Kaya Scodelario reveals rejecting sex scenes in Skins spin-off, importance of intimacy coordinators

Kaya Scodelario discusses her decision to reject graphic scenes in Skins: Fire and advocates for actor safety on sets.

Kaya Scodelario, known for her role as Effy Stonem in the groundbreaking teen drama Skins, recently revealed that she refused to perform explicit scenes in the show’s spin-off miniseries, Skins: Fire. Scodelario, who rose to fame as a central figure in the series during its third season, pushed back against the spin-off's initial script, which she felt was unnecessarily graphic.

Speaking to The Guardian, the actress explained that the increased explicit content was linked to her age, as she had recently turned 18 at the time. “The first draft had many sex scenes, clearly because I was now legally an adult,” she said. “But I felt there was no need for that.” Her insistence led to significant script revisions.

Scodelario emphasized the importance of safeguarding younger actors and praised the introduction of intimacy coordinators on sets. Reflecting on her time in Skins, she acknowledged that while her experience was positive overall, the lack of such protections then could have led to potential risks. “Thankfully, nothing awful happened, but it easily could have,” she noted.

The actress also commended the show for its nuanced portrayal of challenging topics like mental health, calling it a departure from the more simplistic narratives typical of youth dramas at the time. “It wasn’t preachy—it showed life’s complexities,” she said.

Beyond her work on Skins, Scodelario remains grateful for the connections she made, including her friendship with co-star Daniel Kaluuya, now the godfather to her child. While other cast members like Dev Patel have jokingly described the show as “a little rash that won’t go away,” Scodelario credits it with paving the way for her successful career and giving her a platform to advocate for change within the industry.