Hugh Skinner is an English actor. He is best known for starring in sitcoms W1A (2014–2017) and The Windsors (2016–2023), and his appearances in musical films Les Misérables (2012) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
Early life and education Hugh Skinner grew up in London, Tunbridge Wells, and Eastbourne. He lived in Perth, Australia, for a year at age 4.
He attended Eastbourne College from 1998 to 2003. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2006.
Career
Early work (2007–2015) Skinner's first professional acting role was in the English Touring Theatre's 2007 production of French Without Tears. In addition to his work on stage, he played supporting roles in the BBC series Tess of the D'Urbervilles as Felix Clare in 2008, and Any Human Heart as Lionel in 2010. He also played the role of Joly, one of the student revolutionaries, in the 2012 film of Les Misérables.
In the autumn of 2013, Skinner played the role of Luis Carruthers, a closeted gay man who is in love with the show's protagonist, Patrick Bateman, in the world premiere of American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre. He also appeared on the London cast album, which was released in 2016. While performing in American Psycho, he began filming the first series of the comedy W1A, playing the role of Will Humphries, an inept yet endearing intern at the BBC. The first series was released in 2014, with subsequent series airing on BBC2 in 2015 and 2017.
Skinner played the role of Dr. Barnaby Ford in the BBC series Our Zoo. He also appeared at the Theatre Royal, Bath as Camille in Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Thérèse Raquin, and as Yepikhodov in Simon Stephens' new translation of The Cherry Orchard at the Young Vic. He returned to the Young Vic in the summer of 2015 to play dual roles in Nick Gill's adaptation of The Trial. In the autumn of 2015, it was announced that he had been cast as Unwin Trevaunance, an aspiring Member of Parliament, in the second series of the BBC production of Poldark, which aired in 2016.
Breakthrough (2016–present) Skinner starred in The Windsors, a spoof of the British royal family, as Prince William which aired on Channel 4 in 2016. The same year, he had a role in Fleabag, a BBC3 and Amazon production, where he played the protagonist's hapless boyfriend Harry. The following year, he played Sir George Howard in the first series of Harlots, an 18th-century costume drama that premiered on ITV Encore and Hulu in March. Also in 2017, he played a supporting role in Hampstead opposite Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson, and appeared in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Skinner co-starred in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the 2018 sequel to the 2008 film Mamma Mia!, in which he played Young Harry, a version of the character originated by Colin Firth in the first film. In 2018 he also starred in the eighth and final episode of Matthew Weiner's anthology series The Romanoffs, playing the role of Simon Burrows.
He reprised his role as Harry in series 2 of Fleabag, which was released on BBC3 in March 2019 and was released on Amazon Prime in May 2019. On 5 April 2019, it was announced that Skinner had joined the cast of the period drama Little Birds, which premiered on Sky Atlantic in August 2020. In December 2019, it was announced that he would be co-starring in the film Falling for Figaro with Danielle Macdonald and Joanna Lumley. In September 2021, he featured in the Radiohead music video for the song "If You Say the Word".
He played Colin "a gay, lovelorn English soldier on a midnight mope through Paris", with "an understandable air of stiff-upper-lipped befuddlement", opposite Chiara Mastroianni in Christophe Honoré's film Marcello Mio. It premiered at Cannes in May 2024.Lodge, Guy. ‘Marcello Mio’ Review: Chiara Mastroianni Has a Nepo-Baby Identity Crisis in a Toe-Curling Showbiz Meta-Comedy. Variety May 21, 2024 accessed 2 August 2025. In 2026, Skinner reprised his W1A role in Twenty Twenty Six.
Personal life Skinner is gay.
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes 2008 Day of the Dead Kyle2012 Les Misérables Joly2015 Kill Your Friends John2017 Hampstead Erik Star Wars: The Last Jedi Geno Namit2018 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Young Harry2019 Steven Berkoff's Tell Tale Heart Sunny2021 Falling for Figaro Max2022The InvitationOliver Alexander2023Wicked Little LettersConstable Papperwick2024Marcello MioColin 2026 Post-productionTBAReal Love (Yes, It's Real Love!)Newman
Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 Bonkers Daniel Episode 62008 Tess of the D'Urbervilles Felix Clare Miniseries; 4 episodes2010 Any Human Heart Lionel Mountstuart Miniseries; 2 episodes2011 Law & Order: UK Ian Naylor Episode: "The Wrong Man"2013 The Wipers Times Barnes Television film2014 Our Zoo Dr. Barnaby Ford Miniseries; 4 episodes2014–2017 W1A Will Humphries Main role; 15 episodes2015 Bugsplat! James Television film2016 Poldark Unwin Trevaunance Series 2; 5 episodes2016–2019 Fleabag Harry Main role; 6 episodes2016–2023 The Windsors Wills Main role2017–2018 Harlots Sir George Howard Main role (series 1); guest star (series 2)2018 The Romanoffs Simon Burrows Episode 8: "The One That Holds Everything" Zog Zog Television film; voice2020 Little Birds Hugo Cavendish-Smyth Main role; 6 episodes Zog and the Flying Doctors Zog Television film; voice2023The WitcherPrince RadovidSeries 3PartygateJosh FitzmauriceTelevision docudrama 2026 Twenty Twenty Six Will Humphries Main role; 6 episodesTwo Weeks in AugustJacobMain cast Casper Goodwood Upcoming six-part series
Theatre Year Title Role Director Venue Notes 2007 French Without Tears Kit Paul Miller Various venues English Touring Theatre Senora Carrar's Rifles Jose Paul Hunter Young Vic Viggo Paul Miller Royal National Theatre 2008 Angry Young Man D Ben Woolf West End; Trafalgar Studios 2009 Ensemble Nicolas Kent & Indhu Rubasingham Tricycle theatre suddenlossofdignity.com Various Josie Rourke Bush Theatre 2 May 1997 Ian George Perrin 2010 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Giovanni Chris Meads Liverpool Everyman 2011 Where's My Seat Conor Tamara Harvey Bush Theatre You Can't Take It With You Tony Paul Hunter Manchester Royal Exchange 2012 Wild Oats Harry Mark Rosenblatt & Catherine Alexander Bristol Old Vic 2013 Pastoral ManzSteve Marmion Soho Theatre 2013–2014 American Psycho Luis Rupert Goold Almeida Theatre 2014 Thérèse Raquin Camille Jonathan Munby Theatre Royal, Bath The Cherry Orchard Yephidikhov Kate Mitchell Young Vic 2015 The Trial Kyle/BlockRichard Jones 2024-5 The Importance of Being Earnest Jack Worthing Max Webster Lyttelton Theatre, National Theatre
Music videos Year Title Artist Notes 2016How To Recognise A Work Of Art Meilyr Jones 2021 If You Say the Word Radiohead
Audio dramas Year Title Role Notes 2019 Torchwood: Monthly Range Sebastian Vaughn Episode: "The Vigil" 2022 The Lone Centurion Sir Lancelot 3 episodes
References
External links