Mimi Keene: The actress behind Ruby Matthews from Sex Education
She's a clear standout star
Following Netflix dropping Sex Education's emotional fourth and final season, what better time to get a little more familiar with the show's cast? First up, Ruby Matthews, played by Mimi Keene- who stepped up to her more starring role in season three.
From where you may have seen her before, to how she ended up on the hit Netflix show and which scene she found the most embarrassing to film, get to know everything there is to know about Mimi Keene as we binge watch season four...
Who is Mimi Keene?
Mimi is an actress whose break out role came in 2019 when she landed the role of Cindy Williams in EastEnders, which she played between 2013 and 2015. In 2019, Mimi was cast as Ruby Matthews in series one of Netflix’s Sex Education, appearing in all four seasons until 2023.
How old is Mimi Keene?
Mimi’s birthday is on the 5th of August 1998, making her 25-years-old and a Leo.
Where did Mimi Keene go to school?
Like many of her contemporaries, Mimi is the product of a dedicated theatre school education and attended the prestigious Italia Conti Academy in central London.
Mimi Keene ethnicity
Mimi is British, but since delivering her main character energy for series three, fans have been speculating on Twitter about her ethnicity.
One said, 'Does anyone know off what ethnicity Mimi Keene is? She looks really Italian to me.' (sic).
Another disagreed, writing: 'Need to know @mimikeene3 ‘s ethnicity… She looks middle easterner.'
While she's yet to speak about her parents or heritage, Sex Education has been praised for championing racial diversity, with a cast including Ncuti Gatwa (Eric Effiong), Patricia Allison (Ola Nyman), Simone Ashley (Olivia) and Chaneil Kular (Anwar).
'The diversity in the #SexEducation cast is SO beautiful and unrivalled!' wrote another Twitter user. 'The fact that all characters are treated with care and given depth, and that it never verges on tokenism like “here’s your brown character lol enjoy” is so important.
'My eyes and soul are so thankful.'
Has Mimi Keene got a boyfriend?
Her social media isn’t giving much away (apart from the fact that she’s an absolute stunner out of character as well as in it) - but she does appear to have a love for dogs, and dogs are better than a boyfriend. She’s dog mum to pet Chihuahua, Baby.
What else has Mimi Keene been in?
2013 - School for Stars
Back in 2013, Mimi appeared in two episodes of CBBC show School for Stars. The series follows pupils attending The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts as they juggle school life and aspirations of careers in TV, film and theatre.
Mimi trained at the academy from 2009 to 2014, with the show documenting her acquiring one of her first major TV roles.
2013 - Sadie J
Mimi soon scored herself a swift role in CBBC show Sadie J, where she performed in a line-dancing scene. The actress appeared in one episode as Brandy May Lou.
2013 - Our Girl
Mimi also appeared in the pilot episode of Our Girl in 2013, playing the role of Jade Dawes. The show has gone on to achieve great success, with Michelle Keegan taking on a lead role in series two.
2013 - EastEnders
Arguably one of her most well-known roles, Mimi scored the part of EastEnders' Cindy Williams back in 2013. Cast as the role in her early teens, Mimi stayed on the soap for two years, and gained herself nominations for Best Young Performance and Best Young Actor during that time!
2016 - Casualty
Of course, what would a British actor's career gallery be without a brief stint on BBC's Casualty? Delighting the soap fans, Mimi appeared in a 2016 episode of the medical drama as Lana Westmore.
2019 - Tolkien
From 2017 - 2019, Mimi even appeared in a few films, including Megan in the short film The Escape and Claire in the film Close.
In 2019, however, Mimi appeared in the popular film Tolkien, which starred huge names such as Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. Mimi appeared as the young Edith Bratt, whose older self is portrayed by Lily.
2019 - Sex Education
And that takes us to 2019, when Mimi first appeared as the leader of the Untouchables clique in Netflix's hit show Sex Education - Ruby Matthews. Appearing in all four seasons, Mimi appeared in Sex Education from 2019 - 2023.
Ruby has been present in the show since series one, and even though she was seen as a some-what bully for most of that time, she won over our hearts as she took on a more focal role in series three and four.
2023 - After Everything
Following her Sex Education fame, fans were excited to see Mimi feature in the fifth and final film of the After franchise - titled After Everything. The films star Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. Mimi played the role of Nathalie, who was a fresh addition to the series.
Ruby Matthews in Sex Education
Ruby is introduced in series one as the Queen Bee of the Untouchables, a group of popular girls in lead character Otis’ school who look down their noses at the other students.
Mimi’s role is small in the first series, only interacting with the protagonists in episode five where she turns to Otis and Maeve to help her identify the anonymous culprit behind sharing her private nudes with the rest of the school.
In series two, Ruby proves to play a much bigger role when she ends up having relations with Otis. In episode six, Otis wakes up in bed alongside Ruby after a small gathering at his house gets out of hand, with Ruby casually admitting that they slept together and that she’s “99% sure” they used protection.
Her certainty later falls to “96.5%” and Otis – well versed in the risks of unprotected sex thanks to his mum the sex therapist – accompanies Ruby to the chemist to get the morning after pill.
Despite Ruby’s ‘mean girl’ front, we learn that she’s been struggling at home when she admits to the chemist that her dad has been suffering with degenerative brain disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for a year. Otis proves to be an unlikely support for Ruby and by the end of series two we saw the beginnings of a friendship blossom between the two.
As viewers may now know, season three held much more for the pair, with their relationship blossoming and Ruby even dropping the L-bomb. Sadly, an awkward Otis doesn't quite give Ruby the response she was hoping for.
Mixed with Otis and Maeve growing close, it was looking like the end for Rotis. Until season four dropped, of course... But we'll give you more time to binge watch that.
What happened with Ruby and Otis?
Prior to season three's release, Mimi said that Ruby will take on a much bigger role in the third series, and dropped some serious hints that her relationship with Otis could be taking on a whole new dynamic.
Mimi did said: "I know it’s a bit weird to bring this relationship in because their dynamic has been something else up until now, so I don’t know. I think the reaction will be split. Some people will like it but we’ll have to see.
"I think it’s funny, there are a lot of moments that are funny between them and good to watch. I think people will be surprised because it’s another part of Ruby’s character development."
Speaking to Glamour, she added: "She hasn’t been in relationships before so anything that has happened has always been very casual for her until now. She doesn’t usually like to be tied down or get into anything too serious. In this new relationship that definitely changes because like in real life, that can happen. You make all these rules to keep things casual and then it ends up developing into something more."
Of course, following season three, we know that Otis and Ruby do in fact become an official item. However, with Otis not quite reciprocating the same feelings, and thanks to the undeniable connection between Otis and Maeve, things get a bit rocky for the pair.
Although Ruby and Otis' relationship pretty much totally broke down, season four offered a glimmer of hope for the pair. Despite Otis and Maeve 'dating', the distance between the two is proving difficult, with Maeve studying across the pond in America.
With Ruby offering up her support for Otis' Student Counsellor campaign - serving as Campaign Manager - the pair formed a good friendship again. So good, in fact, that Otis accidentally fell asleep in Ruby's bed. Although this caused a few twists and turns, we ended the season - and entire series, in fact - with the pair amicable and 'friends', despite Ruby joking she has 'enough new friends now'.
Read up on all of the Sex Education relationships here.
Mimi's most embarrassing scene to film
This may come as a surprise, given the nature of the show, but the scene Mimi found the most embarrassing to film as Ruby in Sex Education was NOT to do with anything sexual. The scene she felt the most embarrassed to film in fact involved some very long nail extensions, and her character rolling a joint...
What has Mimi Keene said about playing Ruby?
In the same interview, Mimi said that in series three we would start to see the real person behind Ruby’s ‘Untouchable’ facade.
"We start to see how things that look very shiny and perfect on the outside might not be that way in reality," she said. "There’s a lot she has to deal with in her family. She has to take care of a lot more stuff than people might realise. Stuff that no one at school or any of her friends know anything about because none of her friends have ever been to her house. Her dad is a huge factor in all of it."
Has she won any awards?
Mimi hasn't bagged any awards yet, but that doesn't mean she hasn't been nominated! In 2014 she was nominated for Best Young Performance at The British Soap Awards, as well as being shortlisted for Best Young Actor for the Inside Soap Awards, going on to be officially nominated for that award the following year.
In 2022, Mimi was featured in Vanity Fair's BAFTA Rising Star Portfolio, alongside names such as Jamie-Lee O’Donnell (Derry Girls), Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) and Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place).
Is Mimi Keene on social media?
You can follow Mimi on Instagram @mimikeene3.
We can't wait to see what else the actress has in store!
Check out where you may have seen the rest of the Sex Education cast:
Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn
26-year-old Asa Butterfield is from London, and rose to fame after portraying Bruno in The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas and his role in Son of Rambow. He also played the titular character in Hugo, and had a main role in The Space Between Us as well as appearing in Choose or Die.
Asa stars as main character Otis Milburn - a teenager who lives with his mum, a sex therapist, as is his father, who is divorced from his mum and lives away. He falls for Maeve Wiley in season one after they set up a sex therapy clinic at their school together.
Gillian Anderson as Dr Jean F. Milburn
Playing his sex therapist mother Dr Jean F. Milburn is Gillian Anderson, best known as Special Agent Scully in The X-Files. Golden Globe award-winner Gillian has starred in plenty of films, as well as quite a few period drama TV series, including The Crown and The Fall.
Jean is a sex therapist, who began a casual relationship with her plumber, Jakob, in the first season, and ended up falling for him. She decided to keep her relationship with Jakob a secret, as Otis was dating his daughter Ola. Jean cheated on Jakob with her ex-husband, Remi, and as she hoped to get back with Jakob, discovered she was pregnant. Jakob was not the father, so Jean continued to raise her baby - Joy - on her own.
Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley
Maeve Wiley is portrayed by French-British actress Emma Mackey. She has previously worked as a model and also starred in TV film Badger Lane and Summit Fever. She has now also starred in Death on the Nile as Jacqueline de Bellefort, Emily as Emily Brontë, Eiffel as Adrienne Bourgès and the hit Barbie movie, playing Physicist Barbie.
Maeve is a street-smart, self-sufficient and incredibly smart student at Otis' school. She convinced him to start the sex therapy clinic, and slowly fell for him despite her relationship with head boy Jackson Marchetti and later Isaac Goodwin. Before moving to America for a creative writing course, Maeve lived on her own in a caravan, and we saw a brief appearance from her brother Sean in season one, with her mum and baby sister appearing in season two and three.
Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong
Eric Effiong, best friend of Otis, is played by Ncuti Gatwa, who had small TV roles previously - such as a role in Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans and 2021's The Last Letter from Your Lover. Since Sex Education, Ncuti has featured in the Barbie film, playing another Ken, alongside his Sex Education co-stars Emma Mackey and Connor Swindells, as well as landing the role of the next Doctor in Doctor Who, taking over from Jodie Whittaker.
Eric is Otis' outspoken and vivacious best friend. He was the target of a bullying campaign by Adam Groff - but at the end of season one, it turned out that they actually have feelings for each other. He was also the victim of a horrific homophobic assault, and blamed Otis after he left him on his own to be with Maeve, but they put their differences aside. In season two, he was caught up in a love triangle with his new boyfriend Rahim and Adam, who was coming to terms with his bisexuality. By season three, Eric and Adam become official, however after Eric cheated on him, the pair split. Season four explores Eric's relationship with his faith, and Christian community, and his sexuality. We end season four with Eric coming to the realisation that he wants to be an inclusive pastor for the community.
Connor Swindells as Adam Groff
Connor Swindells portrays Adam Groff in the series. Connor starred in 2019 film The Vanishing alongside Gerard Butler, as well as the 2020 adaptation of Emma, alongside his Sex Education co-star Tanya Reynolds. In 2021, Connor appeared in the new BBC drama Vigil, alongside huge names like Suranne Jones and Martin Compston, and in 2023 appeared alongside both Emma and Ncuti in the Barbie movie, playing the role of Mattel employee Aaron.
Adam Groff began the series as a bully, victimising Eric, who he later discovered romantic feelings for in season one. He had a tough home life, with his totalitarian headmaster father and submissive mother, and struggled at school. The show sees him come to terms with his bisexuality, as well as balance a tough relationship with his father.
Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs
Aimee Lou Wood stars as Aimee Gibbs in the show. Aimee Lou originally auditioned to play Lily, but was happy to land the role of Aimee instead. She has starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy and Toby Jones in the 2021 film The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. You may have also spotted her appearing as Maya in TV series Alice & Jack, alongside Aisling Bea and Domhnall Gleeson.
Aimee started off as part of 'The Untouchables' - the popular crew at Moordale High - but had a secret friendship with Maeve. At the end of the first season, she ditched them to hang out with Maeve full time. As well as following Aimee's relationship struggles, the third and fourth season of the show involve Aimee experiencing sexual assault and processing her trauma.
Mimi Keene as Ruby Matthews
Playing Ruby Matthews is Mimi Keene. Mimi is probably best known for playing Cindy Williams in EastEnders between 2013 and 2015. She also appeared in Our Girl as Jade Dawes, and played Young Edith Bratt in 2019 film Tolkien alongside Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. Check out all of the other places you may have spotted Mimi Keene.
Ruby has a complex profile throughout the show, first appearing as the meanest of 'The Untouchables', victimising Maeve, and so conceited even her best friend turns on her. By the second season, she becomes romantically involved with Otis after a raucous house party, with her later even dropping the L-bomb. By season four, we see Ruby desperately try and befriend the 'popular' crew at the gang's new college, as well as quietly pining for Otis.
Alistair Petrie as Michael Groff
Playing the stern Mr Michael Groff is Alistair Petrie. Alistair starred in the Keira Knightley film The Duchess, as well as the film adaptation of Cloud Atlas and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as General Draven. He also had a role in 2019 film Hellboy, and the 2016 TV adaptation of The Night Manager alongside Tom Hiddleston. More recently, he appeared in a TV series called The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies, playing Rob Chance.
Mr Groff was the headteacher at Moordale High, as well as being Adam's overbearing and cold father. In the first season, Mr. Groff was mainly seen as a bit of a jobsworth, and an unyielding member of his family. Throughout the seasons, we see his character develop as his wife Maureen splits up with him (after a counselling session with Jean), leading him to find a new place to live, as well as a new job, and repair his broken relationship with his son.
Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson Marchetti
Kedar Williams-Stirling plays Jackson Marchetti in the show. Kedar has had roles in The Bill, Silent Witness and Doctors with a main role in Wolfblood. He also starred in crime drama Death in Paradise, as well as 2019 film Changeland.
Jackson begins Sex Education as head boy and an overachiever. In the first series, his storyline revolved around the love triangle with himself, Maeve and Otis, as well as dealing with the pressures he felt at school. The show went on to show Jackson deal with his anxiety and mental health, as well as making strong friendships with characters such as Viv and Cal.
Chinenye Ezeudu as Vivienne 'Viv' Odusanya
Chinenye Ezeudu joined the show in the second season as Viv, which was her first major role on the box. She also had a role in Netflix's thriller The Stranger as Zoe Denmoor, alongside Richard Armitage, Siobhan Finneran, Jennifer Saunders, Dervla Kirwan and Hannah John-Kamen.
Incredibly intelligent but uninterested in forming social connections, Viv was shown to have a softer side through her friendship with Jackson. As she coached him through his role as Romeo in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, she also stepped in to help when Jackson self-harmed. Despite some ructions in their friendship, Jackson and Viv maintained their strong friendship all the way to the final season, with him supporting her through a controlling relationship.
George Robinson as Isaac
Isaac Goodwin is played by actor George Robinson. Sex Education was the first big acting job for George, who - like his character Isaac - uses a wheelchair after suffering spinal neck injury when he was 17-years-old. George had previously appeared in Channel 5 drama Dalgliesh, playing the role of Henry Carwadine. In 2022, he played the role of Liam in the Dave sitcom Perfect, and has a number of upcoming projects including an educational film for the charity Back Up Trust, and another film titled Still Life - which is based on a non-fiction article about a high school American football player from Dallas (John McClamrock), who suffered an accident that left him almost completely paralysed.
George was the first disabled actor to be cast in Sex Education - speaking to Teen Vogue about being the show's first disabled actor, he said: "Everyone pretty much knows someone who has a disability and yet the representation in media doesn't seem to be there in the same way, even though it's certainly changing. There's been the precedent in the past of having wheelchair characters not being played by people in wheelchairs. I just thought that was such a refreshing thing when I got the call."
The character Isaac first appeared in season two, sparking a friendship with Maeve as they both lived in the same caravan park. Things got romantic between the pair, which led Isaac to deleting a VERY important voicemail off Maeve's phone, left by Otis. Despite the betrayal, Isaac soon became a fan-favourite in season four, as he became close with Aimee.
Tanya Reynolds as Lily Iglehart
The lovely Lily is played by Tanya Reynolds, who starred in Fanny Lye Deliver'd in 2018 alongside Maxine Peake, Charles Dance and Freddie Fox, who she's now in a relationship with after meeting on the set. Tanya played Teresa Benelli in series Delicious, and also had roles in Outlander and Death in Paradise. She also starred in the 2020 adaptation of Emma alongside her Sex Education co-star Connor Swindells. More recently, she's appeared in TV series such as Dodger, The Baby, I Hate You and On The Edge.
Lily Iglehart is an offbeat, quirky student at the school who begins the show desperate to lose her virginity before leaving school, and creates pornographic alien zines - something her character is now best known for. After trying it on with Otis in season one, Lily became good friends with Ola, and eventually began a relationship with her in season two - despite being initially reluctant. She also wrote and directed the school play at the end of the second season - an iconic scene for all Sex Education fans. Sadly, Lily did not appear in the fourth and final season of the show.
Samantha Spiro as Maureen Groff
Adam's mother, Maureen, is played by Samantha Spiro. Samantha is best known for playing Barbara Windsor in the stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick, as well as starring in Game Of Thrones as Melessa Tarly. She starred in a 2017 episode of Doctor Who, and played Barbara Windsor once again in Babs, the 2017 biopic of her life. More recently, Samantha appeared in Vera, as well as TV shows such as The Other Half, Beyond Paradise, Inside No. 9 and Still Up. She is also set to appear in the film One Life, along with huge names such as Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.
Maureen is the quiet and meek wife of Mr. Groff, and mother to Adam. She did not feature very heavily in the first season, but was shown to be very caring towards Adam and ignored by her husband. In the second season, she plucked up the courage to leave her husband after striking up a friendship with Jean and seeking her advice. It's safe to say that by season three and four, Maureen comes out of her shell!
Patricia Allison as Ola Nyman
Ola is played by Patricia Allison, who was a relative newcomer to the acting world when the first season of Sex Education was released - having starred in the BBC adaptation of Les Misérables in 2018. She has now worked on various projects, including voice acting, TV shows and podcasts. TV shows include Extraordinary and Thanks for the Memories. In 2023, she featured in the film God Forgives, I Don't, as well as a short titled The Sharpie.
Ola first appeared in Sex Education half-way through season one, attending Moordale High and being the daughter of plumber Jakob. She became romantically involved with Otis, but in season two noticed a connection between Otis and Maeve. After banning Otis from seeing his friend, she realised she was pansexual and broke up with him, realising that she had feelings for her friend Lily, who she later began a relationship with. Similar to Lily, Ola did not appear in season four.
Mikael Persbrandt as Jakob Nyman
Ola's dad and Jean's plumber Jakob is played by Mikael Persbrandt, who is a Swedish actor. He starred in The Hobbit film series as Beorn and also in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, as well as a very prolific career in Swedish TV and films. You may also recognise him from Will Ferrell's 2020 comedy film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. In 2022 he featured in the TV series The Kingdom, as well as Foundation in 2023.
Jakob is a Swedish handyman, who Jean employed to fix various things in her house before the pair started a relationship. He's the widowed father of Ola, and broke things off with Jean after finding out she kissed her ex-husband Remi. The pair stay apart for a matter of months, before Jean reveals to him, in season three, that she was in fact pregnant. After telling him he was not the father, Jakob exited the series and did not appear in season four.
James Purefoy as Remi Milburn
Otis' father Remi Milburn is portrayed by James Purefoy. The actor is best known for playing Mark Antony in HBO series Rome, and also for his role in Solomon Kane. He also played Edward, the Black Prince of Wales in A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger, and starred in 2019 film Fisherman's Friends. You may also recognise him as Captain Gulliver Troy in TV series Pennyworth, as well as Louis XV in Marie Antoinette and Dr. Leo Harris in Malpractice.
Remi doesn't have the best rep in Sex Education, having cheated on Jean when Otis was only young. Mainly communicating with his son via Skype in the first season, his role was expanded in the season two. After seducing Jean and causing her split from Jakob, Remi comes to realise that he's not exactly a good person, and encourages Otis to be nothing like him. Otis' father does not make an appearance in the third or fourth season.
Rakhee Thakrar as Emily Sands
Moordale High's English teacher Miss Emily Sands is played by Rakhee Thakrar, who might be best recognised for her role in EastEnders as Shabnam Masood, as well as small roles in Doctors, Holby City and Peep Show. She also voices the Eighth Doctor's companion Bliss in the Doctor Who: The Time War audio dramas. In 2022, she featured in TV series such as Rules of the Game and Karen Pirie, as well as appearing alongside names such as Andie MacDowell, Sally Phillips and Miriam Margolyes in the film My Happy Ending a year later. Rakhee is also set to feature in the upcoming WONKA film, in an unconfirmed role.
Emily Sands is the supportive, and occasionally sassy, English teacher at Moordale, who saw potential in Maeve and encouraged her to enter the poetry competition, as well as a special programme for gifted children. In the second season, she was shown to be in a relationship with fellow teacher Colin Hendricks, and leads Maeve and her teammates in the quiz hosted by Stephen Fry. Although Rakhee teased that she wouldn't feature in the fourth and final season, she did appear in one of the episodes, alongside Mr. Hendricks, as they attended Maeve's mother's funeral.
Chaneil Kular as Anwar
Playing the role of Anwar is Chaneil Kular. Chaneil had a small role in 12 episodes of Doctors, as well as appearing in three episodes of Black Narcissus. Despite not appearing in the final season of Sex Education, Chaneil played the role of Harri in 2023 film Accused.
Anwar is one of 'The Untouchables' - the school's cool clique. He is shown to be quite disparaging towards pretty much every single character, and leads the group made up of Aimee, Ruby and Olivia. He got a boyfriend in the second season, played by former Emmerdale actor Thomas Atkinson (Lachlan White).
Simone Ashley as Olivia Hanan
The final 'Untouchable', Olivia, is played by Simone Ashley. Prior to Sex Education, Simone had previously starred in Wolfblood, Broadchurch as Dana, Doctors and the 2019 film Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Of course, she is now widely recognised as Kate Sharma from the second series of Bridgerton.
Her character Olivia Hanan was shown to be a bit of a follower in the first season of Sex Education, submitting to her best friend Ruby, but she also released an intimate photo of Ruby as revenge for her horrible treatment. In the second season, she was shown to have a secret boyfriend that her family didn't approve of. Due to being a 'Bridgerton girl now', Simone's character Olivia did not appear in the fourth and final season of Sex Education.
Jim Howick as Colin Hendricks
Music and science teacher Colin Hendricks is played by Jim Howick, who you may recognise the most from his role in Peep Show as Gerard. He also starred in Horrible Histories, had a role in Broadchurch as well as Ghosts.
Colin is shown to be kind of inept when it comes to science and biology in particular, but seemed to genuinely care about the students. He also teaches band, and was incredibly encouraging towards students, especially Eric and Lily. He also began a relationship with fellow teacher Miss Sands, which is still going strong by the fourth and final season.
Anne-Marie Duff as Erin
Maeve's mother Erin is played by Anne-Marie Duff, joining the cast in the second season. Anne-Marie might be best known for her role as Fiona Gallagher in Shameless, where she met her now-ex-husband James McAvoy. She also played Queen Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen, and John Lennon's mum in Nowhere Boy. She has also played Ma Costa in the TV adaptation of His Dark Materials, Grace Williams in Bad Sisters and Susannah in Suspect.
Known to be a drug addict, Erin was absent in the first season, and it's hinted that she left Maeve a long time ago. When she returns in the second season, she has a young daughter with her - Maeve's new sister, and tells Maeve she's clean. Although the three of them start to bond and begin a life together, Maeve unfortunately discovers traces of drugs in the caravan, and calls social services to take her sister away at the very end of the second season. Tragically, in season four, Erin passes away after a drug overdose.
Sami Outalbali as Rahim
Another season two newcomer was Rahim, played by French actor Sami Outalbali. Sami has appeared in some French TV shows like Les Grands (Grown Ups), Vive la colo! and Mortel. Since Sex Education, he has appeared in films such as A Tale of Love and Desire, Nobody's Hero and November, as well as 2023 TV series BRI.
Rahim is a French exchange student, and although Ruby was originally interested in him, he showed interest in Eric, and the pair began a relationship. Unfortunately, Eric broke things off with Rahim after he realised his true feelings for Adam, and Rahim didn't feature in the final season.
Hannah Waddingham as Sofia Marchetti
Sofia Marchetti, one of Jackson's mums, is played by the wonderful Hannah Waddingham. Hannah is possibly mostly recognised as Septa Unella in Game of Thrones, while she also had a small role in the 2012 Les Misérables film adaptation. She has had a hugely successful theatre career, being particularly recognised for her role as the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot on the West End and Broadway. More recently, Hannah stole our hearts playing the role of Rebecca Weltonin the hit series Ted Lasso, as well as having the honour of presenting the Eurovision Song Contest as the 2023 competition was held in the UK.
Sofia is married to Roz, and as the more stern mother, is shown to be very pushy about Jackson's swimming career in season one. In the second season, it's revealed that Sofia is sensitive to the fact that she's not biologically connected to Jackson, and pushes his swimming career because it's something they have in common. In season four, it is revealed that Sofia married Roz whilst she was pregnant with Jackson, following Roz having an affair with a married man.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Roz Marchetti
Roz is played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Sharon is well-known in British TV, having starred in the Doctor Who episode The Water of Mars, EastEnders as Trina Johnson (Denise Fox's love rival), Bad Girls as Crystal Gordon and Years and Years as Fran Baxter. She also had a role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as 2021 hit film Dune. More recently, she appeared in Enola Holmes 2, as well as TV series such as The Swarm and Intergalactic.
Roz Marchetti, another of Jackson's mums, is shown to be softer and more supportive of Jackson - seemingly more caring towards him and concerned about his wellbeing. Her different attitude towards Jackson causes rifts between herself and her wife, Sofia.
Edward Bluemel as Sean Wiley
Maeve's troublesome brother Sean is played by Edward Bluemel, is possibly best known for his role as Marcus Whitmore in the TV adaptation of A Discovery of Witches. He had a small role in The Crown, and also played Hugo in the second series of Killing Eve. He had a role in the Liam Neeson film The Commuter, and has also had a successful theatre career.
Sean Wiley appears in the first season, dropping by to see his sister, and was shown to be in some trouble. He also got Maeve into trouble by dealing drugs at her school dance, with her taking the fall for him and getting kicked out of school. Sean features again in the fourth and final season, as him and his sister sadly learn of their mother's death. Sean then disappears in an attempt to 'get clean'.
Joe Wilkinson as Jeffrey
Jeffrey, who pops up in the show now and then, is played by comedian and actor Joe Wilkinson. Joe often appears on panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, as well as the Countdown mash-up show, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, along with Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, Taskmaster and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He also starred in Ricky Gervais' Netflix series After Life as Pat the Postman.
In Sex Education, Jeffrey is the husband of Cynthia and Maeve's neighbour on the caravan site. The couple constantly argue, and he is shown to not really respond to his wife's comments. Appearing sporadically throughout the show, he also appeared in the final season as Maeve held her mother's funeral.
Dan Levy as Mr. Molloy
A late but welcome addition to the Sex Education gang was Dan Levy, playing Maeve's American tutor Mr. Molloy. Dan is most-known for co-creating and starring in hit series Schitt's Creek, playing the role of David Rose. As well as having an established career in presenting, he has appeared in Modern Family, as well as films such as Admission, Coastal Elites and Haunted Mansion. More recently he appeared in Q-Force and The Idol.
Mr. Molloy is Maeve's tutor over in America, on her special writing programme, and is an established author himself. Mr. Molloy challenges Maeve, giving her some-what negative feedback on her writing. Despite admitting he was just trying to push her, he had a negative affect on her passion to write which almost resulted in her quitting the programme. When she later confronts him, he admits it's 'hard' seeing writers 'starting out'.
Anthony Lexa as Abbi
Playing season four newcomer Abbi is Anthony Lexa, who is an openly trans woman. Sex Education was Anthony's breakout role, serving as her first screen acting gig - with her website describing her as a 'London-based indie pop singer and songwriter'. Anthony released her single 'early nights' shortly after season four of Sex Education landed.
Abbi is the Queen Bee at the gang's new school, Cavendish College, being the hyper-optimistic leader of the popular group - The Coven. Everyone pretty much wants to be her, or be friends with her, with Netflix writing: 'She's trans, confident, sunny, magnetic, generous, and loyal.' Abbi's boyfriend is Roman, who she is having intimacy issues with throughout the season - with the help of the school's TWO sex therapists, however, they resolve them and are happy as ever.
Felix Mufti as Roman
Abbi's boyfriend Roman is played by Felix Mufti. Sex Education was Felix's first major role, having mainly performed in theatre up until appearing on the show. The Royal Court Theatre website described Felix as a: 'Activist, performer, writer and chaos-causer'. Felix is trans, identifying as he/they.
Roman is Abbi's boyfriend, with the pair being the ultimate power-couple of Cavendish College. Roman is rather goofy, but loveable nonetheless. He's trans-masculine, and has a wealthy, supportive family who helped him access gender-affirming private health care.
Thaddea Graham as Sarah 'O' Owen
Another season four newbie was Sarah Owen, known as O. O is played by Thaddea Graham. Thaddea Northern Irish actress, known for her roles in TV series Curfew, Netflix series The Letter for the King and The Irregulars. She also appeared in the BBC series Us, Doctor Who: Flux, Redemption and Wreck.
O serves as Otis' rival in the fourth and final season. Already the established sex therapist at Cavendish College, her and Otis go head-to-head with campaigning to be the one and only. To make matters worse, O joing Jean as a co-host on her radio show, much to the dismay of Otis. We also learn that O has a history with Ruby, which dates back to their childhood. As well as being teased for being poor when she was younger, O made things worse for Ruby when she outed her as a bedwetter.
Alexandra James as Aisha
Another member of the popular crew is Aisha, who is played by Alexandra James. Alexandra is a deaf actress, who has previously featured in TV shows such as Backstage and The Break. She is also set to feature in an upcoming short filmed titled The Letter.
Another new character introduced in season four is Aisha, who is a member of the popular crew The Coven, and is also deaf. Throughout the season, we see her spark up some chemistry with Cal, as well as raise awareness to how others treat those in the deaf community. She loves a gossip, despite Abbi creating a 'gossip jar' as a penalty for her.
Lisa McGrillis as Joanna
Jean's younger sister Joanna is played by Lisa McGrillis. Lisa has had a fruitful career in TV, film and theatre, featuring in titles such as Inspector George Gently, No Offence, Only You, Mum, King Gary, Avoidance, Somewhere Boy, Maternal and Best Interests... You know, to name a few.
Joanna was introduced to the show in season four, after Otis rang her to ask for help with his mum and Joy (his new baby sister). Jean isn't too overjoyed to see her sister, however, mainly due to Joanna being rather irresponsible and completely directionless, described as a 'drifter'. Although she does help out with childcare, Joanna develops a habit of pinching Jeans items, as well as continuously needing to lend money - later admitting to Jean that she is in a heap of debt. Joanna's introduction offers us an insight into Jean's past, with us getting a glimpse of the pair when they were younger, and the trauma Joanna now deals with.
Hannah Gadsby as Celia
Radio station manager Celia is played by Australian comedian/writer/actor Hannah Gadsby. Hannah is openly lesbian, and uses they/them pronouns. Being an award-winning stand up comedian, Hannah has had multiple TV specials, such as Hannah Gadsby's Oz, Hannah Gadsby: Renaissance Woman and Please Like Me. They have also featured in TV shows such as The Librarians and Underbelly.
Celia is introduced to the show in season four, as the manager of Moordale's radio station. Celia signs on Jean to host her sex therapist show, working with her to get more listeners in and make the show more engaging. Needing to attract more listeners, Celia enlists the help of O - Otis' sex therapist rival. Another memorable part of Celia's time on the show revolves around an unfortunate incident with chilli oil, however we'll let you check that out for yourselves.
Jack Gleeson as Dodgy Mo
Jack Gleeson appeared in the fourth season of Sex Education as Dodgy Mo. Jack is mostly known for his role in Game Of Thrones, where he played Joffrey Baratheon. He has also appeared in TV shows such as Killinaskully and Out of Her Mind, as well as appearing in films including Batman Begins, Shrooms and A Shine of Rainbows.
Jack's role as Dodgy Mo is rather short and sweet. Dodgy Mo is a friend of Maeve's brother, Sean, who also seemingly dabbles with drugs. Sean stayed at Mo's house for a few nights, before he took off to try and 'get clean', leaving Maeve to awkwardly sit with Mo and his games console.
All four seasons of Sex Education are available to stream now on Netflix.
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