Kaya Scodelario was born on February 13, 1992, in London, England. Right away, there was something different about her. Although she had a British upbringing, Kaya Scodelario had Brazilian roots and she spent time learning Portuguese until she was fluent in the language. At the age of 14, Kaya Scodelario decided to pursue acting and she auditioned for Skins, the debut series for new channel E4. Amazingly, Kaya Scodelario won the role of Effy despite the fact that she had no other acting experience to speak of. Maybe it was a stroke of luck or a glimpse of raw natural talent, but either way, Kaya Scodelario was pleased to have the opportunity and joined the show in January 1997.