Skins 10 Years On: Where are they now?
David Farnor | On 25, Jan 2017
Exactly 10 years ago today, the very first episode of Skins landed on E4.
Introducing the world to Tony (Nicholas Hoult), Anwar (Dev Patel), Chris (Joe Dempsie) and Cassie (Hannah Murray), Cook (Jack O’Connell), Freddie (Luke Pasqualino), Effy (Kaya Scodelario), Mini (Freya Mavor) and Alo (Will Merrick), the show depicted the highs and lows of teen life with thrills, spills, broken hearts and clarinets.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Channel 4 has added all seven seasons on-demand to All 4 as a free box set. And so we enter our time machine and take a look back over the last decade, to find out where it’s generation of young stars are now.
1. Nicholas Hoult
Hoult was the Skins ultimate bad boy – at least, he was to begin with. Mellowing down in the show’s later seasons, his career’s done the reverse, moving from his breakthrough role in About a Boy to a string of Hollywood roles, including Warm Bodies, X-Men: Days of the Future and, best of all, Mad Max: Fury Road. Not at all mediocre.
2. Dev Patel
Known for his pally relationship with Maxxie, Dev was the joker of the Skins pack. These days, though, Patel’s better known as the titular Slumdog Millionaire. Since then, he’s charmed audiences as Sonny Kapoor in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, befriended robots in Chappie and can now be seen acting his socks off opposite Nicole Kidman in the Oscar-nominated Lion.
3. Jack O’Connell
Who could forget Skins favourite Cook? Despite having the best name in the show, Jack O’Connell’s gone on to make his own name even more unforgettable with a run of blistering starmaking turns – from his debut in This Is England to Angelina Jolie’s biopic of runner Louis Zamperini, Unbroken, not to mention his intense lead performance in Starred Up. With upcoming roles including The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and Tulip Fever, following Money Monster, it’s no wonder the charismatic actor was thought to be in the running for the part of young Han Solo in the Star Wars prequel.
4. Luke Pasqualino
Known for his devilishly handsome looks, Freddie was known for his tumultuous relationship with Effy, which didn’t last long, thanks to jealous psychiatrist Dr. Foster. Luke’s continued to be a hearthrob with roles in The Musketeers and Our Girl, opposite Michelle Keegan. Stateside, he can also be found in Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome and Snowpiercer.
5. Joe Dempsie
One of the original Skin cast members, party boy Chris has all grown up now, with a role in This Is England, alongside O’Connell, and, lest we forget, the all-important Gendry in Game of Thrones.
6. Hannah Murray
Who can forget the iconic Cassie Ainsworth, the girl who brought mental health issues to UK screens through her battle with an eating disorder? Since Skins, Hannah has taken to the West End production of That Face and most notably bagged the role of Gilly in Game of Thrones.
7. Mitch Hewer
Skins lovable Maxxie was known for his disgustingly good moves, which soon drew in the attention of stalker Sketch. These days, he’s more likely tyo rub shoulders with Selena Gomez in 2014 film Behaving Badly and most recently starred in thriller Nightlight.
8. Kaya Scodelario
Remember Tony’s moody sister Effy? She was a pretty big deal, gathering two Golden Nymph Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and two TV Quick Award nominations for Best Actress. These days, you’d have a time forgetting Kaya Scodelario, whose impressive career has spanned everything from Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights and The Maze Runner franchise to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and indie flicks The Truth About Emanuel and Spike Island.
9. Dakota Blue Richards
Franky in Skins was an early breakout star, with Dakota Blue Richards already playing the lead in The Golden Compass, a part that she followed up with The Secret of Moonacre and Dustbin Baby, and most recently The Quiet Hour, ChickLit and ITV’s Endeavour, where she plays WPC Shirley Trewlove.
10. Daniel Kaluuya
Known for playing posh boy Kenneth in the Skins, Daniel has gone from strength to strength in recent years. The winner of the London Evening Standard Award and Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Outstanding Newcomer for his role in Sucker Punch, he has appeared in everything from Kick Ass-2 and Johnny English Reborn to Channel 4’s Babylon, Welcome to the Punch, Black Mirror, Psychoville and The Fades, not to mention Sicario. He’s currently filming Marvel’s Black Panther. In fact, it’s probably easier if we just list things he’s not been in.
All 7 seasons of Skins are available to watch now on All 4. You can also stream them on Netflix, as part of a £8.99 monthly subscription.