Skins Cast: Where Are They Now?

Oscar noms, X-Men movies and Game Of Thrones...

By Simon Gallagher /

Ten years ago, a teen drama with all of the swagger of seminal controversial movie Kids and a finger on the beating pulse of new youth behaviour (ok, an idealised version, but still) burst onto screens and changed the lives of its fans. Set to the tub-thumping soundtrack of the zeitgeist capturing "Standing In The Way Of Control" by Gossip, Skins became an immediate cult gem, watched by millions and seemingly adopted as a bible for countless more.

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And it's easy to forget that the show was also the starting point - or at least a new launch-pad - for some seriously talented British actors who have since gone on to take major film roles, win multiple Oscar and BAFTA nominations and capture whole new fanbases in Westeros and beyond.

With 2017 seeing the big anniversary for the show (I know, it feels horrible to even acknowledge it's been a decade), now is the perfect time to look back at some of the key cast from the first season (plus a couple of ringers) and to what they've been up since their characters left screens...

12. Jack O'Connell - Cook

In Skins

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Played James Cook in the second generation of the show, an energetic, volatile character who sought to be the life and soul of the party, got into a love triangle and ended up in prison for GBH. He escaped, naturally, but trouble always found a way of landing at his feet.

After Skins

Though he wasn't part of the much beloved - and superior - first season, Jack O'Connell has arguably gone on to become one of the top talents to have graced Skins, with explosive roles that had their roots in what he did with Cook.

His big break came with the exceptional Starred Up, a tense, prison-set drama that took full advantage of his energy and announced him as a star. Hollywood came calling, he was cast in '71, the 300 prequel, Unbroken, Money Monster and has Tulip Fever coming this year.

Best Role: Eric Love, Starred Up

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