Dev Patel Jokes Skins Is Like a 'Little Rash That Won't Go Away,' But Says the Cast 'Stays in Touch'

Dev Patel has a little bit of a love/hate relationship with one of his earliest roles.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the actor was asked about his time on the British teen drama Skins, in which he played Anwar from 2007 to 2008.

"Skins was like — oh boy, it’s kind of like the little rash that won’t go away," he joked before correcting himself.

"No, no, no. Look, man, it was amazing. You look at the guys that have come out of that — Nick Hoult, Kaya Scodelario — it’s really amazing," the 34-year-old added of his costars on the show, which aired from 2007 to 2013.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I didn’t have a clue what I was doing when I was plucked off of the street to be in that thing," he admitted.

Skins followed a group of teens in England, touching on similar tropes as U.S. teen dramas: drugs, sex, finding one's self and more. MTV attempted a U.S. version of the series in 2011, but it was canceled after one season.

Of the O.G. U.K. cast — which also included Daniel Kaluuya, Hannah Murray and Joe Dempsie — Patel shared, "We all stay in touch."

While it may not be his favorite era of his career, the Oscar nominee made it clear he's thankful for what the opportunity afforded him.

"Without it, there would be no me in Slumdog [Millionaire], without Danny Boyle’s daughter being a fan of Skins," he added of his 2008 breakout film role. "All of these things, even up until Monkey Man, they’re lily pads."