Heartstopper stars on the new series: 'We tackled slightly more difficult topics this season'

Heartstopper will return to Netflix for a third season. Esther McCarthy spoke to Kit Connor and Joe Locke about their onscreen romance

Kit Connor and Joe Locke in Heartstopper, on Netflix. 

It’s the coming-of-age tale that proved to be a global smash, starting as a webcomic before becoming a publishing phenomenon.

When Heartstopper - the story of two teenage boys who gradually fall in love - was made into a Netflix series, it brought the funny and tender adventures of Nick and Charlie to our screens.

As series three is prepared to launch, its two young stars, Kit Connor and Joe Locke, say they are moved by how the show - which deals with first love, coming out, and mental health - has resonated with audiences.

“I think it's really great to be a part of a project that people actually care about,” says Locke, who plays Charlie. “As an actor, you want to create things that leave a lasting impression. So for me, especially having that as my first job, is a wonderful thing to be a part of something that is so full of joy and love.”

 It’s quite a success for newcomer Locke, for whom Heartstopper was his professional acting debut. Growing up on The Isle of Man, he harboured a love of acting but didn’t think it was something he could pursue as a career. That is, until a gut instinct prompted him to go for an open audition for the series. The busy young star has since been cast in the new series of Marvel show Agatha All Along.

“I always enjoyed acting. I spent any time I wasn't in school, in an acting lesson or doing amateur theatre. I'd always wanted to do it, but it wasn't something that I thought would happen. So I'd sort of given up on it as a dream, as a career,” says Locke.

“I didn't have an agent or anything. We did an open casting call so anyone could turn up and do a self tape and I did. Then I got a recall and another recall, and then [he and co-star Kit Connor] did a chemistry read, and then in person, and then I finally got the job.” 

The screen chemistry that’s become so popular with audiences was evident to casting agents early on.

“Even from the start, it was a big thing, unlike anything I'd done before in my life,” says Locke.

The young adult series centres on Charlie, who befriends school pal Nick. After being outed and bullied by some classmates, Charlie began season 1 determined to keep his head down. But when he meets Nick, a popular schoolmate who plays rugby, his crush is real.

The series - which also focuses on the trails, romances and growing pains of the boys’ circle of friends - opens in series 3 with Charlie and Nick preparing to take their romance to the next level. But like all great love stories, it’s complicated.

“We leave season 2 with Charlie and whether or not he sent Nick that ‘I love you’ text,” says Connor. “He hasn't sent it, and that's what's on his mind. He wants to tell Nick that he loves him. He's going through a lot at the same time - it's a very tumultuous time for Charlie.” 

Heartstopper: Kit Connor, Corrina Brown, Rhea Norwood, and Yasmin Finney in a scene from season 3. 

The show has been an instant hit for streaming giant Netflix since it first debuted, featuring in its most-watched English-language series within two days of release.

Heartstopper has been a phenomenal success in two formats. First published as a graphic novel in 2018, Alice Oseman’s storytelling has since become a bestselling series of books. It started life as a webcomic on Tumblr and Tapas, growing a huge online fanbase with over 124 million views. Encouraged by her growing audience, Oseman crowd-funded a print run, reaching her goal in two hours. She subsequently landed a publishing deal with Hachette Children’s Group.

Having now built a global TV audience, fans will be keen to see where Charlie and Nick’s romance goes following the cliffhanger ending of series 2. “I think they're at a point in their relationship where they are both keen to take the next step to a certain extent,” says Locke.

“It feels like Nick is only really starting to uncover some of the true depths of Charlie, and there are a few more tricky conversations and vulnerable moments that are needed before they can really take the next step in their relationship.” 

As well as a same-sex romance, the show tackles other growing pains and issues that impact on young people. Older Heartstopper fans have frequently said they’d have loved if such a show existed when they were schoolgoers.

It’s something the two lead actors hear often, and they feel a sense of responsibility to the subjects and issues they address. “We tackled slightly more nuanced and slightly more difficult topics this season,” says Connor of the forthcoming series. 

“Still, the heart of those characters remains the same, and we know them very well. What I'd like for this third series in particular, one of the big hopes that we have, is that people can come out of it and understand that two hands is better than one, and it's really important to go and ask for help and accept help, and you don't have to go through these things on your own. That's a really important message and something that everyone can benefit from.”

 The global profile of the series has helped both young actors solidify their careers. While Locke is now also on our screens in Agatha All Along, Connor is about to tread the boards for a New York run of another romantic classic.

“I'm doing Romeo and Juliet on Broadway, I'm going to be out in New York for a good while, about six months - it’s incredibly exciting. I've been itching to get back on stage for a good few years now, and I might have to shake off a little bit of rust, but I can't wait.” 

• Season 3 of Heartstopper is on Netflix from Thursday, October 3. The previous two seasons are available to watch now 

Five films to watch out for

Wolfs: George Clooney and Brad Pitt square off in a new action comedy on Apple (Friday, September 27). Clooney is a professional fixer tasked with cleaning up a crime - but when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up, they’re forced to work together.

Orson Welles in The Third Man.

The Third Man: Triskel in Cork brings the 1949 film noir classic, starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli and Orson Welles, back to the big screen for its 75th anniversary (September 29-October 2).

The Outrun: Saoirse Ronan is generating Oscar heat for her role as a woman fresh out of rehab who returns to the wilds of the Orkney Islands (cinemas from September 27).

Hellboy - The Crooked Man: Limerick actress Leah McNamara co-stars with Jack Kesy in the character’s latest actioner, set in 1950s Appalachia (cinemas September 27).

His Three Daughters: Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon and Natasha Lyonne deliver top-grade performances in this drama about siblings caring for their late-life father, now on Netflix.