43 Fun Facts About Heartstopper

Who created Heartstopper?

Alice Oseman created Heartstopper, drawing the original comic herself and writing every episode of the television adaptation.

What are the two leads called?

Nick Nelson and Charlie Spring are the leads; Kit Connor plays Nick and Joe Locke plays Charlie in the television series.

Where do Nick and Charlie meet, in the story?

They meet at Truham Grammar, the boys' school, when Charlie is put into Nick's form group; their friends Tara and Darcy attend the nearby girls' school.

In which English county is that fictional school set?

The seaside scenes were filmed at Herne Bay in the same county.

Where did the story first appear, in 2016?

Heartstopper began as a webcomic in September 2016, posted on Tumblr and Tapas, before any print edition existed.

How was the first print volume funded?

The target was reached within two hours of the campaign launching in June 2018.

How quickly did that crowdfunding target get met?

A publisher picked up the physical rights a few months later.

Which publisher took on the print editions?

Hachette Children's Group acquired the rights in 2018 and published volume one under its Hodder Children's Books imprint in February 2019.

In which earlier novel did Nick and Charlie first appear?

Solitaire, Oseman's 2014 debut novel, includes Nick and Charlie as side characters; she has said she fell in love with the couple while writing it.

Who is the protagonist of the 2014 novel where Nick and Charlie first appeared?

Tori Spring, Charlie's older sister, narrates Solitaire; she also appears throughout the Heartstopper comic and is played by Jenny Walser on screen.

On which additional platform did the webcomic appear from August 2019?

Heartstopper was added to Webtoon in August 2019, after three years on Tumblr and Tapas, bringing it to a much larger comics audience.

Which actor plays Charlie's best friend Tao Xu in the series?

William Gao plays Tao Xu; away from the show he is half of the musical duo Wasia Project with his sister Olivia Hardy.

Which actor plays Nick's older brother, David?

Jack Barton plays David, Nick's older brother, who first appears in series two and mocks Nick's relationship with Charlie.

Which streaming service made the television adaptation?

Netflix commissioned the series and streams it worldwide; the first run entered the service's global top ten within days of release.

Which company produced the series?

See-Saw Films, the company behind The King's Speech, optioned the comic in 2019 and produced all three series.

How many episodes are in each television series?

Each of the three series has eight episodes, twenty-four in all, every one of them written by Alice Oseman.

Who directed the first two series?

Euros Lyn, a Welsh director known for Doctor Who and Sherlock, directed all sixteen episodes of the first two series.

When did the first series premiere?

The first series premiered on 22 April 2022 and entered Netflix's global top ten within its first week.

How does the screen adaptation conclude?

The screen story concludes with a feature-length film, announced by Netflix in April 2025, adapting the final volume of the comic.

What is the feature-length film that concludes the screen adaptation called?

Heartstopper Forever is the finale film, adapting the sixth and final volume of the graphic novel, with Oseman writing the script.

What had the author wanted before that decision?

She said she wanted to tell the end of the story on television.

Which award did the series win for Outstanding Young Teen Series?

Heartstopper won Outstanding Young Teen Series at the first Children's and Family Emmy Awards in December 2022, the year the category was created.

Which advocacy organisation gave the series awards for kids and family programming?

GLAAD honoured Heartstopper with its Media Award for Outstanding Kids and Family Programming, beginning with the first series in 2023.

Which character is aromantic and asexual?

Isaac Henderson realises in series two that he is aromantic and asexual, a storyline drawn from Oseman's own identity.

Which character is a transgender girl who transfers to the girls' school?

Yasmin Finney plays her, and her relationship with Tao develops across the series.

Which conditions does Charlie receive treatment for in later storylines?

Charlie is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and OCD and spends time in an inpatient unit in series three, a storyline taken from volume four of the comic.

How were several principal roles cast?

The production said it prioritised authentic casting for the ensemble.

What was notable about Joe Locke's casting?

He came through the open casting process announced in April 2021.

Where were the school scenes filmed?

The birthday party was filmed at Hampton Court House in Richmond upon Thames.

Where was the seaside finale of the first series filmed?

The beach scenes in the first series finale were filmed at Herne Bay on the north Kent coast, near Whitstable.

Which London facility did the production work from?

The production was based at Twickenham Studios in south-west London, one of Britain's oldest film studios, opened in 1913.

Which grand property hosted Harry Greene's birthday party scenes?

Harry's party was filmed at Hampton Court House, an 18th-century mansion beside Hampton Court Palace that now operates as a school.

When did production on the second series wrap?

Filming on series two began in September 2022 and wrapped in December 2022, ahead of the August 2023 release.

Which actress joined the cast for the second series after a nationwide casting call?

Leila Khan, found through a nationwide casting call, joined as Sahar Zahid, a Higgs pupil and guitarist who befriends the group.

Which actress plays Tara Jones in the series?

Corinna Brown plays Tara Jones, the Higgs pupil who dates Darcy Olsson and goes public with the relationship in series one.

Which Oscar-winning actress plays Nick's mother?

Olivia Colman, Best Actress Oscar winner for The Favourite, plays Nick's mother Sarah; her casting was kept secret until the first trailer.

Which Bridgerton star joined the third series as the author Jack Maddox?

Jonathan Bailey plays the author Jack Maddox; the same April 2024 casting announcement added Hayley Atwell as Nick's aunt Diane and Eddie Marsan as therapist Geoff.

Which Baby Queen song was written specifically for the show?

Baby Queen wrote Colours of You specifically for Heartstopper; it was released in April 2022 alongside the first series.

The first-series bowling alley's pink and blue neon lighting echoed which identity's flag?

The neon pink and blue in the bowling scene echoed the bisexual pride flag, a nod to Nick's arc; cinematographer Diana Olifirova lit it deliberately.

Which character was invented for the series so Nick would have a female friend outside rugby?

Imogen Heaney was created for the series so Nick had a female friend outside rugby and the show had more girls in its cast; Rhea Norwood plays her.

Which charity reviewed the third-series scripts for Charlie's eating-disorder storyline?

Beat, the UK's eating-disorder charity, reviewed the series three scripts so that Charlie's anorexia and hospital treatment were portrayed responsibly.

Who directed the third series?

Simona Susnea was the series' second cinematographer and Patrick Walters its See-Saw executive producer, who first found the comic in 2018.

Which comic character was dropped from the show because he was tied to the novel Radio Silence?

Aled Last, a lead in Oseman's 2016 novel Radio Silence, was replaced on screen by the original character Isaac Henderson to avoid tangling the two stories.