Nicholas Hoult once took offense at a remark made during the casting process for the American remake of Skins. The British actor recalled being told that producers were struggling to cast his iconic role, Tony Stonem, because the candidates were all too good-looking.
During a recent conversation on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast, Hoult discussed his time on the original British series and the short-lived American adaptation.
He said someone told him, “We’re having a struggle casting your role because everyone’s too good-looking.” When asked whether he saw the comment as an insult or a compliment, Hoult admitted, “I think it could insult.”
Before Nicholas Hoult, Skins also launched the careers of several Hollywood stars
The original Skins premiered on Channel 4 in 2007 and ran for six seasons. Its rotating cast helped several young British actors establish themselves before moving on to bigger projects.
Hoult had already appeared alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy when he was 11. However, playing Tony brought him more attention. He later starred as Beast in the X-Men franchise, Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road and Lex Luthor in Superman. His other notable credits include The Menu and The Great.
He was far from the only Skins actor to build a successful career. Dev Patel played Anwar Kharral before breaking through internationally with Slumdog Millionaire. He later earned an Academy Award nomination for Lion and made his directorial debut while starring in Monkey Man.
Daniel Kaluuya had a recurring role as Posh Kenneth. He went on to star in Get Out, Black Panther and Nope before winning an Academy Award for his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Kaya Scodelario played Effy Stonem, Tony’s younger sister, before taking a leading role in the later generations of the series. She subsequently starred in the Maze Runner franchise and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Jack O’Connell likewise transitioned from playing Cook to roles in films such as Unbroken, ’71 and Sinners. Joe Dempsie and Hannah Murray found further success on television, playing Gendry and Gilly, respectively, in Game of Thrones.
The American Skins remake, meanwhile, struggled to find the same audience as the British original. MTV canceled it after just one season in 2011, making it a short-lived attempt to bring the teen drama to a US audience.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
