'It's a Sin' will never be forgotten!
It's a Sin followed a group of gay men and their friends between 1981 and 1991 in London. The series also explored the gay community as a whole as it dealt with the growing HIV/AIDS crisis.
The show centered on Olly Alexander as Ritchie Tozier. Along with four of his gay friends, Ritchie moves into a new flat that is nicknamed The Pink Palace. Episodes took place in 1981, 1983, 1986, 1988, and the grand finale in 1991 — showing how the group, and the larger community, was affected by HIV.
After it aired, It's a Sin became one the most nominated TV shows of the year. Notably, the series was widely recognized at the 2022 British Academy Television Awards with 11 nominations, including Best Mini-Series. Though it only had five episodes, It's a Sin has had a lasting impact on queer media.
Keep scrolling to discover what the cast of It's a Sin is up to now — and make sure to watch the show on Max.
Olly Alexander
Olly Alexander was nominated for a British Academy Television Award and Critics' Choice Television Award for his role in It's a Sin. Since the show, Alexander has appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race UK and subsequently launched his solo career as a musician after being in the Years & Years band for many years.
In 2024, he released his album Odyssey, and competed for the United Kingdom in the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest with his song "Dizzy." He finished in 18th place.
David Carlyle
Another BAFTA nominee was David Carlyle, who played Gregory Finch on It's a Sin. In 2024, Carlyle co-starred in the British series Dinosaur about a young autistic woman whose life is shaken when the sister that she lives with becomes engaged.
Nathaniel Curtis
While bringing to life the character of Ash Mukherjee on It's a Sin, Nathaniel Curtis won the Great British Bake Off Christmas Special, where he competed against his fellow It's a Sin cast members. Since then, he's performed on stage, starred as Brian in The Witcher: Blood Origin, and appeared as Sir Isaac Newton in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special "Wild Blue Yonder."
Shaun Dooley
50-year-old Shaun Dooley has had a long and successful career in film, television, and voice acting roles. Since the release of It's a Sin, he voiced characters in Elden Ring and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, appeared in the Black Mirror episode "Demon 79," and was in the movie Saltburn. Next up, he'll voice a character in the animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Omari Douglas
Omari Douglas was nominated for a British Academy Television Award for playing Roscoe Babatunde on It's a Sin. In the years that followed, Douglas appeared in the film Rye Lane and on TV shows like I Hate Suzie Too and Nolly. He's also a widely respected stage actor and recently starred in productions of Cabaret and A Little Life.
Callum Scott Howells
Welsh actor Callum Scott Howells was also nominated for a British Academy Television Award for playing Colin Morris-Jones — a character based on a real-life former boyfriend of the show's creator Russell T Davies. Howells also had noteworthy roles in live theater such as The Emcee in Cabaret and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet in recent years.
In 2024 alone, he starred in the three-part British series The Way and will be in the soccer movie The Beautiful Game. What we're really excited for are his upcoming projects, which include starring as Frankie Goes to Hollywood singer Holly Johnson in the biopic Relax, and starring as the flamboyant real-life 19th century aristocrat Henry Paget in the upcoming film Madfabulous.
Tracy-Ann Oberman
Tracy-Ann Oberman had a famous role on the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders before appearing in It's a Sin, and has continued to work steadily since. For instance, she's appeared in shows like The Walk-In, and The Witcher, as well as theater productions like Noises Off and The Merchant of Venice 1936, where she played the famous character Shylock.
Lydia West
Lydia West is another actor who was nominated for a BAFTA for her work on It's a Sin. In 2023, she co-starred alongside Priyanka Chopra-Jonas in the romance film Love Again, and has been in British shows like The Pentaverate, Inside Man, and Big Mood.
Keeley Hawes
Keeley Hawes has starred in films like To Olivia and Scoop since appearing in It's a Sin, and starred in shows like Stonehouse and Orphan Black: Echoes. Soon, she'll star in Miss Austen, an adaptation of the novel of the same name, as the title character.
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris was one of the biggest names to star on It's a Sin, having worked on hit TV shows like How I Met Your Mother and Doogie Howser, M.D., as well as Broadway roles like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and films like The Smurfs and Gone Girl.
Following It's a Sin, Harris played a villain in The Matrix Resurrections and starred in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent with Nicholas Cage and Pedro Pascal. Harris has also appeared and and executive produced the show Uncoupled, and played The Toymaker in Doctor Who.
Stephen Fry
Legendary British actor Stephen Fry played a closeted Conservative Party politician on It's a Sin. Since then, Fry has played King James III in the film version of Red, White, & Royal Blue and is set to star in Treasure opposite Lena Dunham.
On television, he's appeared in shows like The Dropout, The Sandman, and The Morning Show, as well as lending his voice to the show Heartstopper. He also became the new host of the British version of Jeopardy in 2024.