Sex Education Season 3: Every New Character Announced (So Far)

Sex Education season 3 is on the horizon and it brings a plethora of new characters. Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, Gillian Anderson, and the rest of the main cast will be back forseason 3 and they’ll be joined by a few new characters who have been announced. After a months-long production delay that occurred due to the global pandemic, the cast and crew of Sex Education finally went back to filming season 3 in September 2020. With season 2 debuting in January 2020 and season 1 landing on Netflix a year before that, the wait for season 3 has been much longer than usual even by Netflix standards (though it was for good reason). 

However, there is finally a confirmed premiere date for the highly-anticipated season: September 17. Sex Education season 2 of the popular Netflix show left off with quite a cliffhanger that saw Otis finally confess his long-held feelings for Maeve, only for her neighbor, Isaac, to hear and subsequently delete it because he harbors feelings for her as well. There was also Dr. Jean Milburn’s unexpected pregnancy news, which comes in the wake of her and Jakob breaking up.

Sex Education will have a time jump in Sex Education season 3 and a new headteacher to look forward to when the audience returns to Moordale. The series is constantly adding new faces every year — Isaac, Jackson’s friend Viv, Eric’s boyfriend Rahim, and Maeve’s mother Erin Wiley in season 2 among them — and season 3 will be no different on that front. Here is every new character announced for season 3 so far, who plays them, and what changes they might bring to the ever-changing dynamics of the show.  

Jemima Kirke As Hope Haddon

Hope Haddon is the new headmistress at Moordale, replacing Headmaster Michael Groff after he was put on administrative leave at the end of Sex Education season 2. Hope’s arrival will be interesting because, not only will she clash with one of the students at school, but she used to attend Moordale in her youth and wants nothing more than to return it to its glory days. A part of her new vision for the school is changing its dress code — all of the students now have to wear gray uniforms and it’s likely not the only major difference in policy Moordale’s students will be met with during Sex Education season 3. However, Jemima Kirke confirms that, despite appearances, Hope used to be a “wild child” back when she attended high school.

Jemima Kirke may be new to the Netflix series, but she’s not new to the world of television. Her most notable role so far has been in HBO’s Girls, starring as Jessa Johansson, who struggled with substance abuse. The actress has also appeared in the series Maniac alongside Emma Stone and Jonah Hill. She has most recently starred in Sylvie’s Love, the dark comedy The Little Hours, and the upcoming Hulu miniseries Conversations with Friends, which is based on the best-selling novel by Sally Rooney. 

Jason Isaacs As Peter Groff

Peter Groff is Michael Groff’s older brother. He’s described as being pretty arrogant and is far more successful than Michael has been. Considering that Michael has been put on administrative leave, his wife has left him, and his son doesn’t much like him, Peter’s introduction in Sex Education season 3 will surely spark a good amount of competition between the brothers and go a long way to explain Michael’s personality. At the start of season 3, Michael will have been staying at Peter’s house for a while since he’s got nowhere else to go following separating from his wife. It’s possible Peter and Michael will get into heated arguments or else clash in other ways, especially considering how different they are from each other. 

For many Harry Potter fans, Jason Isaacs will always be the devious Lucius Malfoy, a role he played for the majority of films in the successful franchise. However, the actor has had quite a prolific career outside of the wizarding world, starring in several movies and TV series like The Patriot, Black Hawk Down, Netflix’s beloved series The OA, and Star Trek: Discovery. He has also voiced characters in the animated Star Wars Rebels, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Castlevania. 

Dua Saleh As Cal

Cal (pictured in the middle above) is a nonbinary student at Moordale who will have a confrontational relationship with the Headmistress Hope. Perhaps Hope’s demeanor and policies will clash with Cal, but it’ll be interesting to see how that relationship pans out. It already seems like Cal has made friends with Viv and Jackson, so there’s that. It’s unclear how Cal will fit in with the main characters and whether or not they will ultimately befriend Otis, Maeve, and Eric. Either way, Cal’s inclusion expands upon the spectrum of identities in Sex Education. Meanwhile, Saleh is a recording artist and songwriter who has already released two albums, including 2019’s successful Nūr. Playing Cal in the Netflix series will mark their acting debut. 

Indra Ové As Anna 

In Sex Education season 2, Maeve spent some time with her half-sister Elsie following her mother Erin’s brief return to her life. However, the mother-daughter reunion was short-lived after Maeve discovered her mom had relapsed and was once again using drugs. After calling social services on Erin, it left Elsie with no one to care for her in the interim. That’s where Anna comes into the picture in Sex Education season 3. Anna will be Elsie’s foster mom, which likely means Maeve will still be able to see her sister from time to time without having to worry about shouldering the fiscal and physical responsibility of caring for the toddler. How long Elsie will be in foster care remains unclear, but Anna will hopefully bring new energy to the series in its third season. Indra Ové has starred in a plethora of movies and TV series, most notably appearing in Resident Evil, where she played Ms. Black, The Fifth Element, Interview with the Vampire, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Breeders, Holby City, Othello, and Space Island One. 

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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