Culture

Netflix announce three new cast members for Sex Education season 3

By Sam Damshenas

24th September 2020

Sex Education is welcoming three new cast members next season.

Jemima Kirke has been cast as a character called Hope, who will replace Michael Groff (Alistair Petrie) as Moordale’s new headmistress. The actress received critical praise and international recognition for her performance as Jessa Johansson in HBO’s comedy-drama Girls.

Minnesota-based singer, songwriter and actor Dua Saleh will play Cal, a non-binary student who clashes with Hope, while Harry Potter star Jason Isaacs will join the Groff family as Peter Groff, the former headmaster’s “more successful/less modest” older brother.

Kirke, Saleh and Isaacs join an already stacked cast including Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Ncuti Gatwa, Emma Mackey, Patricia Allison, Connor Swindells, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Mimi Keene, Aimee Lou Wood, Chaneil Kular, Simone Ashley and Tanya Reynolds.

Deep breath for even more star power: Mikael Persbrandt, Sami Outalbali, Chinenye Ezeudu, Anne-Marie Duff, Jim Howick, Rakhee Thakrar, James Purefoy, Samantha Spiro, Hannah Waddingham and Sharon Duncan-Brewster.

The Netflix Original follows a sexually awkward teenager who lives with his sex therapist mother. It garnered over 40 million viewers in its first week of release, making it one of the streaming service’s most successful shows of all time.

The first two seasons received acclaim for the cast’s performances, tackling sensitive subjects and its diverse representation of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sex Education received four nominations at the 2020 BAFTA TV Awards including Best Male Comedy Performance for Ncuti Gatwa, who plays openly gay teenager Eric Effiong, and Breakthrough Talent for series creator Laurie Nunn.

The third season of Sex Education is expected to premiere in the first quarter of 2021.