Teenager with Darwin link stars in Narnia films
ON SCREEN he’s the bad-boy traitor who sold out his siblings to the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.In real life, Highbury schoolboy Skandar Keynes is a teenage Hollywood hearthrob and all-round over-achiever who counts Charles Darwin, economist John Maynard Keynes, politician Tony Benn and King Edward I among his ancestors.
Seventeen-year-old Skandar brought a touch of adventure to William Tyndale School in Islington on Wednesday when he presented a treasure chest to help children emulate some of his great-great-great grandfather Charles Darwin’s simpler experiments. Skandar, a former pupil of Thornhill Primary School in Barnsbury who now attends City of London School, is studying sciences at A-level. Speaking exclusively to the Tribune, he said: “I’m doing biology, chemistry, maths, further maths and history. When I was choosing I thought I enjoy sciences. They’re not something I can pick up on in the future like English literature.”
He is determined that filming – work on a third Narnia film starts in Australia in July – will not distract him from his studies. “It’s not too hard to focus on work,” he said. The visit to William Tyndale was arranged to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth. He said: “My dad asked if I wanted to do this. I know a little about Darwin. I believe in everything he said. It wasn’t really stressed on me but I’ve been aware of it.”The treasure chest, provided under a joint project between the Wellcome Trust and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, contains stickers, a plant press, a mini-seed bank and other resources to help children take part in Kew’s Great Plant Hunt. William Tyndale is the only school in Islington to receive a treasure chest.
Headteacher Tanya Watson said: “The children absolutely loved it. For them it was a terrific chance to have a well-known child actor and direct descendant of Darwin visit. “Anything that makes science a more creative experience for children has got to be good. It’s about opening children’s minds even more, keeping awareness of the world around them and not just seeing science as a Key Stage 2 Sats paper.” Angela McFarlane, from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “The project celebrates Darwin the scientist and shows children that, although he was a genius, the way he did science used simple techniques, looking carefully at what’s around him. “They can go out and do some of the things Darwin did. They can send the information they find to Kew. We’re going to be making the world’s largest collection of daisy seeds which our scientists at Kew will be experimenting on.”
oh skandar,
i’d sit through a whole science class just for you.
great! he loves biology too. jsut like me xDD
awwwwww the pic isn’t in HQ… i can’t see his face. 
but his hair looks longer than the last time… LOL
I admire this man, he’s my hero.
One day I really wont to know him.
He’s special ^O^
if it did not exist it would have to create him.
Thanks so much.:)
YEAH SKANDAR!!!! lol You are so great! This gives me a reason to love you even more!!!:D
Wow! His hair is much longer! Great update too!
I love him. really.. he’s the one
tan inteligente , es sorprendente!!
amazing!
He finally grew out his hair! He looks better with long hair.
Great update!! I didn’t know that his great great grandfather was Darwin!!!!
Hello.
Nice to meet you.
My neme is Ai.
I’m sixteen years old.
I’m from Japan and I’m living in Japan.
I studying English in my school.
I can’t speak English very well.
But I want to speak English very well…
You can’t understand my English,can you?
I studied English Because I want to talk with you in English.
By the way,
I love you.
You appears on Narnia.
I watched it.
i thought you are wonderful boy.
I want to get mail from you.
Good bye.
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I LOVE U SKANDAR!!!!!
I LIKE MR. DARWIN, AND I AM VERY LIKE BIOLOGY TOO!!!!
SO SWEET!!!
he isnt attending to city of london school for boys anymore for your information. and yeah he was very good at physics and biology aspecially.
I can’t understand English.
I can understand a little English.
I’m very sad.
I want to be able to understand English!!
I have to study English.
Because I want to speak English very well.
I love English.
I want to go to london.
I have never been to london.
I have lived in Japan since I’m born.
I want to meet Skandar.
I wish for meet Skandar…
I LIKE SCIENCE TOO!!
mr. charless darwin, or mr. J.M keynes are great.
i like economy, biology, math, chemistry and physica too.
SKANDAR you are great. VERY MULTY TALENTED !! and of course have GREAT FAMILY !!
you are handsome, you are SMART, and WHOLE GIRL like you its ABSOLUTELY PERFECT right??
i hope i can meet you someday!!
awsome update…. wat makes it more awsome is that it was put on skandar.net on my birthday! lol the 20th….soo cool. skandar is a great guy… and i had no idea he was into his studies soo much… and i pretty much know all there is to no about skandar….lol
> lovin skandar <
I never could thought that Skandar KEYNS likes biology and some other subjects…..something isn’t clear here….:)
if he would like to be a doctor, i have no more words to say….:::)))
u rocks.
I’m sena
I from turkey
I’m sixteen years old
AND
I LOVE YOU SKANDAR
I want to come in adana SKANDAR KEYNES
I LOVE SKANDAR
I W?LL ALWAYS LOVE SKANDAR
I LOVE FROVER SKANDAR
SENA<3SKANDAR
Hi, Did someone say he doesn’t go to the city of london school anymore?
what’s that about?
Skandar Keynes is amazing! He is absolutely amazing! I thought he was just another pretty face, but he’s actually a genius! I can’t believe how amazing he is! Happy his hair grew out, too.
skandar your the greatest actor ever and i wanna be your friend lots of love bye xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
hello, skandar I like this site because is very very interesting and because I love you, so congratulations for the new aspect or your page.
