Where are they now? The cast of Skins, 17 years after its premiere
For a generation of Millennials, Skins was one of the most defining shows of our teens.
The gritty UK series shocked viewers when it debuted, following high schoolers as they grappled with issues from dysfunctional families, mental illness, substance abuse and sexuality.
Stream every episode of Skins on Stan.
The first season of Skins premiered in 2007, and it featured three 'generations' of characters across six seasons.
With such a large ensemble cast, it's no wonder that so many of its stars have gone on to have incredible careers... and not all of them in acting!
Swipe through to see where the stars of Skins are now.
Mike Bailey - Sid Jenkins
At the beginning of Skins, Sid was the 'nice guy' who nothing seemed to go right for – and fans of the show loved him for it.
After Skins, actor Mike Bailey took on a few small roles but after his last project in 2017, he retired from acting and completed a drama degree and teacher training at university.
"I kind of thought, 'What the f--k am I doing with my life?' and ended up getting in a conversation with the wife a couple of years ago and decided that those who can't act teach", Bailey told Radio Times in 2017.
He now works as a drama teacher at a UK high school – imagine being taught by Sid Jenkins!
Nicholas Hoult - Tony Stonem
Nicholas Hoult had been acting since he was a child and was perhaps best known for playing the titular boy in About A Boy, alongside Hugh Grant.
But then Skins began, and his portrayal of Tony Stonem catapulted him to a whole new level.
Tony was the series' central character for its first two seasons. He began as cruel and manipulative, particularly to his best friend Sid and girlfriend Michelle.
The character's most memorable moment undoubtedly comes at the end of Season 1 when searching for phone reception leads Tony to the middle of the road, where he is hit by a bus.
We all remember the gasps we let out when that happened, don't we?!
Nicholas Hoult - Tony Stonem
After Skins, Hoult considered quitting acting but ultimately decided to go the complete opposite way, dropping out of school to focus solely on his career.
It was a decision that's paid off tenfold, as the 35-year-old was soon cast in blockbusters like the X-Men films and Mad Max: Fury Road.
He also starred in critically acclaimed film The Favourite, played the title character in biopic Tolkien and was nominated for two Golden Globes and Emmys for Stan's dark-comedy The Great.
Most recently, he starred in Nosferatu alongside Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp.
Hoult dated his X-Men co-star Jennifer Lawrence from 2010 until 2014.
He has been dating American model Bryana Holly since 2015.
They welcomed a son called Joaquin in 2018 but for months, Hoult kept all details, including the baby's gender and name a secret.
"Someone will find out soon enough and that's fine. But for now it's my precious little thing and I'm keeping it," he told W magazine at the time.
Kaya Scodelario - Effy
For a generation of women, Effy Stonem was the TV character. She's probably responsible for 80 per cent of eyeliner sales in 2009.
After playing a smaller role in the first two seasons, Tony's little sister (and her eyeliner) became the main characters in Skins' second generation.
Like many of her co-stars, Kaya Scodelario had no acting experience when she was cast in the show.
In a fun twist for fans of the series, she dated Jack O'Connell, who played one of Effy's love interests Cook, for about a year from 2008 until 2009.
Kaya Scodelario - Effy
After Skins, Scodelario starred as the female lead in The Maze Runner film franchise. She also had a main role in 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
In 2019, she co-starred with Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, about serial killer Ted Bundy.
In 2024 she's starred in two shows, Senna and The Gentleman, both on Netflix.
Scodelario married actor Benjamin Walker in December 2015, and both changed their last names to Scodelario-Davis. They have two children; a son born in November 2016 (whose godfather is her Skins co-star Daniel Kaluuya), and a daughter born in September 2021.
Hannah Murray - Cassie Ainsworth
Nicholas Hoult's Tony describes Cassie by saying: "She's thin, she's blonde, she says 'wow' a lot".
That is a short summation of Cassie, who was memorable for her bubbly nature, relationship with Sid and heartbreaking battles with mental illness.
Cassie was actress Hannah Murray's first ever acting role, but certainly not her last.
Joe Dempsie - Chris Miles
Joe Dempsie had spent years as a child actor before landing the role of Chris in Skins.
Chris was one of the show's most lovable characters, so it hurt a generation of millennials deeply when he tragically died in Cassie's arms in series 2.
After bidding farewell to Chris, Dempsie's career hits its stride – he even starred in one of the biggest shows of all time.
Joe Dempsie - Chris Miles
Dempsie starred as Gendry Baratheon in Game of Thrones, the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon and close friend of Arya Stark.
He's continued to have a steady acting career since, and has even done voiceover work for video game Final Fantasy XIV.
Dev Patel - Anwar Kharral
Throughout the series, Anwar's love of partying often means he finds himself with complicated feelings about identity and religion.
Anwar often provided some much-needed comedic relief amongst the many dark storylines too.
Dev Patel had never acted before scoring the role of Anwar – which makes the fact he is one of the show's biggest breakout stars all the more impressive.
