Hugh Skinner: ‘My most embarrassing moment? Walking on set naked when I wasn’t supposed to be’

The actor on his fear of pigeons, his dashed boyband hopes, and having a crush on the entire male cast of Neighbours Born in London, Hugh Skinner, 41, trained at Lamda and appeared in the BBC’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles in 2008. From 2014 to 2017, he played Will in the comedy series W1A; he also appeared in Fleabag and The Windsors. His films include Les Misérables and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. In 2024, he starred in The Importance of Being Earnest at the National Theatre. He reprises the role of Will in Twenty Twenty Six, and stars in the new BBC drama Two Weeks in August. He lives in London. What is your greatest fear? Pigeons. One got stuck in my flat once for quite a long time and it really changed how I feel about them. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Catastrophising. What is the trait you most deplore in others? Snobbishness, superiority, condescension. What was your most embarrassing moment? Accidentally walking on to set naked for a scene where I wasn’t actually supposed to be naked. What would your superpower be? I’d like to be able to stop time. What do you most dislike about your appearance? I’ve got tiny, tiny eyes and my hairline is