As one-half of Narlie, followers have puzzled how Heartstopper star Joe Locke’s homosexual expertise pertains to his character and what he’s mentioned about his sexuality since starring in Netflix‘s newest phenomenon.
Heartstopper, which premiered on Netflix on April 22, 2022, relies on Alice Oseman’s 2020 graphic novel
of the identical identify, which tells the love story of Charles “Charlie” Spring (Joe Locke), a shy homosexual pupil at Truham Grammar College who was just lately outed, and Nicholas “Nick” Nelson (Equipment Connor), a preferred rugby participant a yr older than Charlie, who sits subsequent to him at school one morning. The present, which has been seen greater than 24 million occasions since its premiere, follows Charlie and Nick’s relationship, from the beginning of their intimate friendship to Charlie’s crush on Nick and Nick’s struggles together with his personal sexuality and emotions for Charlie.
So how does Joe Locke’s homosexual expertise relate to Charlie and what has he mentioned about his personal sexuality? Learn on for Locke has mentioned about his personal popping out story and the “variations” between his teenage years and Charlie’s.
What has Joe Locke homosexual from Heartstopper?
He confirmed he was homosexual in an interview with The Unbiased in Could 2022, the place he opened up about how he felt “totally different” whereas rising up in Isle of Man in the UK due to his sexuality. “I used to be by no means bullied at school however I used to be slightly bit totally different and I went via phases of being a bit quieter than I’d have favored…” he mentioned. “Teenage years are actually laborious, I believe, and while you develop up, you overlook that being an adolescent is definitely actually a bit shit generally. While you’re that age, all that issues is college. It’s your complete life. And your complete life is what individuals take into consideration you and in the event you’re ever going to search out somebody who likes you. A part of me continues to be there, I’m nonetheless at college. College could be a fantastic place but it surely may also be a not so fantastic place in the event you don’t occur to slot in correctly.”
“I’ve been overtly homosexual since I used to be, like, 12,” he advised The New York Instances. He got here out publicly on his Instagram however retracted the assertion. “So I shortly deleted it and mentioned my Instagram had been hacked. I went again within the closet for 3 years. I retold all my mates they usually’re like, ‘Yeah, you advised us two years in the past.’”
Locke additionally emphasised how he felt totally different at school due to his sexuality in an interview with Angle journal. “I believe that with queer individuals there’s a common expertise of college that everybody kind of pertains to, however then there are variations,” he mentioned. “I by no means would say I used to be bullied. There was solely a handful of individuals I can consider who ever mentioned something unhealthy to me. Charlie actually struggles with that. I believe going to an all-boys college in all probability comes with its variations.” He continued, “I went to a co-ed state college, and I had extra mates who had been women than boys. I believe it might have been troublesome for Charlie, particularly in that state of affairs.”
Regardless of his expertise at school, Locke additionally advised The Unbiased about how acceptance towards the LGBTQ+ neighborhood, particularly amongst youthful generations, has modified since he first got here out. “Quite a bit has modified lately however there’s nonetheless a protracted solution to go,” he mentioned. “Distinction is seen as a nasty factor in loads of colleges and to different youngsters since you don’t slot in with a sure norm that’s seen to be acceptable. I do know from my very own expertise that that makes some issues a bit troublesome. I’d hope that as millennials are beginning to have kids and produce their kids up, that may begin to change issues. However I believe we’re on the tail finish of the technology earlier than, which wasn’t essentially as accepting. There have been positively individuals who mentioned issues to individuals in my yr who had been totally different. And a part of that’s as a result of, while you’re an adolescent, you don’t know your self, and a approach of masking that’s to assault different individuals. That will not change. However we are able to be taught methods of attempting to make it higher.”
As for a way he pertains to Heartstopper, Locke additionally advised The Unbiased about how he might see himself in a scene the place Nick takes a BuzzFeed quiz to find out if he’s homosexual. “The basic BuzzFeed ‘Are you homosexual?’ quiz was genuinely a preferred development at my college,” Locke mentioned. “It was like, in the event you obtained above a specific amount of factors, then perhaps you’re homosexual.” He additionally advised the positioning about how his “dream function” could be to play Disney’s first overtly homosexual prince to star in additional initiatives that “imply one thing.” “I might like to play the primary homosexual Disney prince,” he mentioned. “That might be a dream.”
In an interview with Behind the Blinds, Locke additionally opened up about how he noticed himself and his personal queer expertise in Charlie when he learn the Hearstopper comedian. “After I first heard concerning the audition, I learn the comics and I simply noticed a lot of myself in Charlie and a lot of what my college expertise was like,” he mentioned. “I actually wished to be part of the undertaking as a result of I felt like there are usually not many exhibits on the market that depict the positives of rising up as a queer individual – I simply thought it was so nice that there’s a narrative through which we are able to present youthful queer children that they deserve happiness.”
Locke additionally advised GQ about how he associated to the script of Heartstopper due to how uncommon it’s to see “unapologetic queer love” on display. “Charlie’s story is relatable for therefore many queer individuals. The second I learn the script, I noticed Charlie as a extra introverted model of me. After I learn it, I used to be like, ‘Oh my God, it’s me. That’s actually bizarre,’” he mentioned. “I like how the script talks about queer love, which lots of people nonetheless don’t write about. I like how unapologetic the queer love is in Heartstopper. The characters are by no means sorry about who they’re, they usually’re by no means ashamed to be themselves. It’s so empowering to see! The environment on set was at all times completely happy and upbeat, and simply actually excited to be making a queer story with nuance. It was such a supportive setting that shines via within the present.”
He additionally advised the journal about how he appreciates that Heartstopper tells the story of what it’s like after somebody comes out. “I actually relate to Charlie and his experiences rather a lot too,” he mentioned. “There are loads of tales about popping out, however there are usually not as many tales concerning the precise queer expertise post-coming out and the way simply since you’re out, doesn’t imply all the pieces is magically higher. Charlie’s expertise with settling for a love that isn’t essentially what he deserves is fairly common for queer individuals. I believe there are loads of queer individuals who simply settle for what they get as a result of they’ve advised themselves they don’t deserve higher. Heartstopper is so nice at being like, ‘Queer individuals deserve actual love. Queer individuals deserve a love that really is fulfilling.’ Heartstopper is an actual celebration of queer love.”
Locke additionally advised Angle that his message to queer children watching Heartstopper could be, “You possibly can have happiness and also you deserve happiness.” He additionally advised the journal about how he hopes Heartstopper will result in different exhibits about LGBTQ+ youth. “I believe it’s actually vital to push the concept regardless of who you might be, or what you establish as, or your sexuality, you’re allowed happiness,” he mentioned.
Heartstopper is obtainable to stream on Netflix.