BAFTA award-winning actress Aimee Lou Wood is quickly becoming a familiar face in households. With an impressive portfolio that includes roles in Sex Education and the critically-acclaimed film Living with Bill Nighy, she's making her mark in the industry. Now, she is set to star in HBO and Sky's hit show The White Lotus alongside Walton Goggins, taking on the role of Chelsea for season 3, which is set in Thailand.
The satirical murder mystery drama returns today, with familar character Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) reappearing after first popping up in season 1. Aimee, who joins a star-studded cast that includes names like Jason Isaacs and Blackpink's Lisa, plays one of the many guests checking into the White Lotus' luxury Thailand resort. Aside from her Netflix success, Aimee has also graced the stage in productions like Uncle Vanya and the star-studded West End revival of Cabaret. Read on to find out more about the rising star.
Aimee was born on February 3, 1995, and raised in Stockport. Her father worked at a car dealership and her mother works for ChildLine, according to a Guardian interview. Her sister Emily is now a makeup artist, reports the Manchester Evening News. The actress opened up about her journey to stardom, revealing that her love for acting was sparked by watching Oscar-nominated films with her dad during weekends and '80s classics with her mum. She pursued A Level drama at Cheadle Hulme School, followed by a foundation course at the Oxford School of Drama, and then trained at a drama school in London.
Speaking to Stylist, she shared details of her challenging childhood, noting her mother's strength amidst her father's struggle with addiction, which led to him being "always coming and going". However, she happily reported that he has been "completely clean for years now" and their bond has grown stronger over time. The actress credits therapy for helping her understand life's ups and downs, saying: "I guess therapy has helped me to unpick a lot. I'm learning through therapy that some people have a really steady line in life and then... poof, trauma. While others are working through a constant flow of sh*t.".
She also recounted an incident where she confronted a former school bully via Instagram while "really drunk", leading to an unexpectedly heartfelt exchange. The bully expressed long-held remorse, explaining his own difficult home life at the time, and apologised for his past actions. "He was quite horrendous to me. I'm not sure why I bugged him so much. I think it was to do with being very popular, even though I was also very weird. I don't think he could get his head around that.".
RADA-trained Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood has opened up about the challenges she faced while studying at the prestigious London acting school, where she graduated in 2017. At RADA, she encountered pressure to suppress her northern accent. Speaking to Radio Times, Aimee revealed: "They said received pronunciation was going to be the main accent we needed, so I should know when to dial my accent down, but that's not been the case at all – if anything, people ask me to amp it up!".
After leaving RADA, Aimee dabbled in theatre before gaining fame on Netflix's hit Sex Education. Reflecting on her sudden celebrity status, she shared: "We had no idea that it was going to be as massive as it was. For all of us, it was quite a shock. You're walking down the street and all of a sudden your face is known. "Amazing things have come from it, but it had a real effect on my mental health – I became a recluse, because most actors are not famous. Only now am I really starting to enjoy it.".
She further expressed the lack of recognition for personal struggles, stating: "People don't see that you're a person who might be going through their own stuff – they look at you as a novelty.". Aimee scooped the Bafta for best female comedy performance for her role as Aimee Gibbs in Sex Education. During her time on the show, she struck up a romance with co-star Connor Swindells, whom she also briefly dates on the show.
Following their break-up, Aimee revealed to Grazia magazine: "We'd had some time apart and then we realised that maybe the relationship wasn't serving us both. We still really love each other and respect each other. It was an okay breakup - it wasn't dramatic.". She admitted: "I find it hard when I'm in relationships to maintain my sense of who I am. I'm very independent, but I'm also quite impressionable. I can be taken away from myself quite easily, I kind of start betraying myself and compromising my integrity, to keep someone else happy. That's why it's really important for me to have time alone.".
Aimee took to the stage last year as Sally Bowles in the prestigious West End production of musical Cabaret, which has picked up several awards. The star humorously commented that it had "almost killed her", as she got so caught up in the intensity of the role. Set in Berlin, the musical explores the hedonistic lifestyle at the Kit Kat Club and US writer Clifford Bradshaw’s relationship with cabaret performer Sally.
