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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Liam Gilliver

Heartstopper Netflix cast - from rising star student to Elton John actor

Heartstopper launched on Netflix last month, and continues to dominate charts around the world.

The eight-episode series follows the friendship of school kids Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson, who end up forming an unlikely romance. It has received a tonne of praise from the LGBTQ+ community for its positive portrayal of same-sex love, as well as tackling issues such as homophobia, transphobia and bullying.

Fans of the coming-of-age show were quick to spot Oscar winning actress Olivia Colman, who made a brief cameo as Nick's supportive mother. But Colman wasn't the only A-lister to have joined the cast. Comedian Stephen Fry subtly appears on the show in the form of the headteacher's tannoid announcements - though his face is never shown.

Oscar winning actor Olivia Colman made a brief cameo in the show as Nick Nelson's mum (NETFLIX)

Heartstopper Netflix cast

Joe Locke, who plays the show's protagonist, has become an online sensation overnight but before Heartstopper h had no acting experience.

Speaking about the audition process on This Morning, the 18 year old said: "I had not done any professional acting before, so they did an open casting call... I think 10,000 people auditioned and you didn't need an agent, you just sent in a self-tape.

"I thought, even if I don’t get it, that’s quite cool. [But] then I got another recall and I was like 'Oh, what if this actually happens?'. I ended up getting the part and it was just, all my dreams came true."

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Locke's on-screen boyfriend Nick Nelson, is played by British actor Kit Connor, who bagged his first film role aged eight in the lead role of Get Santa. But, most people will recognise the star for playing a young Elton John in the singer's biopic Rocketman.

BAFTA-nominated actor Sebastian Croft plays the show's antagonist Ben Hope. You'll probably recognise him from Game of Thrones, or even the Horrible Histories film!

Tobie Donovan, Yasmin Finney, Cormac Hyde-Corrin, Rhea Norwood and William Gao all made their acting debut with Heartstopper.

Did you love the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below

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