The Sex Education season 3 cast features Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson and Eric Effiong. This info article contains minor spoilers and character details for Laurie Nunn’s Netflix series. Check out Vague Visages’ Know the Cast section for more streaming guides.

Sex Education season 3 once again takes place at Moordale Secondary. A new headmaster impresses students with her youthful energy and charisma, but then seeks absolute control while trying to clean up the school’s damaged reputation. The collective subplots explore themes of identity and personal liberation as the young protagonists grow close while fighting for their right to be themselves. Here’s every main performer and character in Sex Education season 3.

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Resident Evil’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Asa Butterfield as Otis Milburn

Character Profile: The primary male protagonist. He develops a meaningful relationship with Ruby Matthews but struggles to fully commit. Otis reunites with his long-time crush Maeve; an experience that seems to transform him into a more thoughtful and considerate person.

Butterfield’s Resume: Bruno in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008), Hugo Cabret in Hugo (2011), Ender Wiggin in Ender’s Game (2013), Jake in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Brandon Boyd in 50 States of Fright (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Persuasion’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Gillian Anderson as Jean Milburn

Character Profile: Otis’ mother, a sex therapist. She is pregnant and invites her boyfriend Jakob to move in. Jean struggles both emotionally and physically in Sex Education season 3, which leads to a deeper connection with the closest men in her life.

Anderson’s Resume: Dana Scully in The X-Files (1993-2018), Stella Gibson in The Fall (2013-16), Bedelia Du Maurier in Hannibal (2013-15), Magda West in Crooked House (2017), Margaret Thatcher in The Crown (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Voice Cast: ‘The Sea Beast’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong

Character Profile: A gay Moordale student with a Nigerian background. He continues a relationship with Adam Groff, who is still working through issues about his sexuality. Eric visits Africa with his family and realizes that he’s ready to evolve as an individual.

Gatwa’s Resume: Dougie in Stonemouth (2015), Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016), Timidius in Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans (2019), Nick in The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘For Jojo’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Emma Mackey as Maeve Wiley

Character Profile: A Moordale student who lives in a trailer park. She considers moving to America for a gifted student program but needs the appropriate funds. Maeve takes her relationship with Isaac to the next level, shortly before she learns about Otis’ true feelings for her.

Mackey’s Resume: Holly in The Winter Lake (2020), Adrienne Bourgès in Eiffel (2021), Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death on the Nile (2022)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘The Longest Night’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Connor Swindells as Adam Groff

Character Profile: Eric’s boyfriend. He learns how to properly communicate with friends and family members. Adam turns his life around by choosing to be more vulnerable and studious, yet his lack of life experience causes problems in his relationship.

Swindells’ Resume: Mostyn in Harlots (2017), Donald in The Vanishing (2018), Adam in VS. (2018), Robert Martin in Emma (2020), Simon Hadlow in Vigil (2021)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Valley of the Dead’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Kedar Williams-Stirling as Jackson Marchetti

Character Profile: A former swimmer with lesbian parents. He loses his position as head boy and pursues a romance with a non-binary student named Cal. Jackson’s forward-thinking ways translate to positive changes at Moordale Secondary.

Williams-Stirling’s Resume: Junior in Shank (2010), Tom Okanawe in Wolfblood (2012-14), Lorenzo in Montana (2014), Torey Martin in Death in Paradise (2017), Marc in Changeland (2019)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Boo, Bitch’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Mimi Keene as Ruby Matthews

Character Profile: Otis’ love interest, a popular girl at Moordale Secondary. She initially seems embarrassed by her boyfriend and then develops strong feelings when he bonds with her ailing father. Ruby experiences intense emotions in Sex Education season 3, but she’s on a different wavelength than Otis.

Keene’s Resume: Cindy Williams in EastEnders (2013-15), Edith Bratt in Tolkien (2019), Claire in Close (2019)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Aimee Lou Wood as Aimee Gibbs

Character Profile: A Moordale student who was sexually assaulted in the past. She seeks advice from Dr. Jean. Aimee cares deeply for her best friend Maeve and supports her decisions.

Wood’s Resume: Sonya in Uncle Vanya (2020), Claire in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Blasted’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Tanya Reynolds as Lily Iglehart

Character Profile: A social outcast at Moordale Secondary. She has a sexual relationship with Ola and likes to role play as aliens. Lily is chastised by the new headmaster for writing a sexually-explicit short story, and then gains the much-needed support of fellow students.

Reynolds’ Resume: Teresa Benelli in Delicious (2016-19), Lady Isobel Dunsany in Outlander (2017), Alexa in For Love or Money (2019), Mrs. Elton in Emma (2020), Maria in Undergods (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Beauty’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Patricia Allison as Ola Nyman

Character Profile: Lily’s girlfriend. She and her father Jakob move in with Jean and Otis. Ola gets straight to the point when communicating with people, which creates conflict with Lily and allows for a meaningful bond with Otis.

Allison’s Resume: Marguerite in Les Misérables (2019), Charlie in Moving On (2019), Claudia in Thanks for the Memories (2019), Ellie in Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘The Man from Toronto’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Mikael Persbrandt as Jakob Nyman

Character Profile: Ola’s father. He is presumably the father of Jean’s child but requests a paternity test to make sure. Jakob visits a therapist to discuss his wife’s death, along with his inability to trust Dr. Milburn.

Persbrandt’s Resume: Beck in Gunvald Larsson (1997-2016), Anton in A Better World (2010), Beorn in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), Alexander Zalachenko in The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018), Victor Karlosson in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Heart Parade’

Sex Education Season 3 Cast: Jemima Kirke as Hope Haddon

Character Profile: The new headmaster at Moordale Secondary who desperately wants to have a child. She establishes a strict dress code and promotes abstinence because of the school’s reputation. Hope takes drastic measures to ensure that students obey her rules, which leads to a rebellion in the second half of the season.

Kirke’s Resume: Charlotte in Tiny Furniture (2010), Jessa Johansson in Girls (2012-17), Marta in The Little Hours (2017), Adelaide in Maniac (2018), The Countess in Sylvie’s Love (2020)

Read More at VV — Know the Cast: ‘Love & Gelato’

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The Sex Education season 3 cast also includes Alistair Petrie (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Bank Job), George Robinson (Dalgliesh), Dua Saleh (Generation), Chaneil Kular (Informer, Doctors), Simone Ashley (Broadchurch, Pokémon Detective Pikachu), Anne-Marie Duff (Shameless, His Dark Materials), Jim Howick (Hellboy, Ghosts), Rakhee Thakrar (EastEnders, Four Weddings and a Funeral), Samantha Spiro (From Hell, Me Before You), Sami Outalbali (Grown Ups), Chinenye Ezeudu (The Stranger), Jojo Macari (Hard Sun, The Irregulars) and Lino Facioli (Get Him to the Greek, Game of Thrones).

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.