Aimee Lou Wood

Aimee Lou Wood
Wood in 2023
Born (1994-02-03) 3 February 1994
Stockport, Greater Manchester, England
EducationRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
Years active2016–present

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).

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

Key
† 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 Miss 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]

Stage

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2016–2017 Mary Stuart Handmaiden Almeida Theatre, London [13]
2017 People, Places and Things Laura UK tour [63]
2018–2019 Downstate Effie Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre, Chicago
Royal National Theatre, London 		[64]
2020 Uncle Vanya Sonya Serebryakova Harold Pinter Theatre, London [27]
2023 Cabaret Sally Bowles Playhouse Theatre, London [27]

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2020 The Stage Awards Best Actress in a Play Uncle Vanya Nominated [65]
Ian Charleson Awards Second [66]
2021 British Academy Television Awards Best Female Comedy Performance Sex Education Won [20]
2022 Nominated [67][68]
National Comedy Awards Outstanding Supporting Role Nominated [69]
British Independent Film Awards Best Supporting Performance Living Nominated [70]
2023 British Academy Film Awards EE Rising Star Award Nominated [71]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Takeover Performance Cabaret Won
[72]
2025 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Comedy Performance - Female Daddy Issues Nominated
[73]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The White Lotus Nominated
[74]
2026 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actress on Television Nominated
[75]
Actor Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series Nominated
[76]
Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated

References

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  2. ^ a b "'White Lotus' Stars Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger on Nerves, Spontaneity and Being Lifelong Learner". The Wrap. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  3. ^ Yossman, K.J. (12 November 2024). "'Kaos' Star Nabhaan Rizwan and 'Doctor Foster's' Suranne Jones Join Aimee Lou Wood in BBC Rom-Com 'Film Club'". Variety. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  4. ^ "'Sex Education' co-stars Wood and Mackey among BAFTA Rising Star nominees". Reuters. 18 January 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  5. ^ Cobby, Erin (16 April 2020). "Meet Sex Education break out star Aimee Lou Wood". Wonderland. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. ^ Dex, Robert (24 January 2020). "Aimee Lou Wood on a badly timed press night text message from her dad". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  7. ^ Wiseman, Eva (12 February 2023). "Aimee Lou Wood: 'I am a wrecking ball of emotion'". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  8. ^ MacIntyre, Cal (28 June 2019). "Aimee and Emily Wood". Notion. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Old Waconians on the stage, screen and in the director's chair". Cheadle Hulme School. 10 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
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  76. ^ Davis, Clayton; Moreau, Jordan (7 January 2026). "Actor Awards Nominations 2026: 'One Battle After Another' Earns Record-Breaking 7 Nods, 'The Studio' Leads TV With 5 Noms". Variety. Retrieved 8 January 2026.

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