Who could possibly know a character better than the author who gave them a form and identity? The creators of Heartstopper, the upcoming rom-com on Netflix, recognize this and take it into account. Hence, Alice Oseman was present during every scene of the filming of the show, giving the actors much deeper insights that have them understand the show and its characters better.

Here is an interview of actors Joe Locke and Kit Connor talking about the same:

How similar are Kit Connor and Joe Locke similar to the characters they play?

Upon the release of the trailer of Heartstopper, fans were astonished about how similar the actors look to the characters from the webcomic.

Despite this, fans know that visual appeal isn’t all there is to a show or movie. The webcomic radiated comfort and joy. It showed a queer couple just as they were- a simple queer couple- without making it political. Actor Kit Connor, who brings the role of Nick to life, commented on the representation of queer couples in modern-day media. He said “it’s getting better,” before continuing, “but there are never enough queer stories being shown on the screen.”

Diversity and other issues Heartstopper on Netflix addresses

Joe Locke added to Connor’s words, commenting about “diversity for the sake of diversity“. The actor mentioned how that doesn’t seem like a fair argument to him. The amount of talent and reality that becomes a part of a show from having a diverse cast and people from different walks of life adds “an element of truth to the story.”

Locke later continued to talk about his character, Charlie. The reason the character from the Netflix Original is bullied is not only because of his sexuality. But it is also because of the unreasonable norms of society that he has to put up with. He claims that Heartstopper “celebrates these differences instead of making them something of a weakness.”

Hence, Heartstopper is a commentary on our society and the unrealistic standards that young people in their formative years have to face because of them. We see these come alive through the lives of two young men, who the actors were able to portray as true to the source as possible only due to the presence of Alice Oseman on the set.

Heartstopper will be available for streaming on Netflix on April 22, 2022.