Where You've Seen the Cast of Skins Since the Cult Series Ended

It’s been interesting over the last few years to see the stars of Netflix’s Sex Education (like Aimee Lou Wood on White Lotus and Emma Mackay on Hot Milk) move on to bigger things. Something similar happened with Euphoria a few years ago, with Jacob Elordi, Zendaya and Sidney Sweeney; but for a slightly older teens-behaving-badly show that proved to be a hotbed of talent, it’s important that we show some respect to Skins—not least for the fact that, when the show was released, the transition from TV to movies was far less common.

Over seven seasons and three generations of cast members, the iconic Channel 4 indie sleaze show has so far produced an Oscar winner and an Oscar nominee, as well as a host of Hollywood stars. In fact, in 2025 alone, a Skins star appeared in one of the biggest tentpole releases of the summer. Another one appeared in two (yes, two) of the year’s best movies. Read on to discover more and use the guide below to find a selection of their recent work on services like AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video and elsewhere. 

Nicholas Hoult (Sid Stonem)

As we mentioned above, while some of the Skins stars moved on to other professions (Mike Bailey, who played Sid in Season 1, apparently is now a teacher), more than a few have gone on to have dazzling careers. Bailey’s co-star from season one, Nicholas Hoult, is certainly one of them.

Hoult's rise was probably less surprising than others, as the actor had made his name before Skins, having starred alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy. Since the show aired, however, Hoult has gone from strength to strength. In 2011, he enjoyed the first of five appearances as Beast in the X-Men universe. In 2015, he played Nux in the iconic action movie Mad Max: Fury Road and in 2025, he had his first of what will surely be many appearances as Lex Luthor in James Gunn’s Superman reboot.

Outside of IP work, Hoult has played real-life roles, like J.D. Salinger and J.R.R. Tolkien, and worked with great filmmakers like Clint Eastwood and Yorgos Lanthimos. Since bleaching his hair this year, he’s also (once again) very much a sex symbol. Good for him.

One to watch: Eastwood’s Juror #2 is old school Hollywood storytelling at its very best.

Dev Patel (Anwar Kharral)

In 2008, Dev Patel became the first major breakout from the Generation One of Skins when he was cast by Danny Boyle to play the lead role in Slumdog Millionaire—a movie that became a cultural sensation and went on to win best picture at the Oscars, earning Patel (who was just 18 at the time) a nomination for Best Actor at the Baftas along the way.

Since that dizzying early high, Patel has been working steadily in the industry—and was eventually nominated for an Oscar of his own for his supporting role, opposite Nicole Kidman, in Lion from 2016. 

In 2025, he directed and starred in Monkey Man, a movie that worked like a combination of Boyle’s hectic approach to Slumdog and the action cinema of John Wick. Elsewhere, Patel starred in David Lowery’s excellent Green Knight for A24 and appeared in Neill Blomkamp’s underrated Chappie. He also played the lead in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender—but the less said about that one, the better…

One to watch: Movies like The Green Knight are why people still flock to A24. Check it out.

Daniel Kaluuya (Posh Kenneth)

Is it slightly cheating to have Daniel Kaluuya on this list? The actor only appeared fleetingly as “Posh” Kenneth in the early seasons of Skins, but given the mark he has left on the cinema landscape since, it would be silly not to mention him. The actor seems to choose his projects carefully, but of the 16 movies he’s appeared in so far, many are modern classics.

These include Black Panther, Get Out (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), Nope, Sicario, Widows and a voice role in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In 2022, he became the first Skins alumnus to win an Oscar (Best Supporting Actor), for playing Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. He hasn’t appeared on screen since 2022 and, at the time of writing, is currently in development on his solo directorial debut, which of course, is based on Barney.

One to watch: Plenty to choose from, but Jordan Peele’s Nope is just phenomenal. 

Hannah Murray (Cassie Ainsworth)

I can’t quite work out why none of the female actors in Skins had quite the same careers as the boys—if the show were to air in 2025, I can only presume that might be different. Whatever the case, Hannah Murray, who played Cassie in the first generation, has gone on to have a solid career across various indie movies and one behemoth of a TV show.

In 2012, Murray appeared alongside Johnny Depp in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows and followed it up with roles in some festival favourites, like the Belle and Sebastian musical God Help the Girl and the award-winning film Bridgend. For most viewers, however, she will always be known for playing Sam’s beau, Gilly, over seven seasons of Game of Thrones.

One to watch: For sheer longevity, it’s gotta be Game of Thrones.  

Joe Dempsie (Chris Miles)

Similar to Murray, Joe Dempsie’s post-Skins career has been defined by his recurring role as Gendry on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Outside of all that Westerosian lore, you can find him in two seasons of Shane Meadows’ excellent This is England spinoff series on Channel 4. On the big screen, he’s not been quite so active, but football fans in particular may recognise him for his performance as Duncan McKenzie in The Damned United.

One to watch: Like Murray, it’s hard to look past his appearance as the blacksmith who might be king in Game of Thrones. 

Jack O’Connell (James Cook)

I think if you asked Skins fans back in the day, which actor would go on to have the best career, most of them would have said Jack O’Connell. Over two seasons, O’Connell was simply electric as James Cook, an unpredictable Duracell bunny with a surprisingly deep well of emotions.

Unfortunately, as we all know, the movie business isn’t always as welcoming to working-class actors, and despite his acclaimed work in Starred Up in 2013 and an unfortunate missed opportunity with Angelina Jolie’s poorly received Unbroken, O’Connell has had to bide his time. Now, with his celebrated turn as the antagonist in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners earlier this year and his hinted-at central role in the upcoming 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the actor finally seems to be getting his due. 

One to watch: Starred Up is awesome, but it’s gotta be Sinners. 

Kaya Scodelario (Effy Stonem)

Kaya Scodelario, who played Effy across two generations of Skins, becoming the star of the show in Seasons 3 and 4, is another of the series’ stars who didn’t quite take off as much as fans expected her to. She made a splash on some franchise movies, appearing in three Maze Runners and one Pirates of the Caribbean, and even played Claire Redfield in the recent reboot of Resident Evil, but top-quality work has been a little harder to come by.

The exception to the rule was a starring role in Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights, which will forever be, IMHO, the best adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel.

One to watch: As the text suggests, it’s Wuthering Heights.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards (Sketch)

Since playing Sketch in the first Skins generation, the improbably double-lettered Aimee-Ffion Edwards has enjoyed a steady career on the small screen. She appeared in Wolf Hall and voiced Ranni the Witch in the video game Elden Ring, but she is easily best known for two major recurring roles: playing Esme Shelby in Peaky Blinders and Shirley Dander in Slow Horses. 

One to watch: Blinders has the longevity, but her flirtatious/frenemy rapport with Kadiff Kirwan on Slow Horses is one of the show’s consistent joys. 

Will Merrick (Alo Creevey)

Fewer stars have emerged from Skins‘ third generation than the first two iterations of the show, but lead actor Will Merrick has landed some roles you might have seen. Outside his substantial career on stage, the actor got an early break in Richard Curtis’s About Time in 2013 and has more recently had small roles in F1 and Barbie, as well as on Silo for Apple TV+.

One to watch: Not a huge amount to choose from, but his biggest part is arguably in About Time.

Dakota Blue Richards (Franky Fitzgerald)

Dakota Blue Richards was a little like Nicholas Hoult at the beginning, having landed the role of Franky Fitzgerald in Skins after already starring in The Golden Compass when she was just 12 years old. Since leading Skins’ third generation, the actor’s most notable work has been a recurring role on Endeavour, the ITV detective series.

One to watch: If you’re a fan of Richards performances on Skins, you’ll probably get a kick out of seeing her in Golden Compass.