Joe Locke is a name you’re going to want to remember. The 18-year-old actor is making a splash in the Netflix coming-of-age series Heartstopper, which premieres on April 22. The show is based on Alice Oseman’s hit webcomic Heartstopper.
So, who is Joe Locke? He’s about to burst onto the Hollywood scene in a major way. HollywoodLife has rounded up 5 key things to know about Joe, including where he’s from and how he got his Heartstopper role.
1. Joe is one of the stars of ‘Heartstopper.’
Joe plays Charlie Spring in Heartstopper. He co-stars alongside Kit Connor, who plays Nick Nelson. Charlie and Nick go to secondary school together, and their friendship begins to blossom into a romance over the course of the film. Charlie is openly gay but was previously bullied by some of his peers.
2. ‘Heartstopper’ is Joe’s first onscreen role.
The Netflix series is Joe’s TV debut. He got the role through an open audition. “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,” he told Behind the Blinds. “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.”
3. Joe is from the Isle of Man.
Joe hails from the Isle of Man, which is a small island in the Irish Sea off the coast of England. The island is not part of the United Kingdom. It’s a self-governing British Crown dependency.
4. Joe admires his character’s ‘quiet confidence.’
“I’m a more extroverted person than Charlie, but he’s definitely more confident than me. I would have never joined a rugby team for someone I had a crush on or had the guts to ask someone if they liked me or if they wanted to kiss me!” he told Behind the Blinds.
5. Joe is on social media.
Joe has both Instagram and Twitter accounts. He has over 179,000 followers on Instagram. Joe has over 35,000 followers on Twitter.