Heartstopper’s Kit Connor & Joe Locke Open Up About Their Sexuality & Feeling Nervous in the Spotlight

Kit Connor and Joe Locke are opening up about their lives.

The stars of Netflix’s coming-of-age series, Heartstopper spoke to Teen Vogue about fame, sexuality, and having confidence in their hit show’s second season. (Interviews for the cover story were completed prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.)

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Find out what they had to say…

Kit Connor, on feeling nervous in the spotlight:

“I’m still awful at it. It still gives me anxiety. It still scares me. I think it always will. Sometimes you meet these people that you respect and admire massively, and it’s impossible not to have imposter syndrome. I hope this thing that I said, that probably no one even cares about, didn’t upset this person or didn’t make this person think that I was stupid.”

Kit Connor, on the show’s importance and how it’s setting a positive example for navigating identity:

“There were definitely points where I was doing season 2 and saying certain lines, and thought, ‘This is good, this is how it should be.’ This is the message that we want to be sending. The show that we’re doing is really setting blueprints for people to know how to treat these delicate situations, and how to make people feel safe and comfortable.”

Joe Locke, on being proud of Kit Connor and the importance of privacy:

“We were all very proud of him, and we’re proud of him controlling the narrative… I’m very proud of him for doing his own thing and doing what was right for him. There’s an idea that it’s part of the job that you lose your privacy, and you lose your right to having privacy. That’s something that I hope that the next generation of people in the public eye can change… I think that people are understanding that privacy is a non-negotiable.”

Joe Locke, on the public assuming his sexuality:

“People have assumed and written it, and I haven’t ever corrected anyone because I haven’t felt the need to. But I’ve never specifically stated my sexuality. I have been openly gay since I was like, 12.”

Joe Locke, on feeling guilty of his fame, how it affects his family, and the importance of setting boundaries:

“It’s a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are being affected by choices in my life. It’s a mutual thing. I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn their boundaries. Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that.”

Joe Locke, on feeling proud of themselves and wanting to make others happy:

“I hope that I make the people around me happy, and that I’m not a drain on them. I’m very proud of the things that I’ve done and I hope that I can continue doing them for years. But I think I could be equally as happy as long as I’m happy in myself and with my family and my friends and the people I love.”

Find out what critics are saying about Heartstopper Season 2.