
Kaya Scodelario Movies & TV Shows: Complete Filmography
If you’ve followed British television over the past two decades, you’ve probably watched Kaya Scodelario grow up on screen without quite realizing it. From a teenage rebel in Bristol to a franchise heroine dodging zombies and pirates, her career has been a masterclass in reinvention.
Debut: 2007 on Skins · Notable film: The Maze Runner (2014) · Pirates role: Carina Smyth (2017) · Children: Two (as of 2024) · Instagram followers: Over 5 million
| Full name | Kaya Rose Scodelario-Davis |
|---|---|
| Born | February 13, 1992 |
| Birthplace | London, England |
| Debut | Skins (2007) |
| Notable role | Effy Stonem in Skins |
| Children | Two |
Career Snapshot
- Maze Runner trilogy as Teresa (2014–2018) — Rotten Tomatoes
- Carina Smyth in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) (Rotten Tomatoes)
- Proved her blockbuster viability alongside indie work (Rotten Tomatoes)
- Born to a Brazilian father and English mother — Wikipedia
- Has two children (born 2016 and 2021) (Wikipedia)
- Keeps family life largely private (Wikipedia)
What stands out in this trajectory is the deliberate alternation between large-scale productions and character-driven pieces. She has not chased only the biggest paychecks, nor has she stayed exclusively in the arthouse lane. That balance is rare and tells you something about how she picks projects.
How did Kaya Scodelario get famous?
Early career on Skins
Kaya Scodelario made her television debut in 2007 on the British drama Skins, playing Effy Stonem. The role brought her widespread recognition and became a defining part of her early career. She was 14 at the time of casting, and the show ran from 2007 to 2010, with a return appearance in 2013.
Breakthrough in film
From television she moved into film with surprising speed, starting with a small but memorable role in Moon (2009) as Eve Bell, a science-fiction drama that showcased her ability to hold her own opposite veteran actors. By 2011 she had taken on the literary challenge of playing Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights.
What movies made Kaya Scodelario famous?
The Maze Runner franchise
She played Teresa in all three films: The Maze Runner (2014), The Scorch Trials (2015), and The Death Cure (2018). The franchise solidified her place in young-adult cinema and proved her blockbuster viability.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
In 2017 she entered the Pirates of the Caribbean universe as Carina Smyth, an astronomer whose intellect and wit made her a standout in a crowded ensemble.
Other notable films
Her filmography includes Crawl (2019), a survival thriller about a woman trapped in her childhood home during a hurricane, and Wuthering Heights (2011), which remains a reference point for her dramatic range. She has appeared in the dystopian thriller The Maze Runner as Teresa and in 2017 she also appeared in Dunkirk during the evacuation sequences.
“She brought a rawness that was perfect for Teresa.” — Casting Director (The Maze Runner)
Is Kaya Scodelario British?
Her nationality
Kaya Scodelario was born in London, England, and is British. All her major roles have been in English-language productions.
Her heritage
She is of Brazilian and English descent. Her father is Brazilian and her mother is English, which gives her a mixed heritage that fans often ask about.
What is Kaya Scodelario’s real name?
Full birth name
She was born Kaya Rose Humphrey on February 13, 1992, in London.
Name change
Her full professional name is Kaya Rose Scodelario-Davis. She uses Scodelario as her stage surname, which reflects her Brazilian family heritage.
What does Kaya Scodelario do now?
Recent projects
She stars as Susie Glass in the Netflix series The Gentlemen, which premiered in 2024 and has been renewed for a second season. German Wikipedia lists the series as running from 2024 to 2026 with 16 episodes, placing her role in a longer narrative arc.
Upcoming roles
In 2025 she appears in The Woman in Cabin 10 as Grace, a Netflix thriller also known under its French title La Disparue de la cabine 10. French Wikipedia also lists her in Senna (2024), a biographical drama about Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna, and Adulthood (2025) as Megan.
“It’s a different side of me that I do not get to show often.” — Kaya Scodelario (on her role in The Gentlemen)
Timeline of a Career Built on Contrasts
Kaya Scodelario’s screen credits span both television and film work from 2007 through 2025, and the through-line is a refusal to repeat herself. Wikipedia notes her breakthrough television role was Effy Stonem in Skins, a part that brought her widespread recognition and defined the early phase of her career. From there she moved into film with surprising speed, starting with a small but memorable role in Moon (2009) as Eve Bell, a science-fiction drama that showcased her ability to hold her own opposite veteran actors.
By 2011 she had taken on the literary challenge of playing Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights, a role that demanded emotional intensity and physical commitment. That same year she appeared in the dystopian thriller The Maze Runner as Teresa, a character central to the film’s mystery and emotional stakes. The franchise would span three films, and she returned to the role through The Scorch Trials (2015) and The Death Cure (2018), solidifying her place in young-adult cinema.
In 2017 she entered the Pirates of the Caribbean universe as Carina Smyth, an astronomer whose intellect and wit made her a standout in a crowded ensemble. It was a different register for her, lighter and more playful, and it worked. The same year brought the drama Dunkirk, where she appeared in a smaller but impactful role during the evacuation sequences.
Roles Beyond the Blockbusters
Her filmography also includes Crawl (2019), a survival thriller about a woman trapped in her childhood home during a hurricane, and Wuthering Heights (2011), which remains a reference point for her dramatic range. She has a mix of genres and tones that keeps her work unpredictable.
2025: A Year of New Directions
Entering 2025, Scodelario has several projects in motion that demonstrate her range. She appears in The Woman in Cabin 10 as Grace, a role listed by Rotten Tomatoes, and also as Meg Robles-Vargas in another 2025 production. French Wikipedia lists the film Adulthood (2025) as part of her upcoming work, and Movie Insider confirms the project is in her filmography. German Wikipedia notes the series The Gentlemen as running from 2024 to 2026 with 16 episodes, which places her role as Susie Glass in a longer arc than the typical limited series.
The Woman in Cabin 10 project is a Netflix thriller — Elle describes it under its French title La Disparue de la cabine 10 — and marks her move into the mystery-thriller genre. French Wikipedia also lists her in Senna (2024), a biographical drama about the legendary Formula 1 driver, adding yet another genre to her portfolio.
The 2025 Release List
A quick look at what is confirmed for 2025 shows how varied her slate is, from thriller to drama to ongoing series work.
What Languages Does She Speak?
The question of Kaya Scodelario’s languages comes up frequently in fan circles, and the answer is simpler than many expect. She speaks English fluently, which makes sense given her London upbringing and the fact that all her major roles have been in English-language productions. Beyond that, there is no verified public record of her speaking additional languages at a conversational level.
The confusion often stems from her heritage — she is of Brazilian and English descent — which leads some to assume she speaks Portuguese. Her father is Brazilian, and while she has acknowledged that background in interviews, she has not publicly demonstrated fluency in Portuguese. This is a case where the surface narrative (she is half-Brazilian, so she must speak Portuguese) does not match the available evidence.
Her Family Life and Personal Details
Scodelario was born in London on February 13, 1992, and her mixed heritage has been a point of interest for fans. She has two children as of 2024, and she keeps that part of her life relatively private, sharing only occasional glimpses on social media. Her Instagram following exceeds 5 million, which gives her a significant platform, but she tends to use it professionally rather than for personal oversharing.
The balance between her public persona and private life is a deliberate one. She has been vocal about the pressures of growing up in the public eye, having been cast in Skins at just 14 years old. That early exposure shaped how she manages her career and what she chooses to reveal about herself.
moviepilot.de, adorocinema.com, popculturefiles.com, publicreport.uk, imdb.com, de.wikipedia.org, tvovermind.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What languages does Kaya Scodelario speak?
She speaks English fluently. Despite her Brazilian heritage, there is no verified public record of her speaking Portuguese at a conversational level.
Was Kaya Scodelario in the Maze Runner movies?
Yes, she played Teresa in all three films of the franchise: The Maze Runner (2014), The Scorch Trials (2015), and The Death Cure (2018).
Who did Kaya Scodelario play in Pirates of the Caribbean?
She played Carina Smyth, an astronomer and the love interest of Brenton Thwaites’ character, in Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
What is Kaya Scodelario’s role in The Gentlemen?
She plays Susie Glass, the daughter of a cartel boss, in the Netflix series The Gentlemen, which premiered in 2024 and has been renewed for a second season.
Is Kaya Scodelario in The Woman in Cabin 10?
Yes, she is credited as Grace in the 2025 adaptation of the novel The Woman in Cabin 10, a Netflix thriller also known as La Disparue de la cabine 10 in French.
How old was Kaya Scodelario when she started acting?
She was 14 years old when she was cast in Skins in 2007, which was her professional debut.
Does Kaya Scodelario have children?
Yes, she has two children as of 2024, born in 2016 and 2021, and she keeps details about them largely private.
Related Reading
- French Wikipedia profile
- Rotten Tomatoes filmography
- Elle article on her best series and films
Looking at her output across twenty years, the pattern is clear: Scodelario thrives when she alternates between the intimate and the epic, the character-driven and the spectacle. That balance — not any single role — is what has kept her working steadily while many of her peers from the same era have faded. With multiple 2025 projects already confirmed, her momentum does not show signs of stopping anytime soon.