Aimee Lou Wood
English actress and writer (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aimee Lou Wood (born 3 February 1994[1][2]) is an English actress and writer.[3] She began her career on stage, appearing in productions of Mary Stuart (2016–2017) and People, Places and Things (2017). Her screen debut came with the Netflix comedy series Sex Education (2019–2023), winning the BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. While starring on Sex Education, she appeared in the West End productions Uncle Vanya (2020) and Cabaret (2023), and in the films The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021) and Living (2022).
- Actress
- writer
Aimee Lou Wood | |
|---|---|
Wood in 2023 | |
| Born | 3 February 1994 Stockport, Greater Manchester, England |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2016–present |
Wood was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2023.[4] She starred in the comedy series Daddy Issues (2024–present) and the drama series The White Lotus (2025), the latter of which brought her nominations for the Actor Award, Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also created and starred in the BBC Three television series Film Club (2025).
Early life and education
Aimee Lou Wood was born on 3 February 1994[2] in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and grew up in Bramhall.[5] Her mother works for Childline and her father is a car dealer.[6][7] Her sister Emily Wood is a makeup artist.[8]
Following their parents' divorce, Wood attended Cheadle Hulme School.[9] She then took a foundation course at the Oxford School of Drama,[10] and went on to graduate with a bachelor of arts in acting from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2017.[11]
Career
2016–2020: Stage roles and Sex Education
Wood began her professional acting career in 2016 by working on stage productions, making her debut as a handmaiden in the play Mary Stuart,[12] performed at the Almeida Theatre in London until 2017.[13] Following this, she starred as Laura in the production People, Places and Things, a role that she performed numerous times on tour across the UK.[14]
In 2019, Wood made her screen debut as Aimee Gibbs, a main character in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education, where she co-starred alongside Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Ncuti Gatwa, and Gillian Anderson.[15][16] She had originally auditioned for the part of Lily Inglehart, which was ultimately given to Tanya Reynolds,[11][15] but accepted the role of Aimee when she was offered it. The series went on to receive critical acclaim,[17][18] and Wood's performance earned praise.[19]
At the 2021 British Academy Television Awards, she won the British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance,[20] which is both her first accolade and her first award received from a major association;[21][22] she earned another nomination for the award at the 2022 British Academy Television Awards. Amidst her work on Sex Education, Wood has continued to take roles in theatre, reasoning, "I know a lot of screen actors who think they left it too long to go back on stage and now they have really bad stage fright."[23]
In 2020, Wood played Jess in "Hen", a short film directed by James Larkin.[24] That same year, she was cast as Sonya Serebryakova in Uncle Vanya,[25] which was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Harold Pinter Theatre, and obtained both a cinematic release and a BBC national release in the same year.[26][27] The production and Wood's performance were lauded by critics. Of her portrayal of Sonya, WhatsOnStage wrote, "she is a glorious, kind, gentle girl ... Her attempts at cheerfulness in the face of so much crushing disappointment are almost unbearable. [Wood] positively shines."[28] Wood narrated an audiobook of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, released 3 September 2020 by Penguin Audio.
2021–present: Film debut and The White Lotus
In 2021, Wood joined the jury of the British Short Film Awards and announced the winner later that year.[29] She made her feature-film debut as Claire Wain in the 2021 biographical film The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,[30][31] which earned positive reviews from critics. She landed her first lead film role opposite Bill Nighy in the Oliver Hermanus drama feature Living, a British remake of the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and earned acclaim.[32][33] Wood replaced Mia Goth for upcoming thriller film Sweet Dreams, when she played Dorothy.[34]
In January 2024, Wood joined the cast of the third season of the HBO anthology series The White Lotus, which premiered in February 2025.[35] In April 2025, Wood criticised the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live after a scene in the sketch "The White POTUS", a parody of The White Lotus, had actress Sarah Sherman disparagingly portray Wood's character, Chelsea. Wood posted on her Instagram story shortly after the sketch aired, calling it "mean and unfunny", adding "...there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way."[36] SNL members Bowen Yang and Sherman came to Wood's defence, with Sherman sending Wood a bouquet of flowers as an apology.[37]
On October 31, 2025 it was announced that Wood will be portraying Pattie Boyd in The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event directed by Sam Mendes, due to be released in April 2028.[38]
Personal life
Wood resides in South East London.[39] She was in a relationship with her Sex Education co-star Connor Swindells, who portrays Adam Groff in the series, from January 2019[40] to March 2020.[41]
Wood has spoken about her struggles with body image, saying in a 2020 interview with Glamour, "I have suffered with body dysmorphia my whole life. I remember before the first sex scene, I thought, 'Right, okay. I'll start eating salads every day,' and I just didn't. That was such a turning point for me, making that decision to go, 'Actually, I'm not going to alter how my body looks before this scene because this is how my body looks.'"[42] Wood has shared how British model Georgia May Jagger's role as the face of Rimmel London in 2009 helped her build self-confidence and embrace her distinctive teeth, a feature that had made her a target of bullying.[43][44] "Georgia Jagger did 'get the London look' and she had the gap teeth, that was a huge moment. I thought 'No, I am going to put red lipstick on and I am going to draw attention to it.'"[45]
In an April 2025 interview with The Sunday Times, Wood revealed she had been diagnosed with ADHD a few years prior in addition to "autistic traits", and was advised to seek a formal autism assessment.[46][47]
Activism
Wood is vocal about a number of political issues online, saying she does not fear the backlash she receives for it.[48] In light of the 2023 Gaza war, Wood was one of over two thousand to sign an Artists for Palestine letter calling for a ceasefire and accusing Western governments of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them."[49] She has signed the Artists4Ceasefire letter addressed to then U.S. President Joe Biden,[50] and a 2025 pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions "implicated in genocide and apartheid".[51]
Wood is a signatory of the Film Workers for Palestine boycott pledge that was published in September 2025.[52]
Filmography
Film
| † | Denotes works that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Electrical Life of Louis Wain | Claire Wain | [30] | |
| 2022 | Living | Margaret Harris | [32] | |
| 2024 | Seize Them! | Queen Dagan | [53] | |
| 2028 | The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event † | Pattie Boyd | Filming | [54] |
| TBA | Anxious People † | Grace | Post-production | [55] |
| The Idiots † | Anna Dostoevskaya | Post-production | [56] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2023 | Sex Education | Aimee Gibbs | Main role, 32 episodes | [19] |
| 2024 | Alice & Jack | Maya | Miniseries | [57] |
| 2024–present | Daddy Issues | Gemma | Main role; also executive producer[58] | [59] |
| 2025 | The White Lotus | Chelsea | Main role; season 3 | [60] |
| Toxic Town | Tracey Taylor | Miniseries | [61] | |
| Film Club | Evie | Main role; also co-creator | [62] | |
| 2026 | Saturday Night Live UK | Herself | Episode: "Aimee Lou Wood / MEEK" | [63] |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2017 | Mary Stuart | Handmaiden | Almeida Theatre, London | [13] |
| 2017 | People, Places and Things | Laura | UK tour | [64] |
| 2018–2019 | Downstate | Effie | Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, Chicago Royal National Theatre, London |
[65] |
| 2020 | Uncle Vanya | Sonya Serebryakova | Harold Pinter Theatre, London | [27] |
| 2023 | Cabaret | Sally Bowles | Playhouse Theatre, London | [27] |
