Heartstopper stars Kit Connor and Joe Locke are defending the beloved Netflix franchise’s queer sex scenes, arguing they are an integral part of the story.
“It’s a line that you have to walk: ‘How far are we going to take this?’” Connor, 22, told The Guardian in a Friday, July 10, profile ahead of the Heartstopper Forever premiere. “But at the end of the day, it did feel like these two guys are really attracted to each other at the age where they probably would have been doing it.”
Connor and Locke, 22, star as Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring, respectively, in Netflix’s Heartstopper. The YA coming-of-age romance, adapted from Alice Oseman’s graphic novels, aired three seasons on the streaming giant from 2022 to 2024. The entire cast recently reunited in Heartstopper Forever, a feature-length follow-up film set years later.
Considering Nick and Charlie’s maturity in Heartstopper Forever, the actors believe it “would be weird” to exclude sex scenes.
“It would be weird if we hadn’t shown it. Just because our show is a more earnest version of a queer representation doesn’t mean that sex [shouldn’t be shown],” Locke stated to The Guardian. “It’s still a big thing for anyone in the world. I don’t think Heartstopper is ever trying to say anything bad about casual sex. It’s just nice to see two boys in love.”
Locke and Connor also coproduced the film, which will serve as the franchise’s conclusion.
“The Heartstopper audience has been loyal throughout. I didn’t feel like season 3 had any less of an impact,” Locke said, denying speculation the show ended due to waning fan enthusiasm. “[Today’s political climate] makes it more important. What’s great is that Netflix is everywhere, so even in these countries where you can’t be so openly queer, Heartstopper is still on Netflix and people still have access to it.”
Since its inception, Heartstopper has spotlighted queer representation across the spectrum. Nick is openly bisexual, Tobie Donovan’s Isaac Henderson identifies as asexual and aromantic and Yasmin Finney plays Elle Argent, a transgender Black girl.
“Heartstopper is a form of escapism for queer people,” Finney, 22, told the British newspaper. “It’s not about, ‘Look what’s happening in the world, feel sorry for us.’ It’s more, ‘This is what queerness can be and it’s beautiful and it transforms in many different ways.’ I think it’s just as important to have realism as it is to have escapism because we’re still living in an epidemic where trans people are constantly being ridiculed. Every day I try to just focus on the present and stay positive.”
Heartstopper Forever premieres Friday, July 17, on Netflix.
