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Remember when all of Norway waited for William to answer?

10 years since SKAM took us by surprise. And Noora and William? They still live in our hearts

ELLE: Noora and William sparked an enormous amount of engagement among people, even the prime minister at the time, Erna Solberg, became impatient when William wouldn’t reply. What was it like being you at that time?

JF: As an actor you want to know the character you're playing as well as possible, so that you can convey the story with credibility - and | learned a lot about that by playing Noora. But she also went through a lot of pain, was in a lot of conflict with herself, and faced big questions. It probably influenced me more than | understood at the time. Noora was very concerned with morality, was very strict with herself, and has a way of dealing with things that | recognize in myself. That made it difficult at times. Today I’m thankfully more experienced, and manage to “switch off’ the job in a different way. Now | know very well who Josefine is.

TH: It feels like a big bubble where everything went pretty fast. Who | was, what happened, what | did…

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Hayes and Frida talk about their first joint audition — a so-called chemistry test — where Frida recalls trying to get the conversation going by asking Hayes how old he was. When he told her he was younger than her (read: a whole six months), she patted him on the head in true Noora style and said she’d never hung out with anyone so young. "To be honest, we didn’t have the best chemistry at first. NRK sent us on a date and to an escape room together, where the first thing I did was spill my drink all over the table and onto Thomas. But as the spark between Noora and William grew, so did our own relationship — and we became good friends and colleagues."

via ELLE NORGE

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Noora and William: The iconic SKAM love story that defined a generation

Noora entered our lives to put everything from red lipstick, blonde bobs and feminism, to the Norwegian penal code on the agenda. She became an instant role model. But her inner compass is thrown off balance when she meets William, and their romance became something like oxygen to the Norwegian people. Romeo and Juliet, for our time.

And even though some of the show’s visual choices were compared more than once to Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of that same love story, it perhaps wasn’t obvious from the beginning that this would become such a major success.

via ELLE NORGE

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Josefine and Thomas behind the scenes for ELLE NORGE's covershoot

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SKAM was more than a TV series

It hit some very tender spots with its gentle strength and closeness to real life. The series also opened important doors for conversations around topics that historically have often been ignored or overlooked in popular culture. But perhaps the most moving aspect was how SKAM never underestimated its audience. The show trusted young people to understand, feel and reflect for themselves. And at a time when many young people feel pressured to be perfect, SKAM gave them the space to be human. For many, SKAM will therefore forever be more than a series. It was a lifeline. A friend. A feeling of not being alone.

10 YEARS OF SKAM via ELLE NORWAY

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What did SKAM mean?

Because SKAM wasn't “just” a TV series - it was contemporary history, communicated in the language of youth. It was a kind of snapshot of what it means to be young in Norway today and a “cultural movement” that extended far beyond classrooms and communities. The series was analyzed in newspapers, discussed in cafés and on social media, and most importantly: felt deeply in the hearts of young people all over the world. But it wasn't just young people who paid attention. On the contrary! Many adults also got carried away. SKAM thus united generations and provided insight into a youth life that many had previously only seen from the outside - or that some might have missed a little.

It wasn't just the format of the series that was new - with clips posted in real time and characters with their own Instagram profiles. It was the content, the honesty and the deep respect for the lives and struggles of young people that probably made the series so powerful. SKAM showed that contemporary culture can be just as important (and beautiful) as contemporary art - when made with love and a genuine desire to understand.

via ELLE NORWAY

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10 YEARS OF SKAM

When SKAM first hit the screens in 2015, no one quite knew what it would become. But it didn't take long for the series to become something far more than just “regular” entertainment. SKAM became a mirror for a generation - and, for many, the first place where they felt truly seen. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the show's premiere on NRK, and with that in mind, it's touching, nostalgic and natural to look back - and certainly appropriate to celebrate what is arguably one of the most influential Norwegian shows of all time.

via ELLE NORWAY

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“In the second season, Noora (Josefine Frida) became a feminist icon for many. Her story explored the complexities of love and the balance of power in romantic relationships, particularly in the face of the charismatic and sometimes manipulative William (Thomas Hayes). At the same time, there was room to talk about consent, abuse, pressure over body image and mental health - all conveyed through Noora's strong, but also vulnerable, perspective. She represented a new type of heroine in youth series: principled, smart and independent, but not afraid to feel and show insecurity.”

via ELLE NORWAY

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THE SKAM CAST AND THEIR 10 YEAR REUNION FOR ELLE NORWAY

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SKAM OG, 4.10 • 22.06.2016 ♡ wtFOCK, 2.07 • 07.06.2019

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THE LAST WE'VE SEEN OF WILLIAM AND SENNE TALKING ABOUT NOORA AND ZOË

SKAM OG, 4.10 • 22 JUNI, 2017 ♡ wtFOCK, 5.10 • 25 JUNI, 2021

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22.06.17 - TORSDAG, 14:07

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“She needs to be with her friends, and I need to be with her.”