EVERYTHING THE CAST OF *** EDUCATION HAS BEEN UP TO SINCE THE SHOW CAME TO AN END
Since the beloved Netflix’s*** Education started in 2019, the cast have gone on to become some of the best-known faces in film and TV.
Like Skins before it, the teen drama has been praised for launching a whole new generation of talent to international stardom, many of whom were making their screen debut opposite in the series, alongside more established stars like the incomparable Gillian Anderson.
With three out of eight of the SNL UK hosts finding fame on *** Education, we’re looking back on what the cast of the show have been up to since it came to an end three years ago…
Asa Butterfield
Asa Butterfield took the lead as Otis Milburn, the socially awkward teenager who gives *** advice to his classmates, in *** Education.
The English actor was already a well-known name when he landed his role in the Netflix show, thanks to roles in films like The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Hugo and Ender’s Game.
Since playing Otis, Asa appeared in the yuletide rom-com Your Christmas or Mine? and its sequel, in addition to the horror film All Fun And Games and comedy/drama Our Hero, Balthazar.
He returned to Netflix this year, starring in Unchosen as a husband in a marriage strained by their strict religious community.
Ncuti Gatwa
Ncuti Gatwa first found fame playing Eric Effiong, Otis’ best friend in *** Education, a role which landed him three consecutive nominations for Best Male Comedy Performance at the TV Baftas.
In 2022, Ncuti was cast as one of the Kens in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, later appearing alongside his co-stars in a performance of I’m Just Ken at the Academy Awards.
His other post-*** Education roles have included acting in Masters Of The Air alongside Austin Butler, Barry Keoghan and Callum Turner, and playing a supporting role in rom-com film The Roses, led by Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
As successful on stage as he is on screen, Ncuti has also appeared in major West End productions like The Importance Of Being Earnest and Born With Teeth.
Ncuti, of course, is now best known as the first Black actor to play The Doctor in Doctor Who, starring as the 15th regeneration of the Time Lord for two seasons, before leaving in 2025.
You can next see Ncuti in the Isabella Blow biopic The Queen Of Fashion, in which he plays journalist Michael Roberts, and in the British comedy Frank And Percy.
Aimee Lou Wood
Someone else whose career has gone from strength to strength since her time in *** Education is Aimee Lou Wood.
Aimee played her namesake, Aimee Gibbs in the show, which was her big-screen debut and eventually earned her a Bafta.
She followed that role with an Emmy-nominated performance in season three of The White Lotus, playing the free-spirited Chelsea alongside Walter Goggins’ Rick.
Her other television roles have included Netflix’s Toxic Town, the BBC comedy Film Club (which she also co-created, as well as starring in) and guest hosting Saturday Night Live UK.
On the big screen, she appeared in The Electrical Life Of Louis Wain with Benedict Cumberbatch, and co-starred with Bill Nighy for his Oscar-nominated role in Living.
Next up, she’ll be playing Pattie Boyd in Sam Mendes’ ambitious The Beatles biopics.
Emma Mackey
Emma Mackey is another successful British star whose breakthrough came on the Netflix school-set drama.
While *** Education is her sole TV credit to date, she has an impressive filmography, including playing Physicist Barbie alongside Margot Robbie and *** Education’s own Ncuti Gatwa in Barbie.
Among her other movie credits are Death On The Nile, the literary biopic Emily and the political drama Ella McCay.
Later this year, she will star in JJ Abrams’ upcoming fantasy film The Great Beyond and Woody Harrelson comedy Full Phil.
After that, in 2027, she will reunite with Barbie director Greta Gerwig to play The White Witch in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.
Simone Ashley
Before she was Kate Sharma in Bridgerton, Simone Ashley starred as Olivia Hanna in *** Education.
The same year as the ***-positive drama started, Simone appeared as a love interest in Detective Pikachu, before playing one of Ariel’s sisters in the live-action The Little Mermaid, and appearing in the 2025 rom-com Picture This.
Although she was mostly edited out of the Oscar-nominated F1, Simone did make the cut of The Devil Wears Prada 2, in which she plays Miranda Priestly’s latest assistant.
In addition to playing Anthony Bridgerton’s romantic interest, Kate, in seasons two, three and four of Bridgerton, Simone also had a recurring role in The Sister alongside Russell Tovey and Bertie Carvel.
Connor Swindells
Connor Swindells’ first leading role was playing bully-turned-love interest Adam Groff in *** Education.
A year after this appearance, he played Robert Martin in the Jane Austen adaptation Emma, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy.
He then became one of the many *** Education stars to appear in Barbie, before being cast in a minor role in Netflix’s Scoop and the drama William Tell, playing the Swiss folk hero.
On TV, he played Lieutenant Simon Hadlow in BBC miniseries Vigil, had a lead role in SAS: Rogue Heroes and appeared as DS Ed McCusker in biographical drama, The Bombing Of Pan Am 103.
In 2024, Connor wed actor Amber Anderson, with his on-screen father Alistaire Petrie officiating the ceremony.
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Kedar Williams-Stirling played aspiring swimmer Jackson Marchetti in *** Education.
Since the show ended, his most prominent screen role has been in the Lovers Rock episode of Steven McQueen’s Small Axe.
He has recently been acting in an on-stage adaptation of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest alongside Aaron Pierre.
Hannah Waddingham
One of the biggest names to come out of *** Education is Hannah Waddingham.
Before being cast as Jackson’s ambitious mother, Sofia, Hannah already had numerous stage and screen credits to her name, most notably the “shame nun” Septa Unella in Game Of Thrones.
Shortly after *** Education, Hannah’s life and career changed when she landed the award-winning part of Rebecca in Ted Lasso and became a household name.
On the big screen, Hannah has since had roles in Hocus Pocus 2, The Fall Guy, alongside Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt and has played an aircraft commander in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
She’s also a big name in musical theatre, hosting the Oliviers in 2023 and 2024, in addition to co-presenting the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest live from Liverpool.
Chaneil Kular
After a recurring role in Doctors, Chaneil Kular became a recognisable face thanks to his role of Anwar Bakshi in *** Education.
Since his role as a key member of the Untouchables clique, he’s had parts in the 2020 adaptation of Black Narcissus, Stephen Graham’s sci-fi mystery Bodies, the ITV crime drama Protection the thriller The Revenge Club.
He also recently made his feature film debut in Accused, where he played a young man mistakenly identified as the suspect in a London train bombing.
Chaneil is set to star alongside Jason Statham in thriller Mutiny, which comes out later this year.
Tanya Reynolds
We all fell in love with Tanya Reynolds’s portrayal of the eccentric Lily Iglehart in *** Education.
Since then, she has appeared in the BBC comedy Dodgers as Queen Victoria, had a role in the Sky horror The Baby and a credit in the short-lived Channel 4 sitcom I Hate You.
More recently, Tanya featured in the hit series The Other Bennett Sister as Caroline Bingley.
You can next see Tanya in the upcoming fourth series of Ted Lasso, in which she’ll play a football coach who works alongside the title character as he tries to bring his signature pep to the world of women’s sports.
Patricia Allison
Patricia played Otis and Lily’s love interest Ola in *** Education in the first three seasons, but didn’t return for the final one.
After that, she lent her voice to Will’s cat daemon in series three of His Dark Materials, before being cast in the superhero comedy series Extraordinary and a 2025 episode of Death In Paradise.
Patricia has also forged a successful career on stage, starring in Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts alongside It’s A Sin’s Callum Scott Howell and Rivals actor Victoria Smurfit.
Anne Marie Duff
Anne Marie Duff was already a hugely successful actor when she joined the ensemble of *** Education as Maeve’s mother, thanks to her roles in the likes of Shameless and The Virgin Queen.
Following her tragic performance in the Netflix teen drama, she continued her successful run on TV, appearing in Bad Sisters as Grace, for which she received a Bafta nomination.
She also co-starred with Eddie Marsan and Rose Ayling-Ellis in last year’s BBC miniseries Reunion.
James Purefoy
Rome actor James Purefoy appeared sporadically throughout in *** Ed as Otis’ dad, Remi Milburn
More recently, he’s starred in Pennyworth as Captain Gulliver “Gully” Troy, Alfred’s former SAS captain in the Batman prequel series.
James has also had roles in fantasy TV show A Discovery of Witches, the BBC historical drama Marie Antoinette and Elizabeth Moss-led thriller The Veil.
On film, he’s played Jim in Fisherman Friends and its sequel, and you can next see James in Masters Of The Universe, where he plays King Randor alongside Nicholas Galitzine’s He-Man.
Mimi Keene
Former EastEnders actor Mimi Keene played Queen Bee Ruby Matthews, who underwent one of the show’s biggest character transformations.
After appearing in the Netflix series, she had a role alongside Anjelica Huston and Clarke Peters in the BBC’s Agatha Christie adaptation Towards Zero, playing Kay Elliott-Strange.
Mikael Persbrandt
Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandtplayed Gillian Anderson’s on-screen love interest, Jacob, in *** Education.
Before starring in the show, he was best known for his role in the Academy Award-winning In A Better World and for playing Beorn in The Hobbit.
Following his work as the charming handyman in *** Education, he’s had roles in Apple TV+ sci-fi epic Foundation as The Mule, as well as the Scandinavian dramas The Kingdom, Poromafia and Hammarskjöld.
Alistair Petrie
Alistair Petrie won over audiences as Mr Groff, Adam’s emotionally repressed father, who slowly learns how to become a better parent to his son.
In recent years, he’s appeared in Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Funny Woman, The Following Events Are Based On A Pack Of Lies, and also portrayed General Draven in the Star Wars spin-off Andor.
He also played real-life American politician John Sherman in the 2025 Abraham Lincoln drama Death By Lightning.
Over on the big screen, Alistair featured alongside Daisy Ridley in the 2024 neo-noir thriller Magpie.
Edward Bluemel
Killing Eve and The Discover of Witches actor Edward Bluemel played Maeve’s older brother Samuel, on the show.
He currently voices Richter Belmont in Castlevania: Nocturne, and has played Dr. Stephen Ellerby in historical drama Belgravia: The Next Chapter and a leading role in My Lady Jane.
Earlier this year, he appeared in Netflix’s Agatha Christie adaptation Seven Dials, and you can currently see him in BBC comedy We Might Regret This.
On stage, he was in the highly successful play Born With Teeth, where he played William Shakespeare to fellow *** Education star Ncuti Gatwa’s Christopher Marlowe.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Bad Girls actor Sharon Duncan-Brewster played one of Jackson’s mothers in the show.
She has since had a successful career on the big and small screen, most notably playing Liet-Kynes in Dune.
Her other film credits include a role in Netflix’s Enola Holmes sequel as Mira Troy, and you might have also seen her in the John Wick spin-off Ballerina.
On television, Sharon starred in Andor as Senator Tynnra Pamlo, voiced the same character in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and featured in the period drama Washington Black.
Mirren Mack
Scottish actor Mirren Mack played asexual student Florence in series two of the high school-based show.
After appearing in three episodes of the show, Mirren has gone on to enjoy a successful career in film and TV.
On TV, she played Edie Ledwell in Strike, Katherine Villiers in the period drama Mary & George and has a recurring role in Kelley Hawes drama Miss Austen.
As for her film work, she had a role in Hedda with Tessa Thompson, and reunited with its director Nia DaCosta on 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, in which she played a pregnant survivor named Cathy.
You can next see Mirren in this year’s BBC adaptation of A Tale Of Two Cities, where she will play Lucie, as well as in Netflix’s much-anticipated Assassin’s Creed series.
Daniel Ings
Daniel pops up throughout *** Education as someone Jean is romantically involved with, although you may know him better for his role in the sitcom Lovesick
Recently, he memorably played Frederick “Freddy” Horniman in The Gentlemen and he appeared in A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, the divisive Game Of Thrones spin-off, as Ser Lyonel Baratheon.
His other recent on-screen credits include starring opposite Billie Piper in the dark comedy I Hate Suzie, and acting in the BBC drama The Gold and Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10.
You can next see Daniel in Star Wars: Starfighter, the upcoming Amazon Prime drama Kill Jackie and Channel 4′s adaptation of the hit novel The Rachel Incident.
All four seasons of *** Education are available on Netflix now.
