Mind-Blowing Age Differences of Old Sex Education's Cast Members vs Their Characters
Discover the fascinating age gaps between the talented cast of Sex Education and their on-screen characters From Asa Butterfield to Gillian Anderson, delve into the intriguing differences that bring the beloved characters to life
Summary
The cast of Netflix's
Sex Education
has undergone numerous developments over the show's four seasons, with their characters showcasing evolution and maturity.
The actors in the young ensemble, despite being older than the teenagers they depicted, exuded a convincing level of youthful energy in their performances. The cast members' ages significantly differed from those of their characters, with some actors even surpassing their on-screen counterparts by several years.
Sex Education concluded its fourth season on Netflix, highlighting the noticeable transformations of its cast members since its debut in 2019. The acclaimed British series, which explores the journey of adolescence, received praise from both critics and audiences upon its initial release. Despite only four years passing in the lives of the main teenage characters, significant physical and emotional changes were experienced by these beloved high-schoolers. Even the adult cast members of Sex Education underwent their own transformations. Gillian Anderson's endearing sexologist character, Jean Milburn, became a mother once again in the final season, while Michael Groff's character faced a divorce and a career change.
Throughout the course of the series, Sex Education focuses on teenagers like Otis, Eric, and Maeve, following their final years in high school and later depicting their college experiences in the fourth and final season. Although the appearance of the actors remained relatively consistent throughout the four seasons, their characters exhibited noticeable growth and maturity. Similar to other popular teen shows such as Euphoria and Never Have I Ever, many of the young ensemble cast members were older than the characters they portrayed. However, this age difference did not hinder their ability to convincingly portray the vibrant energy of youth.
11 Asa Butterfield (22) As Otis Milburn (16)
10 Emma Mackey (23) As Maeve Wiley (16)
Asa Butterfield, who played the role of the aspiring sex therapist Otis Milburn in Sex Education, was in fact six years older than his character. When the show first premiered in 2019, Otis was portrayed as a 16-year-old while Butterfield himself was 22 years old at that time. The following year, while Otis remained 16, Butterfield celebrated his 23rd birthday. In the third season, Otis's character grows a year older, making him likely to be between the ages of 17 and 18 during the final season. Meanwhile, as the final season aired, Butterfield had already turned 26 years old. Therefore, despite the fact that Otis is still a teenager in the show, Butterfield has smoothly transitioned into his late 20s.
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Maeve Wiley, the rebellious and talented writer at Moordale Secondary School, may appear more mature than Otis, especially considering their heartbreaking love story in the finale of Sex Education. However, it's interesting to note that Maeve is actually the same age as Otis. In season 1, they are both 16 years old, and by season 4, they are approaching 17 or 18. Surprisingly, Emma Mackey, the actress who portrays Maeve, is seven years older than the character she portrays. When Sex Education season 1 premiered, Mackey was 23 years old, and she turned 27 before the final season. This means that even though Maeve and Otis share the same age in the show, Mackey is actually one year older than her co-star, Butterfield.
9 Ncuti Gatwa (26) As Eric Effiong (16-17)
8 Gillian Anderson (50) As Jean Milburn (47-48)
Otis' lively companion, Eric Effiong, is approximately between 16 and 17 years old in the first season of Sex Education. He firmly reaches the age of 17 in the subsequent season and remains so throughout the third season. Upon joining Cavendish College, as many of his peers do in the fourth season, Eric's age is estimated to fall between 17 and 18. Interestingly, the actor portraying Eric, Ncuti Gatwa, surpasses the age of his character. When Sex Education season 1 was released, Gatwa was already 26 years old. As of the premiere of the final season, Gatwa is now 30, granting him a few additional years compared to the other cast members portraying teenagers in Sex Education.
Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Jean Milburn, the empathetic sex therapist in Sex Education, is a standout amongst the adult characters. Throughout the first two seasons of the Netflix show, Jean, as Otis' loving yet overprotective mother, is estimated to be between the ages of 47 and 48. Her tenure on the show comes to an end when she is between 48 and 49 years old. Interestingly, despite not reaching the age of 50 in Sex Education, Anderson, known for her role in The X-Files, had already celebrated her 50th birthday when filming began. The talented actress, who won an Emmy award, was 50 years old at the premiere of Sex Education and turned 55 by the final season.
7 Connor Swindells (22) As Adam Groff (16)
6 Kedar Williams-Stirling (23) As Jackson Marchetti (16-17)
Adam Groff assumes the role of a high school bully due to his strict father's insistence on him acting maturely. However, during the events of Sex Education season 1, he is merely a 16-year-old boy. By the final season, both he and his ex-boyfriend Eric are 18 years old. Despite this, the actor who portrays this clueless teenager, Connor Swindells, is actually nine years older in real life. Swindells was already 22 years old when he started acting in Sex Education and had reached 27 by the time season 4 concluded. Consequently, this British actor and model shares a similar age with his co-star, Mackey.
Jackson Marchetti undergoes a significant transformation in Sex Education, transitioning from a popular high school athlete to a lovestruck freshman in college. Throughout the first two seasons of the show, Jackson's age aligns with that of the average Moordale high school student, ranging between 16 and 17. However, in Sex Education season 4, he officially reaches the age of 18 when he joins Cavendish College. In terms of the actor portraying Jackson, Kedar Williams-Stirling was 23 years old when Sex Education season 1 premiered, and he ultimately turned 28 by the end of the show. Remarkably, he now surpasses his character in age by a full decade.
5 Alistair Petrie (48) As Michael Groff (Late 40s)
4 Mimi Keene (20) As Ruby Matthews (16-17)
The specific age of Michael Groff, the former headmaster of Moordale and Adam's strict father in Sex Education, is never explicitly mentioned in the series. However, based on his character's midlife crisis, it is highly probable that Mr. Groff is in his late 40s during the first season. As the final season takes place four years later, it is also likely that Groff is approaching his early 50s at this point. In a coincidental parallel, actor Alistair Petrie, who portrays Groff, experienced a similar transition in real life. He was 48 when Sex Education began and turned 52 before the final season started streaming.
Mimi Keene, known for her role as Ruby Matthews in Sex Education, portrayed the character of a 16 or 17-year-old student at Moordale during seasons 1 and 2. However, in season 4, Ruby enrolls at Cavendish College, where she is depicted as an 18-year-old. Interestingly, Keene, who plays the role, is actually seven years older than her character, being 25 years old during the final season's premiere. It is worth noting that when she initially took on the role of Ruby, the actress was merely 20 years old. Consequently, she was a few years younger than her co-stars, most of whom were in their mid to late 20s during the filming period.
3 Aimee Lou Wood (24) As Aimee Gibbs (16-17)
Aimee Gibbs, the consistently amiable teenager, is a devoted companion to Maeve in the initial season of Sex Education. While Aimee is approximately between 16 and 17 years old when she is first introduced, she reaches the age of 18 when she enrolls at Cavendish College in the concluding season. Aimee Lou Wood was 24 years old when Sex Education season 1 premiered and turned 29 by the time her time on the show came to an end. Consequently, she is the second-oldest actor to portray a teenage character in Sex Education, surpassed only by Gatwa.
2 Dua Saleh (26) As Cal Bowman (17)
Sex Education season 4 effectively concludes Cal Bowman's gender dysphoria storyline by portraying heartfelt interactions between Cal and their mother. In the previous season, Cal, a 17-year-old high school student from Minneapolis, moves to the United Kingdom and later joins college, celebrating their 18th birthday. Dua Saleh, a multitalented Sudanese-American singer and actor, brilliantly portrays the character, despite being a decade older than Cal. During the premiere of the Netflix original series, Saleh was 24 years old, 26 during Cal's first appearance, and 28 when Sex Education wrapped up.
1 Chinenye Ezeudu (23) As Vivienne Odusanya (16-17)
Similar to Cal, Vivienne "Viv" Odusanya is a character introduced later in the Sex Education series who received a positive response from fans. Viv's character arc became increasingly fascinating as it delved into her antisocial nature and various relationships. Portrayed by Chinieye Ezeudu in Sex Education season 2, Viv falls within the 16-17 age group and turns 18 in the final season. Interestingly, Ezeudu was 23 when she first took on the role of Viv in Sex Education and eventually, at the conclusion of the series, she was 26, known for her roles in The School For Good and Evil and The Stranger.
