Gillian Anderson stars alongside a host of new British acting talent – find out more about the characters and cast.
The fourth and final season of Sex Education is finally upon us, launching Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, Aimee-Lou Wood and Connor Swindells back onto our screens.
The new instalment also introduces viewers to plenty of new additions to the Sex Education universe, including Thaddea Graham (Doctor Who), who portrays Cavendish College sex therapist and Otis’s rival, “O”, Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) as cult author Thomas Molloy and Lisa McGrillis (Last Night in Soho) as Jean Mulburn’s (Gillian Anderson) troublesome sister.
A trio of newcomers have also joined the season 4 cast – Anthony Lexa, Felix Mufti and Alexandra James – who play members of Eric’s new clique.
Unfortunately, some fan-favourite characters aren’t returning for season 4, with Tanya Reynolds, Simone Ashley, Patricia Allison and more having confirmed their exit from the series.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of the Netflix show, including all the new faces that joined in season 4.
Sex Education cast: Full list of characters and stars for season 4
The following cast members are confirmed for Sex Education season 4.
- Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn
- Gillian Anderson as Dr. Jean Milburn
- Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong
- Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley
- Connor Swindells as Adam Groff
- Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson Marchetti
- Alistair Petrie as Michael Groff
- Mimi Keene as Ruby Matthews
- Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs
- Chinenye Ezeudu as Vivienne Odusanya
- Dan Levy as Thomas Molloy
- Anthony Lexa as Abbi
- Felix Mufti as Roman
- Alexandra James as Aisha
- Lisa McGrillis as Joanna
- Eshaan Akbar as Principle Lakhani
- Marie Reuther as Ellen
For more on the major players and more, read below.
Emma Mackey plays Maeve Wiley
Who is Maeve? A bad girl at school with a troublesome home life and money worries, Maeve realises how lucrative Otis’s sex expertise could be, and persuades him to set up the clinic with her.
In season 2, Maeve juggles her feelings for Otis and commitments to the Quiz Heads team with family issues when her mum Erin reappears with her young half-sister – prompting Maeve to report her mum to social services for using drugs again. Season 3 features her struggle with the guilt of reporting her mum as she gets close to neighbour Isaac.
Season 4 sees Maeve and Otis in a long-distance relationship as Maeve lives her dream at the prestigious Wallace University in the US, where she is taught by cult author Thomas Molloy (Dan Levy).
What else has Emma Mackey starred in? Sex Education was the UK actress’s first TV role. She has since appeared in thriller The Winter Lake and Death on the Nile. Mackey also starred as Emily Bronte in Emily, and in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
Asa Butterfield plays Otis Milburn
Who is Otis? Jean’s teenage son is a little shy and awkward, and definitely isn’t in with the cool kids at school – that is until he realises that his accidental expertise in sex could prove lucrative and make him popular.
Otis has a will-they-won’t-they relationship with the bad-girl Maeve, but finally admits he loves her in a voicemail at the end of season 2 – a voicemail that is soon deleted by newcomer Isaac. The pair are no longer friends at the beginning of season 3, with Otis dating cool girl Ruby and Maeve getting closer to Isaac. The end of the season sees the pair finally getting together, although season 4 focuses on their long-distance relationship as Maeve moves to the US.
What else has Asa Butterfield starred in? The young actor has lead the cast of numerous films, including The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Space Between Us, Ender’s Game and Hugo. His forthcoming projects include drama Flux Gourmet with Gwendoline Christie, as well as the movie adaptation of Stephen Fry’s The Liar. He’s also set to star in horror thriller All Fun and Games with Stranger Things star Natalia Dyer.
Thaddea Graham as Sarah “O” Owen
Who is Sarah? Sarah is an empath who has crafted a strong client list at Otis’s new sixth form college in her work as a sex therapist.
What else has Thaddea Graham starred in? You might have seen the 25-year-old actress in TV series Curfew and as Bel in Doctor Who. She’s also starred in TV series Redemption and BBC Three’s new horror series Wreck.
Anthony Lexa plays Abbi
Who is Abbi? Abbi is the Queen Bee at Cavendish Sixth Form, with her so-called “coven” comprising of herself, her boyfriend Roman (Felix Mufti) and their friend Aisha (Alexandra James).
What else has Anthony Lexa been in? Sex Education marks Lexa’s first screen acting role.
Felix Mufti plays Roman
Who is Roman? Roman is a trans-masculine student at Cavendish College, and one-half of a power couple along with Abbi.
What else has Felix Mufti been in? Sex Education marks Mufti’s first screen acting gig.
Alexandra James plays Aisha
Who is Aisha? Aisha is a member of The Coven, the three-person group that calls the shots at Cavendish College.
What else has Alexandra James starred in? The actress has previously appeared in TV series Backstage and a short called The Letter.
Gillian Anderson plays Dr Jean Milburn
Who is Jean? Otis’s sex therapist mother is mischievous, sexually liberated and laid back in many ways – but isn’t quite as hands off about parenting as she first appears. As with her patients, she wants to talk to her son about his sex life, but he is reluctant to share things with her.
Jean embarked on a relationship with handyman Jakob in season 2, only for them to break up after she kissed ex-husband Remi – before finding out she was pregnant. Season 3 featured Jean and Jakob attempting to make things work as a family instead of co-parenting as they originally planned. The fourth season sees Jean trying to figure out life as a single mother and deciding whether to tell her baby’s father that he has a child.
What else has Gillian Anderson starred in? Anderson is best known for leading the cast of The X Files between 1993 and 2018. Her prolific TV career has also included The Crown, The Fall, American Gods, War & Peace, Bleak House, Hannibal, Any Human Heart and many, many more.
Ncuti Gatwa plays Eric Effiong
Who is Eric? Otis’s effervescent gay best friend Eric is always at his side, and is keen to get the pair of them in with the most popular kids in school.
Eric was involved in a love triangle with his former bully Adam and new boy Rahim in season 2, eventually choosing Adam after he publicly declared his feelings for Eric at the school play. Season 3 saw them settle into their new relationship, which presented quite a few challenges when Adam struggles to talk about his feelings. The fourth season sees Eric in a new school and exploring dating apps.
What else has Ncuti Gatwa starred in? Gatwa had just two TV roles before Sex Education– in the BBC shows Stonemouth and Bob Servant. He has since appeared in comedy Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans as well as romantic drama The Last Letter from Your Lover. Ncuti Gatwa has of course been cast as the next Time Lord and is expected to make his debut as the Doctor in Doctor Who next year.
Connor Swindells plays Adam Groff
Who is Adam? School bully Adam has a hard exterior but is more sensitive than he seems. He also happens to be the son of the former Moordale headmaster.
Season 2 sees his relationship with his father reach boiling point after leaving school and struggling with several career paths, and also accepting his sexuality and forming a relationship with Eric. He continues to struggle in season 3, though he is trying to be better both at expressing his feelings and at school. In the fourth season, Adam aims to mend fences with his father and also grapples with his sexuality again.
What else has Connor Swindells starred in? Swindells has appeared in the TV shows Harlots and Jamestown, and has led the cast of SAS Rogue Heroes. He’s also been seen in the films The Vanishing, VS and Emma.
Kedar Williams-Stirling plays Jackson Marchetti
Who is Jackson? School jock Jackson has girls tripping over themselves to get his attention – but he’s only interested in one: Maeve. Season 2 sees Jackson getting over his breakup with Maeve, and struggling with his mental health – intentionally injuring himself during a panic attack due to the pressure of his swimming career.
The third season featured Jackson grappling with who his identity now after losing his status as the school’s star athlete, and developing a bond with non-binary student Cal. The fourth season sees Jackson figuring out who he is once more and dealing with his relationships with Cal and Viv.
What else has Kedar Williams-Stirling starred in? You might have seen the young actor as Junior in the movie Shank, or in the TV shows Wolfblood and Will. He starred alongside Macaulay Culkin in the film Changeland, and also appeared in Steve McQueen’s anthology Small Axe.
Mimi Keene plays Ruby Matthews
Who is Ruby? One of Moordale’s popular girls, Ruby is a snooty member of the Untouchables group. However, she unexpectedly sleeps with Otis in season 2, prompting her to open up about being a young carer.
Their relationship continued in season 3, where they from from casually hooking up to serious enough for Ruby to introduce Otis to her dad. We know they won’t be together in season 4, as Otis and Maeve finally embark on a relationship, which turns long-distant when Maeve moves to the US to fulfil her dreams. However, Ruby will be going it alone as the sole Untouchable in her new school.
What else has Mimi Keene starred in? Keene is best known for playing Cindy Williams on EastEnders from 2013-2015, but has also appeared in Casualty, 2019 biopic Tolkien and the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow video games.
Aimee-Lou Wood plays Aimee Gibbs
Who is Amy? ‘It’ girl Aimee is determined to cling onto her status even if it means rejecting Adam, who despite being a doofus does mean well.
Aimee eventually chooses friendship over status, and season 2 sees her recovering from a traumatic sexual assault, with her recovery journey continuing into season 3. Aimee must face a new school without Maeve in season four.
What else has Aimee-Lou Wood starred in? Aimee Lou-Wood has won a BAFTA for her role on Sex Education, and in addition to stage work has appeared in films Uncle Vanya, Hen and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain. Lou-Wood will also star in Dark Age comedy Seize Them! alongside Bridgerton‘s Nicola Coughlan and Lolly Adefope.
Alistair Petrie plays Michael Groff
Who is Michael Groff? He is the headmaster of Moordale High and the incredibly strict father of Adam. He has a particularly bad time of it in season 2, losing his job as headmaster as well as breaking up with his wife Maureen. He moves in with his brother in season 3, but soon finds himself homeless and jobless, which leads him to seek the help of former colleague and Moordale’s science teacher, Mr Hendricks.
What else has Alistair Petrie starred in? Petri’s prolific screen career has seen him appear in the TV series Deep State, The Terror, Undercover, The Night Manager and Utopia, as well as the movies Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Bank Job, Victor Frankenstein and Rush.
Chinenye Ezeudu plays Vivienne Odusanya
Who is Viv? Clever student Viv is assigned as a tutor to Jackson, who in return teaches her a few things about friendship.
In season 3, Viv took over as head girl and was keen to impress new headteacher Hope.
What else has Chinenye Ezeudu starred in? Sex Education was Ezeudu’s first major role, but she has since appeared in Netflix miniseries The Stranger and in the Michelle Yeoh fantasy The School for Good and Evil.
Dan Levy plays Thomas Molloy
Who is Thomas? Thomas Molloy is a cult author and professor at the prestigious Wallace University in the US, who looks to be impressing ambitious student Maeve.
What else has Dan Levy starred in? Dan Levy was the showrunner and lead star of the Emmy-winning hit series Schitt’s Creek. He is set to star in Guillermo del Toro’s Haunted Mansion for Disney and features in Sam Levinson’s (Euphoria) HBO drama The Idol starring Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd.
Dua Saleh plays Cal Bowman
Who is Cal? Non-binary student Cal clashed with Hope Haddon in the third season and is close with Jackson Marchetti. Cal is transitioning and administering testosterone gel.
What else has Dua Saleh starred in? After theatre acting in Minneapolis, Dua Saleh makes their television debut in Sex Education, having previously focused on singing and songwriting and releasing the acclaimed albums Nūr and Rosetta.
George Robinson plays Isaac Goodwin
Who is Isaac? Isaac is a resident at the caravan park where Maeve resides, and soon falls for his neighbour –controversially deleting a voicemail on Maeve’s phone containing a declaration of love from Otis. In season 3, he told Maeve about the message just as the pair took things to the next level.
What else has George Robinson starred in? Sex Education was Robinson’s screen debut, though he will soon be seen in crime drama Dalgliesh.
Samantha Spiro plays Maureen Groff
Who is Maureen? The wife of Mr Groff and mother of Adam, Maureen breaks up with Mr Groff after turning to Jean for advice about her marriage.
What else has Samantha Spiro starred in? Spiro is best known for playing Barbara Windsor in stage play Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick as well as television films Cor, Blimey! and Babs, but also appeared in Game of Thrones, Doctor Who and Bad Education.
Jim Howick plays Mr Hendricks
Who is Mr Hendricks? Mr Hendricks is Moordale’s science teacher, but is also the swing band conductor and organiser of the school play. He is in a tentative relationship with Miss Sands, too, even going to Otis for help in season 2. He helped his former boss in season 3, who took him in after his brother kicked him out.
What else has Jim Howick starred in? Howick is best known for co-creating, co-writing and co-starring in BBC sitcom Ghosts, which features several of his co-stars from CBBC series Horrible Histories. He also co-created Sky family fantasy Yonderland, and has also appeared in Peep Show, Inside No. 9 and Broadchurch.
Rakhee Thakrar plays Miss Sands
Who is Miss Sands? English teacher Miss Sands is one of the greatest supporters of Maeve, and is also in charge of the Quiz Heads. She encourages the girls of the school to think about what they have in common in a memorable season 2 episode.
In season 3, she helped Adam “be better at school”, as he put it. Miss Sands appears in a guest role in the final season.
What else has Rakhee Thakrar starred in? Thakrar is best known for starring as Shabnam Masood on EastEnders from 2014-2016 and voicing Eighth Doctor companion Bliss in Big Finish’s Doctor Who: The Time War audio dramas.
Lisa McGrillis plays Joanna
Who is Joanna? Jean Mulburn’s (Gillian Anderson) younger sister who arrives in season 4 after Otis calls her to assist Jean, who has postnatal depression.
What else has Lisa McGrillis been in? Viewers might previously have seen McGrillis in Last Night in Soho, Best Interests, Maternal, Avoidance and Somewhere Boy.
Eshaan Akbar plays Principle Lakhani
Who is Principle Lakhani? The principle of Cavendish College who’s introduced in season 4.
What else has Eshaan Akbar been in? The actor previously served as a voice actor on Spitting Image and appeared in the 2021 short Sometime Else.
Marie Reuther plays Ellen
Who is Ellen? A student on Maeve’s course over in the US.
What else has Marie Reuther been in? Reuther previously appeared in Dansegarderoben, The Kingdom and Kamikaze.
Former Sex Education cast members
Tanya Reynolds plays Lily Iglehart
Who is Lily? Sex-obsessed pupil Lily is a member of swing band and enjoys writing alien-based erotica. She briefly tried to have sex with Otis in season 1, before embarking on a relationship with her friend Ola in season 2 and continued her sci-fi writer career in season 3. Tanya Reynolds confirmed that she will not be returning for season 4.
What else has Tanya Reynolds starred in? Reynolds had her breakthrough in Sky comedy-drama Delicious, and has also appeared in episodes of Outlander, Death in Paradise and Breeders. She joined many of her Sex Education co-stars in the 2020 film adaptation of Emma, playing Mrs. Elton.
Patricia Allison plays Ola Nyman
Who is Ola? Ola is the daughter of handyman Jakob, and begins a relationship with Otis at the end of season 1. However, after breaking up with Otis in season 2 Ola comes to the realisation she is pansexual, and initiates a relationship with her friend Lily.
In the third season, Ola struggled to settle into her new home life after Jakob and her move in with Otis and Jean. Allison confirmed that she will not be returning for season 4.
What else has Patricia Allison starred in? Sex Education was Allison’s first major role, having previously had a string of guest appearances in BBC One’s 2019 adaptation of Les Misérables, Jimmy McGovern’s Moving On, and BBC Four lockdown anthology Unprecedented.
Mikael Persbrandt plays Jakob Nyman
Who is Jakob? Swedish handyman Jakob is Ola’s father, and begins a relationship with Jean in season 1. However Jakob ends things in season 2 over concerns about her commitment – shortly before Jean discovers she is pregnant.
He’s determined to make things work after he finds out about the pregnancy, but things are far from smooth sailing as the pair barely know each other.
What else has Mikael Persbrandt starred in? Persbrandt is known in Sweden for playing Gunvald Larsson in the Beck movies as well as the Oscar-winning film In a Better World, but has also starred in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Hobbit trilogy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Legend of Fire Saga and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
Chaneil Kular plays Anwar
Who is Anwar? Anwar is one of the few openly gay characters at Moordale alongside Eric, and enjoys mocking others with Ruby and Olivia. He has a rocky relationship with Eric after being punched by him in season 1, and is one of the many students who goes to Otis for advice in season 2.
What else has Chaneil Kular starred in? Sex Education is Kular’s biggest role to date, but he has also appeared in Doctors, Amazon Prime Video series Informer and the BBC adaptation of Black Narcissus.
Anne-Marie Duff plays Erin Wiley
Who is Erin? Erin is Maeve’s estranged mother, who returns in season 2 along with Maeve’s young half-sister. However the two are not on speaking terms after Maeve rang social services after Erin started using drugs again, and she was cross with Maeve in season 3.
What else has Anne-Marie Duff starred in? Duff has recently appeared in His Dark Materials and The Salisbury Poisonings for the BBC, but has long boasted an impressive CV including appearances in Shameless, From Darkness, Nowhere Boy and Suffragette. She recently starred alongside Sharon Horgan in Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters.
Jason Isaacs plays Peter Groff
Who is Peter Groff? As the surname suggests, Peter Groff is the more successful – and immodest – older brother of the now-disgraced former headteacher Mr Groff.
What else has Jason Isaacs starred in? Isaacs will forever be known to a generation as Mr. Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, but has more recently appeared in cult drama The OA and Star Trek: Discovery.
James Purefoy plays Remi Milburn
Who is Remi? Remi is Otis’ estranged father and Jean’s ex-husband who lives in America. He is also a therapist and sex addict, and visits Otis in season 2 when he ends up kissing Jean.
What else has James Purefoy starred in? Purefoy’s most notable role is probably that of Mark Antony in HBO series Rome, but he has also appeared in The Following, Altered Carbon, Pennyworth and A Discovery of Witches.
Jemima Kirke plays Miss Hope Haddon
Who is Miss Haddon? She arrived in season 3 as the new headmistress at Moordale High who’s keen to improve the school with a new uniform and a new attitude – which includes cleansing the minds of the students.
What else has Jemima Kirke starred in? Kirk is best known for starring as the adventurous Jessa Johansson in Lena Dunham comedy Girls, but has also appeared in indie film Tiny Furniture and Netflix psychological drama Maniac as well as music videos for the likes of Mick Jagger and Zayn Malik.
Lino Facioli plays Dex
Who is Dex? The nerdy captain of the Moordale Quiz Heads team, Dex is Viv’s former crush who has quite the fascination with Rubix cubes – and whose naked incident in season 3 leads to the implementation of uniforms.
What else has Lino Facioli starred in? Falcioli is best known for a small but memorable role in Game of Thrones as Robin Arryn, and as a child star appeared in The Armstrong and Miller Show and Russell Brand comedy Get Him To The Greek.
Sami Outalbali plays Rahim
Who is Rahim? Frenchman Rahim dated Eric in season 2, until Eric broke up with him in favour of former bully Adam.
However, it looks like season 3 set up a potential love triangle when Rahim and Adam appeared to get close during a school trip.
What else has Sami Outablbali starred in? Sex Education was Outablbali’s first appearance on an English language show, but he has previously appeared in French films and TV shows such as The Tuche Family, Grown Ups and Mortel.
Simone Ashley plays Olivia Hanan
Who is Olivia? Olivia is another member of the Untouchable clique, and despite a fallout in season 1 is close friends with Ruby. She was dating fellow student Malek in season 2, and went to Otis for sex advice. Ashley confirmed she will not be back for season 4.
What else has Simone Ashley starred in? Ashley has appeared in Broadchurch, Casualty and The Sister, in addition to a small role in the film Pokemon Detective Pikachu. She starred as the lead in the second season of hit period drama Bridgerton and will be returning for season 3.
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