9 Most Successful ‘Skins’ Alums, Ranked
Even before the U.K. show Skins made its cheeky debut in 2007, it was already stirring controversy. The original trailer showcased hedonistic teenage debauchery with adolescent partygoers wrecking a house with wild behavior that included depraved shower scenes, rampant drug use, destruction of all sorts, and half-dressed antics involving teddy bears. It shocked the stiff-collared crowd and intrigued everyone else.
Now, nearly 20 years later, Skins has not only revolutionized teen television by paving the way for shows like Euphoria, 13 Reasons Why, and Sex Education, but it also launched the careers of many of its young cast members into the stratosphere. These days, you can see the actor playing Cook attempting to suck the blood out of young blues musicians in Sinners while the one who brought us Tony tries to save his wife from an immortal evil in Nosferatu. And that’s not all.
Here is a gander at the most famous faces to come out all six seasons of Skins.
Skins UK, Seasons 1-6, Streaming, Hulu
Nicholas Hoult as Tony Stonem
First Generation (Seasons 1–2, 2007–2008)
As Tony, Nicholas Hoult portrayed a self-centered lothario who spent his time seducing potential partners, gaslighting his girlfriend Michelle (April Pearson), and manipulating his best friend Sid (Mike Bailey). But after Tony’s accident in the first season, he was no longer the alpha male of Roundview College, as he slowly recovered from a debilitating brain injury. As a whole, the role was emotionally complex as Tony was charismatic, clever, and often villainous. It allowed Hoult to break away from the child roles he had been associated with to that point, showcasing his range and depth as an actor.
A pivotal character in the series, Hoult’s portrayal of teenage Machiavelli Tony helped open the door to darker, more adult roles, including Beast in the X-Men franchise, R in Warm Bodies, Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road, and Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu, to name a few.
Jack O’Connell as James Cook
Second Generation (Seasons 3–4, 2009–2010)
After the first class graduated, a mostly new cast was introduced, including Jack O’Connell as James Cook. Like Tony, Cook walked the line between villain and hero. He was a party-loving troublemaker, loyal to his friends but reckless with their hearts, often seducing girls within the group regardless of ties. An agent of chaos with a good heart, Cook fueled much of the show’s drama, especially through the love triangle with Effy and Freddie. He proves his strength after Freddie’s murder, stepping up to avenge his friend. In Skins: Rise, a more grounded Cook chooses a better path for himself.
Since Skins, O’Connell’s rise in Hollywood has been swift. He made a mark with horror hit Eden Lake in 2008, and led Netflix’s western Godless. But he was later catapulted into A-list territory when he took on the role of Irish vampire Remmick in Ryan Coogler‘s Sinners and starred as Sir Jimmy Crystal in Danny Boyle‘s 28 Years Later trilogy.
Daniel Kaluuya as Posh Kenneth
First Generation (Seasons 1–2, 2007–2008)
Daniel Kaluuya wasn’t part of the core group in Skins, but he became the first cast member to win an Oscar. As Posh Kenneth, he appeared in a humorous recurring role as a code-switching teen who mixed posh speech with street slang. But in addition to his role as comic relief, Kaluuya was also a writer on the show, co-scripting the episodes “Jal” (Season 1, Episode 7) and “Thomas” (Season 3, Episode 3).
Post-Skins, Kaluuya’s breakout role came in 2017 with his lead turn as Chris in Jordan Peele‘s Get Out, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He followed the role with standout performances in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther, Steve McQueen’s Widows, and a voice performance as Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In 2021, he won both an Oscar and a BAFTA for his portrayal of Fred Hampton in Shaka King‘s Judas and the Black Messiah.
Dev Patel as Anwar Kharral
First Generation (Seasons 1–2, 2007–2008)
Awkward, emotionally stunted, but fiercely loyal, Dev Patel‘s Anwar was a teen from a culturally rich and religious household who still wanted to enjoy the same freedoms and fun as his friends. Cheerful and often clueless, Anwar ultimately makes the right choices and proves to be a good-hearted person who simply wants to experience life to the fullest.
Patel’s performance as Anwar directly led to his casting in Danny Boyle‘s Slumdog Millionaire. “His daughter was a fan of the TV show [Skins],” he told W Magazine. “And one day he came home after a year of searching, he was going to pack it all in and his daughter was like, ‘Dad, you should try this dude.’ So I got to audition for him.”
After Slumdog Millionaire won the best pic Oscar, Patel caught Hollywood’s attention and went on to reinvent himself as both an action star and a filmmaker. In 2017, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in Garth Davis’s Lion. In 2021, he starred in A24’s fantasy thriller The Green Knight as King Arthur’s headstrong nephew, Sir Gawain, and in 2024, he made his directorial debut with the action thriller Monkey Man, which he also starred in.
Kaya Scodelario as Effy Stonem
First and Second Generations (Seasons 1–4, 2007–2010)
The only cast member to bridge the first and second generations, Effy Stonem stood out for her enigmatic presence, silent, self-possessed, and a little terrifying in her cool confidence. That same mystique carried into Season 3, where she captivated Freddie (Luke Pasqualino), Cook, and JJ (Ollie Barbieri). Though seemingly above high school drama and fleeting relationships, Effy soon became the center of an intense love triangle between Freddie and Cook. In Season 4, her guarded facade began to crack as she became the target of her manipulative psychiatrist, exposing a new fragility. In the follow up Skins: Fire, Effy’s story takes a darker turn, ending with her facing serious legal consequences for insider trading, which brings her years of reckless freedom to a close.
Following Skins, Kaya Scodelario landed a role in the Clash of the Titans remake, but it was her performances as Teresa in The Maze Runner franchise and Carina Smyth in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales that brought her international acclaim. More recently, she starred as Susie Glass in Guy Ritchie‘s The Gentlemen series for Netflix.
Jessica Sula as Grace Blood
Third Generation (Seasons 5–6, 2011–2012)
As Grace Blood, Jessica Sula was the emotional center of the third generation of Skins. Though part of Mini’s clique of mean girls, Grace did not have a single mean bone in her body. She began to pull away from Mini’s influence by helping metal-loving Rich meet the girl of his dreams, and eventually became that girl herself. Their relationship became one of the season’s central storylines, complicated by the disapproval of her strict father, Principal Blood of Roundview College. The two even attempted to elope, but ultimately decided against it. In the following season, Grace was involved in a tragic accident and spent most of the episodes in a coma before passing away.
Sula gained wider attention with a role in M. Night Shyamalan‘s Split, then appeared alongside fellow Skins alum Jack O’Connell in Netflix’s Godless. She later returned to horror with Anthony DiBlasi’s Malum and most recently portrayed La Toya Jackson in Antoine Fuqua‘s upcoming film Michael.
Hannah Murray as Cassie Ainsworth
First Generation (Seasons 1–2, 2007–2008)
As Cassie, Hannah Murray embodied the innocence and emotional fragility within the Skins ensemble. Dreamy, sensitive, and often lost in her own world, Cassie fell deeply in love with Sid, but their relationship was marred by his indecisiveness and inability to fully commit. Her ongoing battles with anorexia and depression were intensified by Sid’s betrayals and the sudden death of her roommate, prompting her to flee to New York. Although Sid eventually followed her, it is revealed in the special Skins: Pure that their relationship did not last. Still, Cassie is one of the few Skins characters to receive something resembling a happy ending. She becomes a fashion model and takes on the responsibility of caring for her younger brother, ultimately finding love and meaning in her life.
Most fans now recognize Murray for her role in Game of Thrones, where she portrayed the gentle Wildling Gilly, who becomes the devoted partner of Samwell Tarly.
Freya Mavor as Mini McGuinness
Third Generation (Seasons 5–6, 2011–2012)
Mini began the season as a classic queen bee—complete with the hot boyfriend, the enviable wardrobe, the worst attitude, and the sharpest tongue. An image-obsessed bully, she was often her own worst enemy, letting her deep insecurities sabotage her relationships and ultimately leading to a public breakdown. But by Season 6, Mini embarks on a secret relationship with Alo (Will Merrick) and unexpectedly becomes pregnant. By this point, she has shed many of her bad girl tendencies, learning to open up, show vulnerability, and become a more compassionate and grounded person. Her arc stands out as one of the most realistic and emotionally centered in the entire series.
Since leaving Roundview College, Freya Mavor has taken on roles such as Princess Elizabeth of York in The White Queen and appeared in the BBC drama Marie Antoinette. More recently, she’s found a spiffy job as Vice President on the Cross-Product Sales desk at Pierpoint & Co. with the role of Daria Greenock in the HBO series Industry.
Joe Dempsie as Chris Miles
First Generation (Seasons 1–2, 2007–2008)
Joe Dempsie‘s Chris was the wild child of the first generation. Fueled by a love of partying and a reckless spirit, the sweet-natured Chris was ultimately undone by his own self-destructive behavior. After being abandoned by his mother, he trashes his home and ends up homeless, eventually moving in with Cassie before starting a relationship with Jal, whom he accidentally gets pregnant. During this turbulent time, Chris is diagnosed with a hereditary brain hemorrhage. His illness eventually leads to his death, which becomes a major turning point for the group and forces them to put aside their drama and unite in grief.
Like his co-star Hannah Murray, Joe Dempsie later found fame in Game of Thrones, playing Gendry Baratheon, the blacksmith and illegitimate son of King Robert Baratheon, who becomes a love interest to Arya Stark. He also appeared opposite Jodie Whittaker and Aimee Lou Wood in Toxic Town and starred with Tamara Lawrance in Get Millie Back.
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