Emma Mackey is effortlessly cool. From her badass breakout role as Maeve in Netflix’s Sex Education to her thrown together yet chic style, just scrolling through her Instagram will make you want to pick her brains over a cocktail. 

But there is so much more to Mackey than that. She’s also dryly funny. Straight talking. Real. Unafraid to laugh at herself. And it’s for all these reasons (and many more), that when we got the chance to interview her, we couldn’t help but grill her for the advice she wishes she could pass onto her younger self.

From fashion mistakes to the importance of education, these are the life lessons Mackey has learned along the way. 

On health 

“Eat vegetables. I had a really sweet tooth, literally every day after school we’d have two pieces of brioche with jam dipped in hot chocolate. I don’t know what my arteries look like, but y’know, I’m still here!”

On relationships 

“To be honest, I wasn’t interested in boys. So, keep not being interested in guys for a while. Focus on your studies and your friends, and then when you feel like it, have a snog.”

On beauty

“Don’t do the zig-zag parting thing. Also, don’t get your hair bleached for a Netflix show because it burns off.”

On education

“Be thankful for your education, but also allow yourself to have fun. My mum and dad literally had to tell me to go and have a beer with my mates. When your mum and dad tell you to go out and have fun, that’s probably a sign that you should.”

On fashion 

“I think I’ve blocked out a lot of what I used to look like. Like, knee-length corduroy skirts. And I remember high-know, orange, faux Converse. Yeah, probably not the best item of clothing that I’ve ever owned. But it’s made me who I am today!”

Read our cover interview with Mackey (in which she dicusses her French upbringing and adjusting to sudden stardom) and watch the full video above. 

Images: Stylist / Instagram