It’s the end of the love story that has gripped us since Charlie dropped his books in front of Nick in class, and Nick said his first cheery, “Hi.” Heartstopper, the teen love story that has won over millions of Netflix viewers since its debut in 2022, is coming to an end – not with a final season, but a feature film called Heartstopper Forever. Creator Alice Oseman says she hopes the film will be seen as “a beautiful and emotional send-off for the Heartstopper story.” Fans certainly have high hopes. Aspiring and early career actors, meanwhile, may be wondering how the show’s lead cast members, including Kit Connor and Joe Locke, got cast.
Here’s a look back at the show, the new film, and everything we know about the casting process.
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Heartstopper is a sunny coming-of-age love story that follows the blossoming romance between schoolboys Charlie and Nick. Joe Locke’s Charlie is a sweet, neurotic openly gay student who crushes on Kit Connor’s popular rugby jock, Nick.
The show was created by Alice Oseman and is based on her 2016 web comic and graphic novel of the same name. In both mediums, Heartstopper’s light but heartfelt representation of LGBTQ+ issues won over a whole new legion of fans with its fresh and frank take on teen life.
In addition to love, friendship is crucial to the Heartstopper universe. Some of the show’s most moving scenes feature Charlie’s “found family” of Tao, Isaac, and Elle – with actors William Gao, Tobie Donovan, and Yasmin Finney each lauded for their performances.
“It’s such a breath of fresh air,” Finney told the Guardian. “Elle’s isn’t like any other trans story we’ve seen before, because it’s not focused on gender dysphoria or bullying. It’s something the little Yasmins can watch and think, ‘If Elle can do it, I can do it’.”
After three seasons, 24 episodes, and much critical acclaim, Oseman described the decision to end Nick and Charlie’s love story as “bittersweet,” but she admitted she felt it was time. But not before a final instalment.
Instead of wrapping things up with another season, Oseman opted for a stand-alone feature film: Heartstopper Forever, released on Netflix on 17 July. Directed by Wash Westmoreland, the film follows the couple as they face their biggest challenge yet: Nick is getting ready to leave for university, while Charlie stays at school. Can their love survive a longer distance? Oseman has described the film as an exploration of “time, memory, love, pain, endings, and beginnings.” She also promises there are hints as to what may happen in the characters’ adult futures!
The film sees the principal cast return for the boys’ big send-off, with one notable exception. Olivia Colman wasn’t available, so the role of Nick’s mum is played by fellow national treasure Anna Maxwell Martin instead. Oseman felt the character was too important to the final story to leave out, so she had to be recast. Another starry addition for the film is Derek Jacobi, who makes a cameo. He follows in the footsteps of Jonathan Bailey, who made a brief appearance in Season 3.
From the start, the Heartstopper franchise has been cast by top UK casting director Daniel Edwards. In an Instagram post, he said he began the search in March 2020 and watched over 10,000 performers on Zoom and self-tape for the initial roles.
In an interview with Spotlight, he revealed what he told Netflix his plan would be to find the correct actors: “I said if I got the job, I would cast wide. I would search the conventional route…but I would also use social media to reach the many hundreds of thousands of young, queer teenagers that may not have explored acting yet, and who would want to be part of this project.”
He stayed true to his word. Most of the young cast were new to acting, and found via call-outs on Instagram and X or by their own initiative responding to open casting calls. Finney was alerted to a call for a trans girl of colour by her own TikTok followers! Although unconventional, maybe growing your TikTok following and being vocal on the platform about the type of jobs you’re after could stand you in good stead.
Edwards agrees. “It would be madness to cast someone solely because they have a huge social media following,” he says, “but it’s also madness not to acknowledge that the next generation of exciting talent use social media as a platform to present their skills and work.”
Regardless of whether you lean heavily on your socials to find work, it’s worth ensuring that any public accounts you have are presentable. Remember to showcase your acting talent as well as your lifestyle.
Edwards takes CVs from unrepresented actors, so if you’re hoping to get cast in a future drama he’s in charge of finding talent for, take a look at his website for more information and also check out our advice on preparing your CV, sorting a killer monologue for your audition, and dealing with rejection (just in case!).
Locke and Connor’s routes to Heartstopper success were very different. Connor had an agent and was a successful child actor, while Locke had never acted, didn’t have representation, and replied to the open call only after being prompted by a family friend. With casting done during the Covid-19 lockdowns, their chemistry read was particularly unique. As Locke recalled in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “We were sat like 6 feet away with masks on, so it was an interesting way to meet!”
Connor was initially called in to read for Charlie, which was quickly switched to Nick after the first auditions. He was flexible and up for the change, which is a great bit of advice for all actors. Keep an open mind, adapt, and listen to the casting director since they’re usually on your side!
Connor’s hope for auditions? That more will be held in person again. “Zoom auditions are fun and self-tapes are all right; they’re incredibly useful for actors in terms of getting tapes out there,” he told Hero magazine. “But I do wish they’d bring back a little bit more of the in-person auditions, especially for up-and-coming actors. That’s a real way to develop a relationship between casting directors and filmmakers. I love being in a room and being able to try out a new script.”
Charlie and Nick’s story is set to draw to a close with the feature film, but there are plenty of other characters in the Heartstopper universe, so it’s perhaps too early to rule out a spin-off. The series launched the careers of Locke, Connor, and several other cast members, not to mention Oseman as its writer. It also shifted the dial on positive LGBTQ+ representation on film and TV, and will no doubt continue to influence coming-of-age stories for years to come.