Skins (2007) and the success of its cast are a reminder that teen dramas don’t exist in the same abundance that they once did. Somehow, with more options to watch TV than ever before, the genre’s numbers continue to dwindle. The ones that do exist have truncated episode orders with years in between seasons, like Netflix’s Outer Banks (2020). Meanwhile, their ‘90s and early 2000s counterparts ran for 22-episode seasons that aired yearly. More often than not, though, teen dramas are canceled too soon, like Prime Video’s The Wilds (2020). Skins was different.
The British TV show premiered in 2007, ran for six seasons with three ensembles, and returned for a revival season in 2013. Its raw reflection of what it was like to be a teenager inspired a US remake on MTV that couldn’t live up to the original. Skins’ ripple effects can be felt in the grittiness of shows like Euphoria (2019), and the talent it showcased is all over pop culture. Here’s where you’ve seen the cast of Skins’ first two volumes. Catch them on HBO Max, Disney+, & more!
Nicholas Hoult as Tony Stonem
Nicholas Hoult’s Tony Stonem is the first person on-screen in Skins. However, Tony isn’t always the most likable for the first two seasons, to say the least. He isn’t the nicest to most people, including his best friend, Sid (Mike Bailey). His toxic relationship with Michelle (April Pearson) is yet another reflection of Tony’s terrible decision-making. Still, Tony’s presence is felt at least through Season 4 because his younger sister, Effy Stonem (Kaya Scodelario), becomes the lead of the next two seasons.
After leaving Skins in 2008, Hoult re-emerged on the big screen as Marvel’s Hank McCoy/Beast in X-Men: First Class (2011). With the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ever-changing timeline, perhaps there’s a chance Hoult will reprise this role at some point. As a romance fan, I can’t get enough of Hoult as the lovable zombie named R in the underrated Warm Bodies (2013) with Teresa Palmer. Perhaps Hoult’s most recognizable role yet—other than Tony, of course—is the one he’s currently set to reprise: Lex Luthor in Man of Tomorrow (2027).
One to watch: If you want to spend a significant amount of time with another one of Hoult’s characters, check out The Great (2020).
Mike Bailey as Sid Jenkins
Mike Bailey got his start in acting as Sid Jenkins on Skins. His character is often represented as the foil to Tony. Their friendship is more tenuous than not, like Sid’s relationship with Cassie, but the teen drama punctured the tension with big emotions and high drama. For example, Sid opens up to Tony about Sid’s father’s death in one of Bailey’s standout moments in Season 2. There’s no dialogue, and still, Bailey and Hoult convey everything.
After Skins, Bailey continued to act in a few more projects until 2017. His last project was Hers and History, opposite Lindsey Shaw. Then, he stepped away from acting to become a teacher.
One to watch: If you want to go back to the start of Bailey’s career, revisit Skins.
April Pearson as Michelle Richardson
Like many of her castmates, April Pearson also made her acting debut on Skins. Sadly, for most of Pearson’s time as Michelle Richardson, the character’s arc focused on her relationship with Tony. There were times it expanded to explore more of her family life, like when her mother remarried.
Still, through those first two seasons, Person delivered a fan-favorite performance. It even got her nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in 2008. Shortly after, Pearson made her film debut in Tormented (2009), which also starred her Skins costar, Larissa Wilson.
One to watch: To watch Pearson’s latest acting credit, check out God’s Petting You (2022).
Dev Patel as Anwar Kharral
Dev Patel’s acting career began with the role of Anwar Kharral on Skins. The character’s most memorable dynamic is with his openly gay best friend, Maxxie (Mitch Hewer). During the first season, Anwar reflects on how his faith as a Muslim may impact his relationship with Maxxie. Ultimately, Skins ends on a positive note about acceptance at Anwar’s 17th birthday party. Their friendship remains a massive part of their lives all the way up to them leaving Bristol for London together with Maxxie’s boyfriend, James, in the Season 2 finale.
The same year that Patel’s final episode of Skins aired, he starred in Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Then, Patel’s turn as a voice actor became the live-action role of Prince Zuko in the much-discussed The Last Airbender (2010). Most notably, Patel made his directorial debut with Monkey Man (2024). He also co-wrote the script and starred as the main character, an incredible action hero. Dev Patel should lead more movies!
One to watch: If you’re still waiting for Patel to lead a romance or a romantic comedy, like me, watch him in two episodes of Modern Love (2019).
Mitch Hewer as Maxxie Oliver
Mitch Hewer’s Maxxie Oliver is easily one of the most beloved Skins characters. I know he’s one of the most memorable in my eyes! His loyalty to his friends is often the only consistent thing in the characters’ lives. He’s one of the very few to stick by Tony—arguably the most problematic of the first generation—after Tony gets hit by a bus in Season 1. Yes, you read that correctly.
Skins never shied away from going there, even if “there” is dark and twisted. Shortly after leaving the teen drama, Hewer joined Britannia High (2008) as another fan-favorite character, Danny Miller. He also has a minor role in the Nat Wolff and Selena Gomez-led movie Behaving Badly (2014).
One to watch: If you want to see Hewer’s return to TV, check out his stint on the long-running Casualty (1986).
Hannah Murray as Cassie Ainsworth
Hannah Murray’s turn as Cassie Ainsworth in Skins’ first two seasons reflects the show’s intentions to depict difficult subject matter that young people face, like eating disorders and mental health issues. Cassie’s time on the show goes to some dark places. However, it also follows her as she falls for Sid and receives treatment.
Speaking to the character’s popularity, Cassie is one of three Skins characters—Effy and Cook being the other two—to lead the revival season. That season finds Cassie in recovery and only alludes to a past relationship with Sid. Skins fans will be interested to know (or at least I am) that Murray’s time as Gilly on Game of Thrones (2011) overlapped with another actor from the teen drama’s time on the fantasy drama.
One to watch: If you want to see Murray swap reality for fantasy, check out Game of Thrones, especially if you like sprawling epics like The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Joe Dempsie as Chris Miller
Joe Dempsie starred as Chris Miller in Skins’ first two seasons, and that character’s death may be one of the first that I remember affecting a younger me. The character, who revered his later older brother, wound up dying the same way. It’s a tragic turn that finds some of its heartbreaking roots in Chris and Jal’s (Larissa Wilson) romance. It’s all so sad that it’s no wonder Skins ends this generation’s run with Chris’s funeral.
Since then, Dempsie has made quite an expansive filmography for himself. He may be best known for his run as Gendry on Game of Thrones. But Dempsie’s resume proves that he’s kept his foot in TV and film since the heartbreaking end to his time on Skins. He recently starred opposite Tamara Lawrance in the compelling limited series Get Millie Black (2024).
One to watch: If you’re looking for more dramatic work from Dempsie, check out Toxic Town (2025).
Larissa Wilson as Jal Frazer
At 17, Larissa Wilson made her acting debut as Jal Frazer on Skins. I remember being overly invested in Jal and Chris’ romance and being devastated at how it ended. I rooted for them—and Jal. Her ambitions with her music studies were so important to her. Skins tackled the pressure that caused, as well as teen pregnancy and abortion.
Following Skins, Wilson made minor appearances on TV shows like Holby City (1999) and Trollied (2012). Her most recent on-screen appearance was in the short film We Move (2024).
One to watch: If you’re looking for a horror comedy with a Skins reunion, check out Tormented.
Daniel Kaluuya as Posh Kenneth
Though he portrays a secondary character in the first gen, Daniel Kaluuya is a critical player in Skins. While playing Posh Kenneth on-screen, Kaluuya was a contributing writer on those first two seasons. At 19, he was the head writer on two episodes: “Jal” in Season 1 and “Thomas” in Season 3. Having young people on the screen is one thing, but Skins also made sure their voices were heard in the writers’ room, where Kaluuya’s focus went in Season 3.
After Skins, Kaluuya continued work on TV with roles on Doctor Who (2005) and Black Mirror (2011). With Get Out (2017) and Black Panther (2018), Kaluuya’s star status only burned brighter. He went on to team up with Jordan Peele again in the sci-fi horror Nope (2022). Kaluuya seems to favor genre projects, but his filmography is a reminder that a good story can be in any genre—teen dramas included.
One to watch: If you want to see Kaluuya’s versatility extend to animation, watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
