie. He was a talented dancer, a great friend to Anwar (Patel’s character), and one of the first LGBTQ characters, where his sexuality was not all the character was about. AfterSkins,Hewer was part ofBritannia High, where he acted, sang, and danced, and even auditioned forGlee.He was one of the stars of the movieNightlight,with Selena Gomez, and had a nine-episode arc in the showCasualtyin 2017.Since then, he hasn’t appeared in any shows, but he’s still dancing and singing while living in L.A.
Mike Bailey
Mike Baileyplayed the awkward, dorky friend whose only worry was to lose his virginity. He was best friends with Tony, had a crush on his girlfriend Michelle, and, finally, started to look elsewhere, having a relationship with Cassie. Bailey didn’t do much acting work afterSkinsand, as of 2020 was working as a school teacher.
