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

SKAM SEASON 2: NOORA + WILLIAM

SKAM became a mirror for a generation – and, for many, the first place where they truly felt seen. This year marks 10 years since the series premiered on NRK, and with that in mind, it feels both moving, nostalgic, and natural to look back – and more than appropriate to celebrate what must be said to be one of the most influential Norwegian series of all time.

BECAUSE SKAM WASN’T «JUST» A TV SERIES – it was contemporary history, conveyed 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 stretched far beyond classrooms and shared apartments.

In the second season, Noora (Josefine Frida) became a feminist icon for many. Her story tackled the complexity of love and the power dynamics within romantic relationships, especially in her encounter with the charismatic and at times manipulative William (Thomas Hayes). At the same time, space was made to discuss consent, sexual assault, body image, and mental health – all conveyed through Noora’s strong yet vulnerable perspective. She represented a new type of heroine in youth series: principled, smart, and independent, yet unafraid to feel deeply and show uncertainty.

Noora + William: The Romance That Made SKAM a Global Phenomenon 

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.

Thomas Hayes: – I was told this was a low-budget series with a very specific target audience, and I honestly wondered if I was about to become some sort of kids' TV character.

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.

Josefine Frida: – 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.

ELLE: Noora and William sparked an enormous response from the public — even then-Prime Minister Erna Solberg got impatient when William didn’t reply. What was it like to be you during that time?

Josefine Frida: – I felt there was an expectation from others for me to be Noora. Everything from people asking for advice because they thought I must have something wise to say — like Noora often does — to guys approaching me trying to provoke me, hoping I’d go into the «What happened to you, Wilhelm?» monologue. But I’m quite conflict-avoidant, so that felt very unnatural to me. Or what I was supposed to wear... It took me a few years before I started buying clothes after SKAM. There was this strange tension between my own identity and the character’s.

– People often ask me if it’s annoying to «always» be remembered or referred to as SKAM-Noora, but I understand it. I’m very private and haven’t shared much of myself, so I get that people associate me with the character — even though I’m not necessarily more like her than anyone else is. After all, I showed up to the audition with long brown hair, winged eyeliner, smoky eyes — and a different dialect! But I will say, I still put on red lipstick when I need a confidence boost.

To read the full interview, buy this month's edition of ELLE magazine.