Joe Locke, who stars in Netflix’s Heartstopper alongside Kit Connor, with the pair playing Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson respectively â two teenagers who fall in love in high school
Heartstopper star Joe Locke said people “need to learn their boundaries” after a stranger called his grandmother following the show’s success. The 19-year-old recalled how his family’s privacy was affected after the Netflix show was released.
He stars in the series alongside Kit Connor, with the pair playing Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson respectively â two teenagers who fall in love in high school. As well as featuring a strong representation of LBGTQ+ youth, Heartstopper also explores issues such as mental health, bullying and family conflict.
After rising to fame on the hit series, strangers took steps to find out where his family lives. He admitted he felt “weird guilt” about his friends and family being largely affected by his sudden success. Joe said his mother had to create new social media accounts because strangers messaged her or try to find her location and that some strangers even called his grandmother.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, he said: “There’s an idea that it’s part of the job to lose your privacy, that you lose your right to having privacy. That’s something I hope the next generation of people in the public eye can changeâ¦. I think people are understanding that privacy is non-negotiable.”