Skins stars who made it big – Oscars glory, A-list romance and Angelina Jolie link

Channel 4 drama Skins is as popular now as it ever was when it burst onto screens in 2007 – but some of its cast have left it in a blaze of glory.

It was the gritty teen drama that dealt with everything from sex and sexuality, drugs and alcohol and devastating deaths that fans will never get over.

But it also helped catapult a number of its cast members to international fame, with many of them still huge names in the industry.

READ MORE: Skins star Megan Preston looks unrecognisable in unearthed bodybuilding snaps

Jack O’Connell, who celebrates his birthday on August 1, is just one of the Skins graduates who is now rubbing shoulders with the Hollywood elite.

So, as the actor turns 33, Daily Star is taking a look at where he and some of his most successful co-stars ended up.

Jack O’Connell – James Cook

Derby lad Jack became the crush of every teenage girl when he joined Skins for its second generation in 2009, as James Cook.

His final scene in the fourth season saw Cook attack killer Foster, who had killed his best friend Freddie.

Cook returned in the limited seventh series, which aired in 2013, which took place three years later and saw the character working as a drug dealer in Manchester.

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In the years that followed, Jack proved himself as a seriously talented actor, starring in the likes of Angelina Jolie-directed Unbroken, and the recent adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, which saw him completely nude in some raunchy scene.

Jack and Angelina met in 2013 and she was instantly blown away by him.

She said at the time: “As soon as I met him, I knew he was [Unbroken character] Louis.”

The Hollywood A-lister also said his acting talent was “a gift” – even if producers had been initially worried by his bad boy reputation.

Nicholas Hoult – Tony Stonem

Nicholas Hoult, now 33, wasn’t an unknown actor when he landed lead role Tony in the show’s first two seasons.

He starred in the 2002 comedy-drama About A Boy alongside Hugh Grant when he was a child, but it was Skins that saw his big break come.

Playing lady’s man Tony, Nicholas would admit he found the attention he received overwhelming and he actually considered quitting acting.

He eventually decided against it and has gone on to enjoy major success.

Nicholas joined the X-Men franchise in 2011’s First Class, as Hank McCoy, or Beast, a role he returned to in 2014’s Days of Future Past, 2016’s Apocalypse, 2018’s Deadpool 2 and 2019’s Dark Phoenix.

It was while working on X-Men: First Class in 2010 that he met Jennifer Lawrence, and the acting duo were dating on-and-off for five years.

Busy schedules was cited as the reason, however they remained friends and have both since moved on and welcomed children in their new relationships.

Kaya Scodelario – Effy Stonem

Kaya played Tony’s younger sister Effy and led the second generation in seasons three and four – but unlike her co-stars she also appeared in generation one.

Since reprising her role in Skins Redux in 2013, Kaya, now 31, has seen success in some major titles – including a lead role in young adult fantasy film series Maze Runner, as Teresa.

She also became a Disney star when she starred opposite Johnny Depp in 2018’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales.

Kaya played Zac Efron’s love interest in the Ted Bundy biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile in 2019, too.

The actress has remained close to a number of her co-stars, including Daniel Kaluuya, who is the godfather of her son.

Joe Dempsie – Chris Miles

Joe played the loveable Chris in the first two series, and his untimely death will go down as one of the saddest moments in television history.

The actor, now 36, has gone on to appear in some high-budget releases since, including as Gendry in Game Of Thrones.

Joe has rebranded himself as a Hollywood heartthrob since finding fame in Skins, which saw him take on the lead role of Harry Clarke in the action-packed thriller series Deep State.

In recent times, though, it’s Game Of Thrones which he is most known for, playing the illegitimate son of King Robert Baratheon – but he was “astounded” to get the role as he “didn’t have any of the physical attributes the part required”.

He was told to dye his hair black and hit the gym to beef up, and he did just that.

Gendry appeared in the first three seasons, before leaving in a rowing boat.

Four seasons later, he returned – along with a joke about the rowing boat – and his character was eventually made lord of Storm’s End.

Dev Patel – Anwar Kharral

Dev Patel was one of Skins’ earliest breakout stars, landing the main role in eight-time Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.

The actor, now 33, also won a Critics’ Choice Award and SAG Award for his role – and a girlfriend, as he dated his co-star Freida Pinto from 2009 until 2014.

Dev has been going strong ever since, having roles in the likes of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and its sequel.

He is currently working on his directorial debut Monkey Man, in which he also stars, which is set to be released on Netflix.

Another role Dev is remembered for is as Prince Zuko in the live-action adaptation of The Last Airbender – although the movie didn’t go down well with critics, despite being a commercial success.

The movie didn’t get good reviews, however many noted that Dev’s performance was one of its redeeming qualities.

Hannah Murray – Cassie Ainsworth

Hannah Murray’s Cassie was one of the most popular Skins characters, and she appeared in the first two seasons and then again in Skins Redux, in 2013.

The actress, now 34, had a few roles afterwards but returned to the mainstream in Game Of Thrones in 2012, playing the recurring character of Gilly.

From the fourth season of the HBO, she was bumped up to being a member of the main cast and featured until the end of the show.

By the series end, her character was pregnant by her lover Sam, with their sweet romance adored by viewers.

During her career, Hannah has been nominated for and won a number of awards, including a SAG Award as part of the Game Of Thrones cast.

The star hasn’t had any acting roles since 2020, though, but often appears at fan conventions still.

Daniel Kaluuya – Posh Kenneth

Daniel Kaluuya, 34, wasn’t one of the big hitters on Skins, playing the minor role of Posh Kenneth – however he was also a writer on the series.

His major acting success would come later in 2017 horror Get Out, though he had roles in titles like Kick-Ass 2 and Johnny English Reborn too.

Daniel’s role in Get Out cemented his title as one of Hollywood’s biggest rising stars, with the twisted movie garnering huge praise from critics.

He was nominated for an Oscar, Golden Glove, SAG Award, BAFTA and Critics’ Choice Award for the role.

Daniel then landed a spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as W’Kabi in Black Panther, and then lent his voice to the animated Spider-Man Spider-Verse movies.

And while he didn’t win the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Get Out, he did land one in 2020 for Best Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah.

He won a Golden Globe and SAG Award the same year.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk