Heartstopper, Netflix’s adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novel about The story of a pair of teenage boys who fall in love with each other at school quickly became word of mouth among streamers when it premiered in April. Its sweet storyline, whimsical animation dotted with hallway cuties and bewitching encounters has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. They saw this combination of “will they or won’t they” in popular rugby player Nick and quiet drummer Charlie, littering screens large and small over the decades with many (straight) romantic comedies.
DiscussHeartstopper without having to talk about its fascinating threads. Joe Rock and Kit Connor light up the screen as Charlie and Nick, respectively. Through furtive glances and furtive smiles, the cast captures a specific teenage longing that remains so rare in contemporary LGBTQ+ media. Indeed, Locke’s kinship with Charlie easily extends beyond the screen. As a young gay actor, he knew the show was more than just a job. “Heartstopper told me to be proud of who I am,” he shared, expressing the way many fans responded to him in turn. (Connor, following this interview, publicly came out as bisexual in October15.)
The cast, who is still dealing with the series’ huge success, told The Hollywood Reporter Why they are attracted to their characters, how they try to create effortless chemistry between two boys who sometimes struggle to put their feelings into words, and why this show is rightfully based on a classic Hollywood romance over movie tropes.
When was your first encounter with Alice Oseman’s book? Did you ever feel the kinship of Nick and Charlie instantly?
JOE LOCKE Yes, I think Charlie and I have a lot in common. He’s very… I would have said the word “smart,” but I don’t want to use that word to describe myself. (laughs. ) He’s very bookish – that’s the word. He’s a nerd, and I’m a nerd. He is very reserved. I saw myself in him immediately. But he also has a very cool, quiet confidence that I don’t think I have. I would never join the rugby team for the boys I like. Or tell someone I like them. He knew what he wanted and knew himself very well. I really admire his character.
Alice’s book is very minimal, with very little dialogue. These boys are reserved in the way they express themselves, especially when it comes to each other. How did you bring that into the series, which also made their dynamism dependent on warm, quiet flesh?
LOCKE Yeah . And I think there’s a whole page in the first season script Scenes without dialogue. It might be two seconds in the show, but it’s an entire crafted moment of feeling and thinking that Alice wrote for these characters. And, especially with Charlie as the character, the lines on the page… I just want to color the moment. But what’s really important is that you get to know the character, how they feel and what they think, so that even if the lines are deleted, the scene is still the same. I think this definitely applies to Nick and Charlie. They don’t talk much. I mean, they do say a lot.
CONNOR
You two clearly have a playful energy both on and off screen. How much work does this take?
CONNOR
LOCKE Chemistry is something you can’t fake. You can’t do that — you can’t study chemistry. It just exists or it doesn’t exist. I think that’s what happened. That’s why I think it’s great that they chose to do the first season sequentially. That means the awkward “hi” at the beginning of the series is as awkward between Kit and me as it is between Charlie and Nick. As the season went on, our relationship got better and better.
Kit, you had a particularly touching coming out scene opposite Olivia Colman, He plays your role mother. How helpful is it to have her as a live partner? The show clearly resonated with audiences around the world. Why do you think this love story can be embraced by a wide audience?
CONNORYeah I thinkHeartstopper One of the things it does in general is that so much queer media is overwhelmingly negative. Kind of dark and gritty. Being able to see queer people — whether they’re queer teens or queer adults — happy is a very powerful force. be able to express yourself. To be able to love without being judged. That’s beautiful. I think one of the most underrated things about Heartstopper, and one of the less mentioned things, is that Heartstopper, in many ways, follows the old classic Hollywood romance tropes. We have lots of little references and allusions to these. And, you know, the queer community never really got a classic Hollywood romance. So, it’s nice to have that kissing and then one-on-one chasing thing. For example, in episode eight, we kiss in the hallway after sports day. Our main direction was that it would be like a proper Hollywood romantic kiss, slow motion. Very romantic.
It speaks to the earnestness at the heart of the show, which also seems to be teaching gay viewers, especially themselves. Nick and Charlie throughout What did the process teach you?
CONNOR madeHeartstopper is a very important thing to me, in terms of my life and who I am. Surrounded by strong, confident queer people — I can’t tell you how powerful that is.
LOCKE
Interview edited for length and clarity.
This story first appeared in the November stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine,
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