This cult, buzzy TV show took Scandinavia by storm, but when the series ended our favourite cast members seemed to fade from view. Vogue Scandinavia gets the low-down of what they’ve been up to since
Some TV shows become larger than life. You know the sort, the series you’ll happily binge time and time again, especially when you’re lounging on the couch feeling a little bit sorry for yourself on a Sunday afternoon. These are the kinds of series that will suck you into their universe, and as you snuggle up to watch the latest episode, you might find yourself living vicariously through the characters, revelling in their joys and crying over their pain.
Skam, meaning 'shame' in Norwegian, remains one of the most popular series to come out of Norway and one of the most influential teen shows. Directed and created by Julie Andem in 2015, the cult show swiftly became a global phenomenon, sparking remakes worldwide, such as Skam France, Druck, Skam Italia and Skam Austin. Praised for its authenticity and true-to-life storytelling, Skam is a coming-of-age drama that follows the lives of a group of Oslo teens attending Hartvig Nissen high school, a real public school in the capital.
What makes Skam so appealing and unique is its construction. The series was made up of short clips from a couple of minutes to 10 minutes long, which aired when the actual scenes happened, i.e if a fictional scene takes place at 5am on Monday morning, the clip aired at the very same time. These clips were then combined into a full episode each Friday. Each season is told through the eyes of one of the 10 main characters, giving the viewer a detailed insight into their particular psyche. Skam was pioneering – confronting the key, important issues of the day, such as mental health, sexual identity, violence, religion and infidelity. It gave us a raw and honest look into the typically taboo topics which many teenagers, in its audience and beyond, struggle with.
As the show became a worldwide sensation, its actors were quickly catapulted into fame. But then, it was all over. After the fourth season aired in 2017, news that the show was ending arrived. So what about the actors, what are they up to today? To find out how their life has been post-Skam, Vogue Scandinavia sat down with three of the actresses who played leading roles in the show.
"Skam definitely changed my life in many ways," says Lisa Teige, who played the part of Eva Kviig Mohn, the kind and fun-loving girl often in the middle of scintillating boy drama. "When I said yes to the job, I never imagined that the interest for the series would get that big. Because the show got so popular, I've gotten a lot of opportunities I would not have gotten without being part of the show."
Since Skam, Teige scored a leading role portraying Amalie in Netflix dance films Battle (2018) and Battle: Freestyle (2022). "Being part of Skam was a door opener for me to work as an actress. I've always wanted to work with dance, but after Skam, acting also became a part of my career."
Meskini attended the opening ceremony for the Norwegian National Museum on June 11, 2022 in Oslo, Norway. Photo: Getty
For Iman Meskini, who portrayed Sana Bakkoush, a feisty Muslim girl who won the hearts of many of the show's fans with her witty comments and tough-as-nails attitude. She explains how the show gave "a voice and a role in society to try and fight for what I believe is right and important. I feel so privileged to be a part of this huge and amazing experience – sometimes, I still can't believe it's even real."
Post-Skam Meskini has been busy. "I visited a lot of schools and different locations all over Norway to talk about my journey and the importance of diversity," she explains. "I also went to the Norwegian Air Force and completed my 1 year service… Oh, and got married too." Acting-wise, Meskini has been a part of productions that without Skam, she says, wouldn't have happened, such as the popular Norwegian reality TV show 71° Nord, where participants travel through Norway. And as for her plans for the future, she wishes to include "a lot more acting and keep fighting for more diversity in Norwegian tv and film."
For Ina Svenningdal, who played the part of Chris Berg, the ride-or-die friend with great sense of humour and positive energy, participating in the show helped kick off important conversations and "shine a light on topics that are less discussed. Being part of the show truly taught me many meaningful lessons," says Svenningdal. Participating in Skam made her dream of being an actress come true, helping her with her current career in theatre. "Skam truly was a life-changer."