Heartstopper is an LGBTQ+ young adult story about two teenagers, Charlie and Nick, who fall in love with each other at a high school, and their friends, Elle, Tao and Isaac. The protagonists, played by newcomer Joe Locke and actor Kit Connor (from Rocketman), are subjected to a wave of homophobic bullying by Nick’s alleged friends.
Check out the trailer for Heartstopper:
In Heartstopper, Elle (Yasmin Finney), a transgender teenager, has recently moved from the boys’ elementary school, where all her friends are, to the girls’ equivalent, after also suffering cruel teasing. Finney, who has gained a huge following on TikTok by posting about her experiences of being a young black transgender girl in the UK, struggled in school. According to the actress:
“I actually started TikTok when I was in my second high school after I moved from my first because I was bullied. What I’ve found is that the people who bullied me in high school aren’t doing much with their lives right now. And I’m really doing really well!”
Locke, who will be taking his exams in a few weeks, says he was “very lucky” with his school experience.
“My school is great and I’ve never been bullied. When you get to sixth grade, things really change because a lot of the people who would say things are no longer there, or people have grown up and realized that they don’t really care anymore, they can be themselves.”
But he recognizes that it’s not easy for everyone.
“In general, in high school, it is very difficult. Be different anyway. And if you don’t fit the norm of wearing sportswear and smoking vape, chances are you’re pulled into that and seen to be different. I think what’s beautiful about our show is that it celebrates those differences. You might think you’re the outsider, but in fact everyone except those few ‘norm-adjusted’ tiny people are the outsiders. And even they are probably just [ gosto] because they feel that’s what they have to do to fit in.”
“Double-edged sword”
Locke believes that social media is a “double-edged sword”:
“On the one hand, it’s a lot of interaction for our generation and a lot of socializing. On the other hand, it can be overwhelming. There are times when I just have to turn off my phone. It’s being aware of your limits. Netflix has been very good at helping us come to terms with what the next few weeks will look like.”
Writer Alice Oseman, who wrote the original web-published comic, also called Heartstopper, took time off from the networks due to “exhaustion and intense stress“.
Finney says: “It’s always about just knowing your limits. Alice is such a hard worker, and I’m glad they’re taking a break.“
She adds: “I think it’s really amazing to have a queer show aimed at a younger audience than, say, is a sin, and it’s a show that I think a lot of people would have liked when they were younger.”.
Trans visibility in Heartstopper
Finney is particularly pleased to see herself, a young transgender woman of color, reflected in a major new TV drama. A recent report found that LGBT representation on US TV, including on streaming platforms available in the UK, is on the rise, with nearly 12% of regular characters being LGBT. The numbers show an increase of 2.8% compared to last year. The data comes from a study by LGBT media advocacy group GLAAD.
Still, the study also found that there were deficiencies and missed opportunities to tell a wider range of stories about LGBT characters. Where We Are on TV’s analysis looked at the overall diversity of shows, including those on major streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Apple+ and Disney+.
“Acting has always been something I’ve wanted to do, but I haven’t really seen myself reflected in the media as a black trans woman, especially in the UK. [ou] I see myself well. But it was crazy how amazing the response was for Heartstopper and how needed… trans actors and actresses are in the industry. And I am very happy to be part of that world.”
The debate over authentic casting is still ongoing: should gay roles be played only by gay actors, for example? Finney thinks they should.
“It’s important… so that the LGBT community can sit at the table. It’s about representation. If you had trans people playing cis roles, you would, but now, and for years and years, we’ve had cis people play trans characters. Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for The Danish Girl and later apologized because he realized it was a bigger conversation. It’s more about inclusion.”
In fact, Redmayne did not apologize, but said he regretted taking on the role. “For so many years, especially trans people, we’ve kind of been made fun of through entertainment. Queer people, trans people – we exist for generations and millennials“, says Finney.
This article is a translation of the writing by Emma Saunders to the website BBC News.
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