Sex Education hit our screens on January 11th 2019 and the buzz around it is huge. This hybrid of British and American culture is a fresh and hilarious take on the horrors of being a teenager, particularly the sexually awkward side of things.
But true to Netflix form their approach has worked and they have a big hit on their hands. So who plays who in the cast of this great show?
Gillian Anderson
Anderson plays Jean, a sex therapist and mother to son Otis. As the series progresses we learn that she is also divorced and not afraid to speak her mind.
But behind the confidence is the anxiety that all parents face as their children grow-up. Toeing the line between cool liberated mum and over-protective parent is proving a struggle for her.
Most of us know Gillian Anderson from her days as Dana Scully in The X Files. The American actress is one of the most acclaimed, particularly for her roll in The Fall opposite Jamie Dornan.
Often mistaken for being British, because of her accent from living in the UK as a child, she was awarded the honorary OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.
She has three children and will star in The Sunlit Night which is due for release later this year.
Asa Butterfield
Butterfield plays Otis in Sex Education. A 17 year old with plenty of growing pains, one of which is his mother. Mortified by her incredibly liberal attitude towards sex, even when embarrassing him in front of his friends, he is still a loving and decent son.
Taking tips from his mother, he embarks on a sex clinic of his own at school. Offering advice to teens, which is frequently very helpful, it's a handy way to make money and get closer to his crush, Maeve Reilly.
For those of you who have been suckered in by his big blue eyes, you'll be pleased to know that this isn't Butterfield's first time on the acting merry-go-round.
Now 22 years old, Asa has been acting since he as 8 and recently starred in Slaughterhouse Rulez opposite Margot Robbie, Michael Sheen and Simon Pegg. He also played Calvin in Then Came You with Maisie Williams (Game Of Thrones).
But it was his role in Hugo (2011) that gave him prominence. He was nominated for nine different awards for the part, winning three of them. You can follow him on Twitter at @asabfb and on Instagram at ‘asabopp'.
Ncuti Gatwa
Gatwa plays Eric, Otis's best friend. Amazingly, considering how good he is in Sex Education, this is only Ncuti's third acting role.
And one of them was basically a walk on as ‘customer' in Bob Servant back in 2014. Speaking recently Ncuti said about his character Eric; “We have a few similarities.
“We both come from African backgrounds and grew up in the U.K. My dad’s always worked in churches, so I have a religious background.
“I also grew up in Scotland, which wasn’t the most multicultural of places so I had a semi-tough time at school. We’re also both very loud! People often say they can hear me before they see me.”
Like Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa also plays a character far younger than his real age because he is actually 26 years old!
Emma Mackey
Maeve Reilly is one of the great characters in Sex Education. The coolest girl in the school, she is also a social pariah. Thankfully she doesn't give a crap!
This is Mackey's third film/tv role as she also starred in Summit Fever (2018). The 23 year old is a a French-British actress and model. She received her degree from L’académie de Nantes in 2013 before heading to the University of Leeds to study theatre.
Following a stint as a live-in Nanny, Mackey got herself and agent, went on auditions and got her role.
And she is endlessly compared to Margot Robbie. She told Vulture magazine: “Margot Robbie is insanely beautiful. I’ll take it. There are worse people to be compared to.”
UPDATE: With three seasons under their belts, and Sex Education season 4 on the way, the sky is the limit for our favourite Moordale Secondary School students.
But if you can't wait until then, check out our list of shows like Sex Education to keep you entertained!