6 fun facts about Heartstopper star Joe Locke (that you may not know)

Many of us have already sped through the complete first season of Heartstopper and are lost on what to do next. Well, you have two options. You can either search through Netflix’s endless catalog of teen series for another charming show to watch or you can get to know the Heartstopper cast better. If you’ve picked the second option, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find all the juicy deets about leading star Joe Locke!

Joe Locke portrays the overthinker and sensitive Charlie Spring. He meets Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) in school, and they quickly become friends. But once their friendship starts blossoming into something more, Charlie is left wondering if he has a chance with the rugby-loving teen.

The casting for Charlie was perfect. Joe really took on the role and brought life to the already amazing character created by Alice Oseman. If you enjoyed Joe’s performance in Heartstopper, then you absolutely must know more about him.

Here are six fun facts about the Heartstopper star that might surprise you!

What was Joe Locke’s TV debut?

Believe it or not, Joe made his television debut in Heartstopper. This is his first big role to date. But after his excellent performance in the teen series, we’ll definitely be seeing more of this rising star on our screens in the future.

Who is Joe Locke dating?

It looks like Joe is single. As much as we’d like to see Joe and Kit in a relationship because of their strong chemistry in Heartstopper, that’s just not the case. There were even rumors Joe was dating his other co-star Sebastian Croft (Ben Hope), but that’s not true either. It appears that Joe likes to keep his personal life out of the public eye. So if he was currently dating someone, the world might never know.

Joe Locke is signed to a well-known talent agency

Remember when we said we’ll be seeing more of Joe in the future? It’s true. Joe is signed to Markham Froggatt & Irwin, a talent agency home to many popular actors. Some of the clients include Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothy Hutton, Theo James, Ruth Negga, and Lily-Rose Depp.

Joe Locke got the role of Charlie through an open audition

Joe spoke with Behind the Blinds and talked about his auditioning experience. He was chosen out of 10,000 teens to be cast in the role of Charlie Spring. He said, ” When I first heard about the audition, I read the comics and I just saw so much of myself in Charlie and so much of what my school experience was like. I really wanted to be a part of the project because I felt like there are not many shows out there that depict the positives of growing up as a queer person – I just thought it was so great that there’s a story in which we can show younger queer kids that they deserve happiness.”

How did Joe Locke realize he wanted to pursue acting?

Joe was six years old when he became interested in acting. It started with him auditioning for roles in his local theatre. Then, he began attending acting classes and auditioning for more amateur productions. However, he only saw acting as a hobby because most people from where he’s from never pursued acting as an actual career. He told Behind the Blinds that he’s fortunate enough that Alice Oseman and the producers saw something in him and cast him as Charlie.

Joe Locke has theater experience

Before starring as Charlie Spring in Heartstopper, Joe took part in the National Theatre Connections in 2020. He also participated in productions with the Kensington Art Centre’s youth group and at the Gaiety Theatre.

Were you surprised by any of these fun facts about Joe Locke? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!