Meet the cast of How to Have Sex
The cast of Molly Manning Walker's debut feature film includes a lot of up-and-coming talent.
It might be Molly Manning Walker's debut feature film, and it might have a relatively unknown cast, but How to Have Sex made waves at this year's Cannes Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation and bagging the Un Certain Regard Prize – and now it's reaching a wider audience in UK cinemas.
The film follows three British friends as they jet off for a post-exam party holiday in Malia, Greece. But what should be the holiday of their dreams soon takes a dark turn when Tara is pressured by her friends to lose her virginity.
The cast is led by three up-and-coming talents in Mia McKenna-Bruce (Persuasion), Enva Lewis and Lara Peake.
But who else stars? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast.
How To Have Sex Cast
Mia McKenna-Bruce plays Tara
Who is Tara? Sixteen-year-old Tara is the character at the centre of the film, who is left struggling to process her emotions after a coming-of-age adventure takes a troubling turn.
What else has Mia McKenna-Bruce been in? The actress rose to prominence thanks to her role as Tee Taylor in Tracy Beaker Returns. She has since appeared in supporting parts in Netflix's adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, The Witcher and Vampire Academy.
Lara Peake plays Skye
Who is Skye? One of three 16-year-old girls who heads on the trip to Malia, alongside Tara and Em.
What else has Lara Peake been in? Peake previously starred in the BBC Three drama Mood and Brave New World.
Enva Lewis plays Em
Who is Em? Another of the three 16-year-old girls who jets off on a post-GCSE trip to Malia.
What else has Eva Lewis been in? How to Have Sex marks Lewis's first on-screen role. Talking to GamesRadar+, she admitted she had no idea how big the film would be when she first signed up. "I thought it was going on YouTube," she said.
Shaun Thomas plays Badger
Who is Badger? A party animal who has come on holiday to Malia with his friends Paddy and Paige.
What else has Shaun Thomas been in? Thomas is best known for playing Gerry in Emmerdale, but viewers might also recognise him from ITV's The Long Shadow, Four Lives, Ali & Ava and coming-of-age drama Ladhood.
Samuel Bottomley plays Paddy
Who is Paddy? A self-confessed player who is deemed 'cooler' than Badger by Tara's friends. His interactions with Tara play a pivotal role in the film.
What else has Samuel Bottomley been in? Bottomley has previously starred in a number of TV series including Wolf Hall, Jericho, Ackley Bridge and Sheridan Smith's The Teacher. More recently, he appeared in Daisy May Cooper's Am I Being Unreasonable? and Ladhood.
Laura Ambler plays Paige
Who is Paige? A friend of Badger and Paddy's who finds a connection with Em.
What else has Laura Ambler been in? How to Have Sex marks Ambler's first on-screen role.
Talking about how she was scouted on social media for the film, Ambler told GamesRadar+: "I was painting and decorating on site one day and I just got a message through Instagram. I looked at it and showed the lads on site and they went, 'Laura, come on, who’s going to want you in a film? It’s your ex-girlfriend setting you up.'"
How to Have Sex is out in now in UK cinemas and is also available to stream on MUBI. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
