Kaya Scodelario noticed huge difference after returning to Skins that left her saying ‘no’ to the script
One of the biggest stars to come out of Skins has revealed how the show differed significantly when making her return, leaving her saying 'no' to the script that was put in front of her.
Kaya Scodelario rose to fame in Skins as the complex Effy Stonem, who would become something of a pop culture icon for those growing up watching the coming-of-age teen comedy drama, which can now be streamed in its entirety on Netflix.
Starring as the younger sister of season one and two's initial lead character Tony Stonem, played by Nicholas Hoult, she doesn't speak a word in the show's first seven episodes until an episode named after and focusing on the character development of Effy.
Advert
After the first two seasons, Effy takes Tony's role as the main character arc as a new generation of characters are introduced to viewers as they navigate adolescence.
Scodelario, now 32, left Skins after season four before returning for its final run in 2013. And in returning to the show, the mum-of-two revealed one major difference in what was being written for her character Effy.
Given she was only 14 when initially cast in the role, there was only so much writers could put together in terms of creating her own coming of age story with her being a minor.
But on her return, the script had changed with her natural getting a bit older.
The finale for Skins saw Scodelario return as Effy, who is working in London at a hedge fund company.
No longer a young teenager, she took issue with the script for how it differed and raised it to bosses.
“I felt much more confident in saying what I felt during that series,” she told The Guardian.
“When the first draft came through, there were a lot of sex scenes in it.
"I could tell it was because I turned 18 and that meant that they could show more. And I went back and said: 'No, there’s no need to do that'."
Looking back, Scodelario said she felt 'strong enough' to voice this opinion and explain her discomfort with it.
Other Skins stars have also spoken out about their parts in the show, with April Pearson - who played Michelle Richardson, girlfriend of Tony - saying she was 'still dealing' with her own sex scenes.
Over on TikTok, one fan asked her: "Did you guys actually have to get naked in Skins? If so, weren't you uncomfortable?"
Pearson responded: "Yes... and yes. It was very weird and erm, not all the time pleasant. Still dealing with it."
Speaking about the issue more on her Are You Michelle From Skins? podcast, Pearson explained: "At the time you're young and you don't know any better. You don't really know what to say, to speak out, is this OK.
"And as with a lot of victims of trauma, you look back at it and think: 'Yeah, that was f***ed up.'
"There's a difference between being officially old enough and mentally old enough. I was having this conversation with my husband and I was saying I do feel like I was too young, I feel like I wasn't protected."
On these scenes, Jack O'Connell, who starred as James Cook, said: "It's hard to say that you're ever totally comfortable.
"Listen, I admit I was very naive at the time. Enough so as to not check in with myself and question myself if I was feeling comfortable or not.
"It just felt like part and parcel of the programme in a very different time than the one we're in now."
Topics: UK News, TV, Celebrity, Entertainment, Channel 4, Nostalgia
Tom Earnshaw