Born in London, Hugh Skinner, 41, trained at Lamda and appeared in the BBC’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles in 2008. From 2014 to 2017, he played Will in the comedy series W1A; he also appeared in Fleabag and The Windsors. His films include Les Misérables and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In 2024, he starred in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre. He reprises the role of Will in Twenty Twenty Six, and stars in the new BBC drama Two Weeks in August. He lives in London.
What is your greatest fear?
Pigeons. One got stuck in my flat once for quite a long time and it really changed how I feel about them.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Catastrophising.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Snobbishness, superiority, condescension.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Accidentally walking on to set naked for a scene where I wasn’t actually supposed to be naked.
What would your superpower be?
I’d like to be able to stop time.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I’ve got tiny, tiny eyes and my hairline is racing back. But I’m hatching a variety of plans, so watch this space.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Prince William or Jessie Buckley.
Who is your celebrity crush?
My first was the whole male cast of late 1990s Neighbours.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The old millionaire’s shortbread from Caffè Nero. It was arrestingly good, but something’s changed.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Smoking.
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
I’m not interested.
What was the last lie that you told?
It’s not the last one, but when I was nine I told everyone at school I was starring in West Side Story in the West End, in this amazing new part they’d created for a nine-year-old. I got congratulated in assembly. My mum was quite cross.
What does love feel like?
Like nothing’s a problem.
What was the best kiss of your life?
Early 2020. The first financial quarter.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Fantastic and brilliant.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
In the back of my mind I just assumed I’d be in a boyband at some point.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I’d be happier being myself younger.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
A wild pig.
How often do you have sex?
Not enough.
What keeps you awake at night?
People singing in the street.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
Sex and money would be great.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Everything’s temporary, and how to make aioli.
What happens when we die?
I think we’re definitely gone, but I do think people leave traces everywhere from what they did in life, and live on and continue to make an impact through the ripple effect of that.