Leading star of E4’s teen drama spills all

Kaya Scodelario plays the beautiful Effy in Skins 3 – back tonight on E4 with lots of new faces. NOW caught up with Kaya to find out all the gossip surrounding the new series…

Are you similar to your character Effy?
Yes and no. I take things from her like being passionate about helping others and people. Effy doesn’t let her emotions out. But, like her, my friends are very important to me.

Do you find the role challenging?
At first she was very guarded and I’m not like that so it has been hard to play her.

Are you missing the old cast from Skins series 1 and 2?
It was difficult to work with new people, but now we get on extremely well and I’ve visited the new guys in London. It’s great.

Do your family watch Skins, bearing in mind it’s a ‘bare all’ teen series?
Yeah, my mum is really supportive and she was on the set with me in the first series so she has seen it all. My gran watches it, but with the sound off so that she doesn’t know what we’re saying!

Where will you be watching the first episode of series 3?
At home with my family. I’m a bit nervous though as there’s a sex scene involving me in the first episode. I don’t know how that will go down!

Why should loyal followers of Skins 1 & 2 and fans of the original cast watch the new series with new characters?
It’s a very different series. The first was fun, the second was more serious and this one is just really funny.

So because Skins 3 is funnier than the rest that means it’s really different?
Yeah, it’s more fun and takes the piss a bit more, which you see from the first episode. People should be open-minded about watching it and pretend that they haven’t seen the first series. They’ll really enjoy it!

Any off-set rivalries or romances?
Oh, no rivalries or romances as we just have no time! It has been the best 6 months of my life, though.

How did you get the part of Effy?
Well, I always had a passion for acting and, when I was 14, the school I went to got a fax saying that auditions were taking place down the road. On my way home, I dropped in to see what was happening and I ended up getting the role! I was luck really.

What did you do with your first pay packet?
I was only 14 so my mum saved most of it. But, I did buy a Wii and some ghd hair straighteners.

What was filming like?
It was a very difficult six months. The hardest two weeks of my life were when we filmed Effy’s scenes. It was 6am – 9pm every day and I was exhausted. It was worth it.

Did anything about filming really frighten you?
Well I was nervous at times because Effy really loses it. One time I had to stand there in my underwear in front of about 50 people. The production staff, cast, everyone! We have such a good relationship with the team that it doesn’t really feel like work.

So what causes Effy to lose it?
Effy goes through a lot and there’s a love triangle between her, Freddie and Cook. She starts very strong then breaks down.

Have you ever been in the sort of trouble Effy has?
No, not at all. I’m quite different in that way. I prefer a night in with the girls.

What would you be doing if you hadn’t made it into Skins?
Auditioning! And maybe going to college, to do drama.

Are you spurred on by Dev Patel’s post-Skins success? (Dev Patel stars in Slumdog Millionaire.)
I’m just so happy for him! It couldn’t have happened to a more grounded and down-to-earth person.

Source: Now Magazine