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Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Verity Sulway

St Trinian's cast now - two marriages to Elon Musk, tragic death and Doctor Who

Anarchic high school film St Trinian's helped define a generation back in 2007 when razor-thin eyebrows, MySpace and Ugg boots were all the rage.

A star-studded ensemble cast told the story of a group of students desperate to save their lawless school from closure, so they decide to steal the Girl With a Pearl Earring painting and sell it on the black market, with help from dodgy dealer Flash Harry, played by Russell Brand.

Cruel pranks, riots, flirting and a particularly violent hockey match made the iconic film popular with thousands of teenagers.

Schoolchildren across the nation altered their uniforms and fought over what character they emulated -which boiled down to a posh totty, emo, a chav or a geek.

St Trinian's instantly became iconic (FilmMagic)

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It included major household names including Colin Firth as the Education Minister who is seduced by Rupert Everett as Camilla Fritton, the school's headmistress, and Stephen Fry as himself.

But the film also helped launch the careers of then-little-known stars including BRIT Award-nominated singer Paloma Faith and Doctor Who actress Jodie Whittaker.

Fifteen years on from its release, St Trinian's remains one of the highest-grossing British independent films of the last thirty years.

But where are the stars now?

Talulah Riley (Annabelle Fritton)

Talulah Riley married Elon Musk twice (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Talulah played Annabelle Fritton (FilmMagic)

Talulah played the main character, Annabelle Fritton, who is transferred from Cheltenham Ladies College against her will and dumped at St Trinian's, which she initially hates.

She's bullied and pranked before reinventing herself and making friends with her classmates and bonding with her aunt, headmistress Camilla Fritton.

Interestingly, the 36-year-old actually attended Cheltenham Ladies College in real life.

Her mother was the founder of both a security systems company and a PR agency, and her father was head of the National Crime Squad and now writes episodes of shows such as Silent Witness and The Bill.

After St Trinian's, Talulah's next big role was in The Boat That Rocked and she later played Angela in HBO series Westworld.

She also helped develop her father's idea into a screenplay that became a film named Scottish Mussel.

They were unable to find a director for the project so Talulah took that role on too, as well as starring in the film.

Her debut novel, Acts of Love, was published in 2016.

In 2008, Talulah began dating billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla founder Elon Musk and in 2010 they tied the knot in Scotland.

Talulah and Elon in 2010 (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Four years later, Elon filed for divorce - requesting it be granted in two months' time.

But the following year in 2013, the couple reconciled and got married again, living together with Elon's five children from his first marriage to writer Justine Musk.

In 2014, trouble brewed once again and Elon filed for divorce a second time, but later withdrew his application.

They lived separately for six months before Talulah filed for divorce, which was finalised in October 2016.

Talulah then dated pottery tycoon Matthew Rice, 59, but is now thought to be in a relationship with Love Actually and The Queen's Gambit star Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

They met on the set of an upcoming drama about the Sex Pistols, in which Thomas plays Malcolm McLaren and Talulah plays his then-girlfriend, Vivienne Westwood.

Juno Temple (Celia)

Juno Temple recently starred in Ted Lasso (Getty Images)
She played Celia in St Trinian's (FilmMagic)

Juno was just 17 years old when she played 'Trustafarian' Celia in St Trinian's - but she'd been acting since she was 11.

She had auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films but ultimately lost out to Evanna Lynch.

The star went on to play Jennifer 'Dippy' Logan in Emma Roberts film Wild Child, Jane Parker in The Other Boleyn Girl, and Thistlewit in Maleficent.

After a small part in The Dark Knight, Juno won the EE Rising Star Award in 2013, voted for by the public.

More recently, she's been on our screens as Keeley in popular Apple TV+ comedy-drama Ted Lasso, created by Jason Sudekis, and as Danielle Edmondston in Dirty John.

From 2013 to 2016, the 32-year-old was in a relationship with American actor Michael Angarano. She referred to a mysterious 'boyfriend' in Marie Claire but his identity is unknown.

Paloma Faith (Andrea)

Paloma Faith played emo Andrea (Rex)

Only Love Can Hurt Like This singer Paloma Faith was in St Trinian's before she hit the big time in music.

After a small role in the police drama HolbyBlue, Paloma landed the role of Andrea the emo and was unrecognisable in gothic black makeup.

Soon after, she also played Sally, the girlfriend of the Devil in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Rainy in Channel 4 series Coming Up.

But her music career took off when she released her debut single, Stone Cold Sober, and she went on to release four more albums, earning three BRIT Award nominations and winning one.

Paloma married New Zealand chef Rian Haynes in 2005, but they separated after eight months and were divorced four years later, with the star later branding their union a "young, frivolous thing" and a "mistake", though she added they are still friends.

The 40-year-old was also a coach on The Voice UK alongside will.i.am, Ricky Wilson and Boy George.

Paloma is now a mum-of-two (INSTAGRAM)
Leyman Lahcine and Paloma Faith (Dave Benett/Getty Images for The London EDITION)

In 2016, Paloma announced she was expecting her first child with long term partner Leyman Leyman Lahcine, and gave birth to a girl that December after a "traumatising" labour.

In 2020, after her sixth round of IVF and a devastating miscarriage, Paloma fell pregnant with her second child, a daughter who was born in February 2021.

Paloma didn't reveal the sex of her first child for three years, explaining: "I wanted her to develop into herself before the world decided who she was.

"I felt like a lioness. She makes me look at the world in a way I've neglected for a long time."

Lena Headey (Miss Dickinson)

Lena played Miss Dickinson (WireImage)
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister (©2016 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO¨ and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.)

Lena played Miss Dickinson, St Trinian's new and well-meaning English teacher, whose spirit is quickly destroyed by her cruel students.

But she's probably best known for playing icy matriarch Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, for which she's received five Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.

She was recommended for the role by Tyrion Lannister actor Peter Dinklage, who she was already good friends with.

In the same year St Trinian's came out, Lena also starred in the epic war film 300 opposite Gerard Butler, before playing Sarah Connor in Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

The 48-year-old married musician Peter Loughran in 2007, and their son, Wylie Loughran, was born in 2010.

In 2011, the couple separated and their divorce was finalised two years later.

Lena then embarked on a relationship with filmmaker Dan Cadan, who had been her childhood friend and worked with her on his short film The Devil's Wedding.

They welcomed a daughter named Teddy in 2015 but split up in 2019.

Lily Cole (Polly)

Lily Cole is one of the country's most successful models (Samir Hussein/WireImage)
She played Polly in St Trinian's (Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Lily was a well-known supermodel when she landed the role of Polly in St Trinian's, but it was her first-ever acting job.

It wasn't her last, and since then she's starred in several productions including Doctor Who, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus alongside her St Trinian's co-star Paloma, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Her modelling career has been extensive, and she's landed several huge campaigns for brands such as Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Hermes, Topshop, Rimmel and Tiffany & Co.

But it didn't get in the way of her academic career - she graduated from Cambridge in 2011 with a double first in History of Art.

She's created her own innovation company called Impossible.com, as well as part-owning a London bookshop and her own knitwear range.

In 2015, Lily welcomed her first child, a daughter named Wylde with her businessman boyfriend Kwame Ferreira.

Last month, it was reported she put her St Pancras Station clock tower two-bedroom flat for a whopping £4.6million.

Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker was relatively unknown when she played dopey receptionist Beverly in St Trinian's.

But now, she's globally famous as the 13th Doctor.

She was announced as taking over the held of Doctor Who in 2017, and made her debut in the closing scenes of the Christmas special when she regenerated from Peter Capaldi, who was shot by Cybermen.

The 39-year-old previously starred in TV thriller Broadchurch, medical drama Trust Me, and sci-fi film Attack the Block.

Last year, Jodie revealed she was stepping down as the Doctor after four years, with her final series set to air later in 2022.

And last night at the BRITs, she confirmed she was pregnant with her second child as she walked the red carpet with a baby bump.

Jodie has confirmed she has filmed her regeneration (BBC)

The actress and her actor husband Christian Contreras welcomed their first child - a girl - in 2015.

The two had met while in drama school, with Christian being known from Zero Dark Thirty and Fury.

She previously discussed her marriage with Mirror and said: "He’s from Tucson and I’m from Huddersfield.

"But I don’t divulge stuff about him, because I don’t think he’d appreciate it when he’s not here to speak for himself. We do get comments like, 'Where the hell did you two meet?' We’re like an international couple."

She added: "I felt really young when I got married at just 26, especially living and working somewhere as fast-paced as London - where you can’t even plan for the next week, let alone commit to something for the rest of your life.

"But I’m a good wife, though I think I’m a bit rubbish at home comforts."

Kathryn Drysdale (Taylor)

Kathryn Drysdale recently starred in Bridgerton (Blake Ezra via Getty Images)
She played Taylor in St Trinian's (Getty Images)

Kathryn played Taylor the 'chav' in St Trinian's.

The following year, she made her Royal Shakespeare Company debut in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Love's Labour's Lost.

She also played Louise in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Rhoda Schwartz in Vanity Fair and Keeley Burton in BBC soap Doctors.

In 2011, Kathryn played Natalie in the comedy series Benidorm, Simone in Death in Paradise, and she's a regular inspirational speaker at the London contemporary arts academy, Acting etc.

She played the seamstress in Bridgerton series 1 (LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX)

More recently, Bridgerton fans will have spotted the 40-year-old as Genevieve Delacroix, the seamstress who pretended to be French.

She was forced to defend the show's casting against vicious trolls, explaining: "I had a comment from someone saying, 'Why have they put these people in this drama?'

"He just really didn't believe that Black people would have existed in England at that time.

"There's been an erasure of their presence. But their existence in these stories, and in history, has been very, very much a real thing."

She also plays Meghan Markle in sitcom and Royal Family parody The Windsors.

Tamsin Egerton (Chelsea)

Tamsin Egerton is in a relationship with Josh Hartnett (LightRocket via Getty Images)
'Posh totty' Chelsea in St Trinian's (FilmMagic)

Tamsin played 'posh totty' Chelsea, having begun her acting career when she was just six years old.

Two years later, she starred in Chalet Girl with Felicity Jones, Ed Westwick, and Bill Nighy, before appearing in Noel Clarke's film 4, 3, 2, 1.

She's also known for playing Holly Goodfellow in 2005 film Keeping Mum, and Guinevere in 2011 television series Camelot.

Tamsin also played Sally in Love, Rosie, and Carla in Grimsby.

In 2012, she began dating Pearl Harbour star Josh Hartnett, and they have three children together aged six, four and two, having shunned stardom for a normal life in Surrey.

Lucy Punch (Verity)

Lucy Punch played Verity Thwaites (Getty Images)

Lucy played the notorious bully and Minister's daughter Verity Thwaites.

To some St Trinian's viewers, she was recognised as having played Hattie in Ella Enchanted, while she also portrayed Eve Draper in Hot Fuzz.

She played Eveline, the daughter of Alison Steadman's character in short-lived series Let Them Eat Cake which also starred French and Saunders, and Amy Squirrel in Cameron Diaz film Bad Teacher.

Known for usually playing ditzy villains, Lucy, who has a six-year-old son, recently starred in the comedy series Motherland as Amanda, leader of the 'alpha mums'.

The 43-year-old moved to the US because she was fed up with being typecast as "posh idiots" - though she admitted she instead appears to mostly play "posh b****es" now, finding kinder characters "boring".

Girls Aloud

The members of Girls Aloud (Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh, Sarah Harding, Nadine Coyle and Cheryl) all make cameo appearances as the members of St Trinian's school band in the film.

Since the film came out, the hugely successful and BRIT Award-winning girl band split and focused on their own projects.

Cheryl enjoyed success as a solo artist and talent judge, and welcomed a son named Bear with former One Direction star Liam Payne.

Nadine also went solo and appeared on I'm a Celebrity in 2019, while Kimberly became a huge West End star in shows including Shrek and Elf.

Sarah sadly died of cancer last year (ITV)

Nicola created her own beauty brand and won the first series of The Masked Singer in 2020 as Queen Bee, returning the following year as a judge.

Sarah went on to star in Celebrity Big Brother and briefly in Coronation Street. In August 2020, she revealed she'd been diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

Brave Sarah underwent gruelling treatment to beat the cancer, including a mastectomy and intensive chemotherapy, but the following March she confirmed it was terminal.

She died in September 2021 at the age of 39, sparking an outpouring of love from her fans and former bandmates.

Her mum broke the news on Instagram, writing: "It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away. Many of you will know of Sarah’s battle with cancer and that she fought so strongly from her diagnosis until her last day.

"She slipped away peacefully this morning. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind support over the past year. It meant the world to Sarah and it gave her great strength and comfort to know she was loved.

"I know she won’t want to be remembered for her fight against this terrible disease – she was a bright shining star and I hope that’s how she can be remembered instead."

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