From ‘Heartstopper’ to ‘Romeo,’ Kit Connor wants to show his range

LONDON — 

Kit Connor knows people see him as Nick Nelson.

Over the last three years, the 20-year-old British actor has become inextricably linked to his character on the Netflix series “Heartstopper,” a kind-hearted teenager with an almost inhuman capacity for happiness, vulnerability and generosity. But Connor himself is human, with highs and lows, as much as he good-naturedly embodies Nick for several months each year.

“I never thought taking the role of Nick would make me a role model for anyone,” Connor says, sitting casually at a coffee shop in his south London neighborhood. “And I don’t know if a 20-year-old should be asked to be a role model. Because 20-year-olds are meant to make mistakes and learn from them. It’s been an interesting thing to deal with.”

Connor, speaking in late August, looks almost unrecognizable with a short haircut. He recently chopped off his signature locks to shoot Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza’s forthcoming film “Warfare” alongside Charles Melton, Joseph Quinn and Cosmo Jarvis, which Connor calls an “extraordinary” experience. It was shot over the summer, after Connor spent last fall and winter shooting the third season of “Heartstopper.”

We’re sitting outside, on a relatively main road, and so far no one has glanced our way. But it’s not always like this for Connor, particularly since “Heartstopper” became a pop culture phenomenon.

“When I’m not working, I have quite a quiet life,” he says. “I enjoy sitting down in a coffee shop and reading, or sitting on my sofa and binge-watching a show, or going to the cinema.”

This quiet period, however, is short-lived. Only days later, Connor was set to fly to New York to begin rehearsals for his starring role in the new Broadway production of “Romeo + Juliet” from director Sam Gold. Previews for the play begin Thursday, but it has already been extended through February. The play’s run will coincide with the release of the third season of “Heartstopper” on Oct. 3.

The new episodes are more grown up, with an added level of complexity for Nick and his boyfriend Charlie (Joe Locke).

“Nick has been this perfect man,” Connor says. “He never steps a foot wrong. And that’s his role on the show, to be a guardian angel for Charlie. But you have to explore the adverse side of that and the pressure that puts on him, which leads to a slightly more interesting story for the character this year.”

Connor, who is from the outer London borough of Croydon, auditioned for “Heartstopper” when he was 16. He initially read for the part of Charlie, but it quickly became apparent that he might be a better fit for Nick Nelson, a character that debuted in “Heartstopper” creator Alice Oseman’s 2014 novel “Solitaire.” Oseman and the producers had seen a lot of older actors for Nick but were curious about what Connor could bring to the role.

“He’s a very sincere actor,” Oseman says. “You can really read all of his feelings just from his face. A lot of people played Nick as quite a macho, jock-type character, but he’s more gentle and vulnerable and emotional, and Kit caught that and really captured it. And obviously, he looks very similar to the comics, which was an added bonus.”

In the first season of “Heartstopper,” audiences got to know Nick as a love interest for Charlie, a shy, gay teenager struggling with bullies and his identity. As their relationship grew, Nick realized that he was bisexual — something he shared more openly in Season 2 as the two friends became boyfriends. In Season 3, the narrative becomes more creative and less linear, with time jumps between episodes and unconventional storytelling techniques. Charlie confronts his eating disorder, and Nick learns how to provide support thanks to his Aunt Diane (Hayley Atwell), a new character in the series.

“His role throughout a good portion of the show is: How can I be a better boyfriend? How can I be a better support system?” Connor says. “But then you start to question whether that is Nick’s only purpose on the show. And obviously, it’s not, which we start to realize this season. Nick has to think for himself and not be quite so reliant on his love for Charlie.”

Oseman says Nick tends to be protective and wants to help Charlie. “But this is one of those things that he just can’t fix all by himself, and he has to learn to accept that,” she says. “Once Nick and Charlie have got through this really dark time and he doesn’t have to help Charlie so much anymore, that makes him take a step back and realize, ‘I don’t know who I am outside of my relationship.’”

Though the season focuses on Charlie, Oseman says “there is a really big journey for Nick as well.”

Part of it involves Diane, a significant addition to the series this season. After Olivia Colman, who played Nick’s mother, Sarah, announced she wouldn’t return for Season 3, some scenes from the graphic novel had to be reimagined for the series, like a poignant moment where Sarah gives Nick advice on how to support Charlie — Diane is now in her place. Connor says it was a “dark day” when the cast learned that Colman’s schedule couldn’t accommodate shooting “Heartstopper.”

“But there was an immediate thing of, ‘We need to get someone who can tackle these big moments that Olivia and her character would have had in the season,’” he says. “They found Hayley Atwell, who was a joy to work with and really stepped in with an incredible amount of grace and talent and skill.”

Another addition: Connor’s chest. Season 3 features the actor shirtless several times, particularly as Charlie and Nick begin to get more intimate in the bedroom. Connor said he did his best to embrace the discomfort of taking his top off throughout the episodes, and exposing his chest required him to wax every two weeks.

“It was pretty intense, but I had to do it to play a 17-year-old,” he says. “There are aspects of this season that are leaning into the more mature side of the story, and it needed to feel real. What’s beautiful about ‘Heartstopper’ is it’s a really simple, innocent love. But by Season 3, it felt time to start taking the next step and exploring these topics [of sex] that are a huge thing for young people to explore.”

In many ways, Connor has also come of age on “Heartstopper.” Although he’d been acting for years — he debuted in an Xbox Christmas commercial at age 7 and appeared in the Christmas movie “Get Santa” soon after — he says his career was interrupted because he “suddenly stopped being cute.”

He had a “really awkward” phase, which is why he pursued voice-over work, like his role as Pantalaimon in HBO’s “His Dark Materials.” He couldn’t say no to playing a teenage Elton John in 2019’s “Rocketman,” but it was playing Nick that really helped Connor find his confidence.

“From the start, he was very much a leader for the cast,” Oseman says. “I think a lot of the other young actors looked up to him in that respect, and he helped to guide them through what must have been a very overwhelming and confusing and scary experience. And he’s always remained a very professional, sensible sort of person.”

The overwhelming success of the series came almost overnight when it premiered in spring 2022. Although Oseman’s comics already had a dedicated following, the viewership was staggering, with the show landing on Netflix’s Top 10 list in 54 countries. The reaction took Connor by surprise, mostly because it felt like such a “small” show while making it.

“None of us were trying to get famous or make money or do anything like that,” he says. “It was just like, ‘This is a really beautiful story, and I would really like to be a part of it.’”

The series has been hailed for its positive portrayal of queer youth and its optimistic tone, which stands in contrast to other recent teen dramas. “It’s very special to be a part of something that has had a genuine effect on people, and especially my own generation,” Connor says.

Being known for “Heartstopper” has had its ups and downs. There’s pressure that comes from being on a popular series and there’s scrutiny too. Shortly after the first season premiered, Connor felt forced to come out as bisexual on Twitter because of fans’ aggressive speculation. He’s gracefully moved on — “obviously, I regret that it happened,” he says — but he still contends with invasions of his privacy. Occasionally, a fan will follow him down the street.

Despite that, the bad is worth the good. Connor is on a show that genuinely helps young people, and he’s expanded his career in exciting ways. Another project, DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot,” will be in theaters Friday.

In the emotionally evocative film based on Peter Brown’s books, Lupita Nyong’o voices a robot named Roz who raises an orphaned goose named Brightbill, voiced by Connor. He was drawn to the project because it was “such a beautiful story,” but embodying the earnest Brightbill felt especially poignant.

“Although I would not necessarily say I was the runt of the litter, I would say that I did at times feel out of place growing up,” Connor says. “That is a really hard thing to feel, and it is a feeling that a lot of people have, so I think that’s something that everybody can see in Brightbill.”

And then “Romeo + Juliet” sees Connor as Romeo opposite Rachel Zegler’s Juliet. The production reimagines the classic play in a modern setting and features music by singer-songwriter and superproducer Jack Antonoff. Connor says the cast is “pushing the limits” of the space in the theater and trying to make it as “exciting as possible.” And after spending several weeks rehearsing with Connor, Zegler is certain “there’s never been a Romeo like Kit.”

“Kit is so grounded in himself for how young he is, and that is something that, when brought to this play, really brings the characters to life,” Zegler says. “It’s so exciting to witness a star like Kit be so certain in his choices and have them all be so strong and have them make so much sense. He is an excellent collaborator in a scene.”

Plus, she says: “He’s obviously a fantastic romantic lead, as the world has seen in ‘Heartstopper,’ and he’s charming and handsome and dashing and lovely, and that makes him a wonderful Romeo.”

For Connor, the convergence of these projects helps to show that he isn’t just Nick Nelson. Or Brightbill. Or Romeo. Or any other role he’s played. Instead, he’s an actor exploring all the possibilities he can get his hands on.

“I certainly hope that when people see my performance in ‘Romeo + Juliet,’ they feel they can see another layer of my work,” Connor says. “That’s really important to me. Every job I take at the moment is with the intention of trying to prove that I can do different things and [that] I’m not limited to any one thing in particular.”