Before gracing screens with her talent and beauty in The Gentlemen series, Kaya Scodelario has raked in notable credits in movies and TV shows. With a daring attitude, Scodelario plays Susan “Susie” Glass, the de facto head of the Glass family’s weed-growing empire. Besides being the female lead on the show, Scodelario’s commanding screen presence makes her one of its highlights.
The British actress developed a passion for acting during High School and landed her first professional role at age 14. Since then, she has grown from being a character actor to playing lead roles. From the British film industry to American cinema, here are Kaya Scodelario’s movies and TV show roles where you probably recognize her from.
Skins
When Kaya Scodelario, then age 14, heard about a casting call for a teen comedy-drama, she chose to audition. However, on the audition forms, she claimed to be 16. Feeling too young to be auditioning, she tried to leave before one of the producers encouraged her to audition since she was already at the venue. Although she wasn’t initially cast to play Effy Stonem, Scodelario was given the role after the initial actress dropped out.
The E4 teen comedy-drama Skins became Kaya Scodelario’s acting career launchpad. Scodelario’s character had few lines at the start of the series and was often considered mute. However, by the second series and after the first generation of characters had been replaced, Effy Stonem became a prominent character in the show. For British television audiences, Skins was the first time they got acquainted with the then-young actress Kaya Scodelario. She played Effy Stonem from 2007 to 2010 and reprised the role in 2013.
Wuthering Heights
Kaya Scodelario made her film debut in 2009 in a minor role in the critically acclaimed science fiction movie Moon (2009). Scodelario played Eve Bell, the daughter of actor Sam Rockwell’s character, Sam Bell. However, her big break came when she played the lead character, Catherine Earnshaw, in Andrea Arnold’s Gothic romantic drama Wuthering Heights (2011). With the movie based on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, it centers around Catherine Earnshaw and her brother, Heathcliff (James Howson). Although not commercially successful, it was well-received by critics. Cast in the lead role, it is one of Kaya Scodelario’s movies and TV shows early roles that put her in the spotlight.
The Truth About Emanuel
The Truth About Emanuel (2013) is one of the earliest American roles where American film audiences might recognize Kaya Scodelario. Cast alongside Jessica Biel, Scodelario played the title character, Emanuel. Her character, a 17-year-old girl, is ridden with guilt over her mother’s death when she gave birth to her. However, when a neighbor moves in next door, with an uncanny resemblance to her late mother, Emanuel chooses to grow closer to get to know the woman. The Truth About Emanuel is an emotional thriller with jaw-dropping performances from Kaya Scodelario and Jessica Biel. The movie premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013.
Maze Runner Trilogy Film Series
For most film and television audiences, the Maze Runner film series was the first time they recognized Kaya Scodelario. The actress played Teresa, a character first introduced in the first installment. Teresa arrives in the Glade as the last Glader. Kaya Scodelario reprised the role in the two sequels, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018). Teresa is Maze Runner’s antihero, who at first betrays her newfound friends before risking her life to save them. At the time, the Maze Runner series was Kaya Scodelario’s most successful role in movies and TV shows.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
By the time Kaya Scodelario joined the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, it was already one of the most successful film franchises. Scodelario was cast as Carina Smyth, an altruistic astronomer considered a witch, in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Although the fifth installment in the franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was created as a standalone sequel. Produced on a $230–320 million budget, Dead Men Tell No Tales grossed $795.9 million at the Box Office.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Kaya Scodelario added starring in a biographical film to her growing roles of movies and TV shows with the 2019 Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The true crime drama was based on the life and trial of serial killer Ted Bundy. Scodelario was cast as Carole Ann Boone, Ted Bundy’s (Zac Efron) old friend and later wife. During the murder trial, Carole Ann Boone moved to Florida to be close to and support her old friend. Growing closer during the trial, Bundy and Boone married after Bundy proposed mid-trial. Although a supporting character, true crime genre audiences would remember Kaya Scodelario’s performance.
Crawl
Kaya Scodelario led the cast of the natural horror movie Crawl (2019). Set in Florida, Scodelario played Haley Keller, a University of Florida swimmer caught in a Category 5 Hurricane. When she returns to her old family home to find her estranged father for evacuation, Haley is trapped in surrounding waters infested by hungry alligators. With the help of her sister’s boyfriend, state trooper Wayne Taylor, and her family’s dog, Sugar, she fights off the alligators until rescue arrives.
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) was a reboot of the Resident Evil film series. Kaya Scodelario led the cast, playing the iconic character Claire Redfield. In the original film series, actress Ali Larter has earlier portrayed the character. The character and the movie is one of Kaya Scodelario’s stand-out roles in her movies and TV shows in the 2020s. While receiving mixed reviews from critics, Welcome to Raccoon City grossed $42 million on a $25 million budget. If you remember Kaya Scodelario from these movies and TV shows, read 10 things you didn’t know about Kaya Scodelario.
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