“Do you remember when you rode with me in the ambulance after I tried to kill myself?” asks the angst ridden Cassie to her best mate Jal. “That’s what love is.” Oh to be a teenager; the age where nothing fits, where you’ve never felt more bored and excitable, obsessed and depressed in your entire life. There’s the rush of firsts: first love, first shag, first pill. There’s the house parties, hangovers, and heartbreaks. Yes, it’s bittersweet, but you’ll get through it. Just look at the kids from Skins.
It’s hard to believe it, but 10 years ago (seriously, wtf?), a bunch of total unknowns, misfits and a funny looking child star (looking at you, Nicholas Hoult) were cast in the now cult teenage drama. Raw, wry and brutally honest, it spoke to an entire generation of kids — who, by the way, have now grown into totally mature, fully functioning, highly sophisticated adults. We shed tears when Chris randomly died from a brain haemorrhage, swooned over sexy Tony, threw shade at silly Michelle and cringed over anything Sid did, because let’s face it, Sid was a loser. It’s been 10 years, and we’ve missed them. So where are they now?
Read: 10 years of Skins – where are the original cast now?
Nicholas Hoult aka Tony
Trust me when I say that no one on the planet thought that the cute lil dweeb from About a Boy would blossom into a beauty. But after ditching the puppy fat and getting a cool haircut, Nicholas Hoult finally arrived. It probs helped that he was cast as the stereotypical bad ass, the guy who will break your heart if you let him. Which is something real life Tony may or may not have done to Hollywood sweetheart Jennifer Lawrence who he met on the set of the X-Men franchise, and dated on and off for a couple of years.Ten years on and young Nick has a host of big blockbusters and indie features to his name, including Tom Ford’s A Single Man, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Equals opposite Kristen Stewart. This year alone he’s got four films in the pipeline. Boy done good.
April Pearson aka Michelle
Oh Michelle. The girl who everyone was in love with, even when no one was quite sure why. Popular, sure, pretty, yes, but let’s be honest, a total drip. Since her stellar turn as Tony’s leading lady, April Pearson has continued working as an actress, with numerous Casualty cameos, and a handful of roles in low key British flicks. Sticking to her roots, this year she will be starring in a film called The Dealer, which sort of sounds a bit like Skins.
Mike Bailey aka Sid
Ok. I take it back, Sid wasn’t a total loser, but he certainly wasn’t one of the ballers. Well, he did end up shagging Michelle. In fact he got quite a lot of action in the end. Anyway, what about Mike Bailey, the brilliant actor who played him? Up until recently he’d sort of kept a low profile. But in 2013 he appeared in the British comedy We Are the Freaks, about a bunch of misfits who end up on a bender. Sound rights. In 2017 young Mike is currently starring in a TV show about a couple who one day decide to tell each other all about their prior sex lives, in minute detail. Hey, why not?
Hannah Murray aka Cassie Ainsworth
Heartbreak, self-loathing, bulimia and a suicide attempt, Cassie had it rough. She was sad, gentle, self-destructive, beautiful and kind — much better than her supposed BFF Michelle. Unlike the rest of her cast mates who’ve pretty much fallen off the face of the earth, actress Hannah Murray has slowly but surely managed to make a name for herself, having been cast as Gilly — a slightly more badass damsel in distress — in binge-watched series Game of Thrones.
Joe Dempsie aka Chris
Let’s get one thing straight. Chris was a fucking legend. He was the ultimate loller who’d smoke, shag, rob and snort anything he could get his paws on. But he was more than just a pill head, he had feelings too. Remember when he had his heart broken by his psychology teacher Angie? And when helater fell in love with his best friend Jal. In fact, he was just about to have a kid with her when he tragically died. But what happened to Joe Dempsie? Duh! His skin had cleared up and he’s now the bastard child of Robert Baratheon, and heir to the Iron Throne!
Dev Patel aka Anwar
Anwar Kharral wasn’t as faithful a Muslim as his strict parents hoped he’d be. He may have prayed five times a day, but he also took a shit load of drugs, necked more booze than the rest of them and could shag anyone under the table. In fact he probably did that too. He was the cheeky chappy who was constantly horny and always in trouble with his overbearing Pakistani mum and dad. Even more loveable than his character is the actor who played him, Dev Patel. Indeed, he has fast become one of the most quietly successful British actors of his generation. Slumdog Millionaire, The Best Exotics Marigold Hotel, its sequelThe Newsroom, and now Lion — the film for which he’s currently nominated as Best Supporting Actor for at the Oscars. Bravo!
Larissa Wilson aka Jal
Sensible and successful at school stuff, Jal spent more time with her clarinet than she did getting wastido with all her mates. Basically, she was boring. But she and Chris were in love, and we can never take that away from them. Since Skins, actress Larissa Wilson has kept out of the limelight, bar from a couple of appearances on Holby City.
Mitch Hewer aka Maxxie Oliver
The only gay in the city, Maxxie was sweet, gentle and grossly misunderstood. He was also particularly good at tap dance but branded a “dirty little slut who fucks around with other people’s boyfriends,” by Michelle after he snogged Tony. Whatever Michelle. Google actor Mitch Hewer and you’ll see that beautiful blonde boy has now blossomed into a muscley brunette. Still dancing, still acting and still loving life by all accounts.
Credits
Text Tish Weinstock