Joe Locke (actor)
Joe Locke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph William Locke 24 September 2003 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2021–present |
Joseph William Locke (born 24 September 2003) is a Manx actor. He is known for his role as Charlie Spring in the Netflix series Heartstopper (2022).[1][2]
Early life and education
Locke was born in Douglas, Isle of Man. He attended Ballakermeen High School.[3][4] He told ITV's "This Morning" in April 2022 that he was studying for A Level exams (Politics, History and English).[5]
While still in high school, Locke and three fellow students submitted a petition to government officials to investigate the feasibility of welcoming Syrian refugees to the Isle of Man.[6]
Career
He participated in the 2020 National Theatre Connections as well as productions at the Gaiety Theatre and with the Kensington Art Centre's youth group.[7][8]
In April 2021, it was announced Locke would star as lead character Charles "Charlie" Spring in his debut television role alongside Kit Connor in the 2022 Netflix coming-of-age series Heartstopper, an adaptation of the webcomic and graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman.[9] He was chosen out of 10,000 other potential actors that were up for the role through an open casting call.[10][11] While Locke was 17 at the time of the filming, his role has him playing a 14-15 year old student in an English boys' grammar school.[11][12] Locke has spoken about his experiences of being a young gay man from the Isle of Man and their parallels with Charlie's story in the series.[13]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Heartstopper | Charles "Charlie" Spring | Main role; 8 episodes[14] |
References
- ^ O'Connor, Rachael (22 April 2022). "Who is in the cast of Netflix's Heartstopper?". Metro. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ Williams, K-Ci (22 April 2022). "Netflix's "Heartstopper" Stars Want Everyone to See "How Amazing and Beautiful Queerness Is"". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
- ^ "Students petition Tynwald to reverse Syrian refugee position". Manx Radio. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Netflix show starring Manx actor streams next week". Manx Radio. 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
- ^ Duke, Simon (April 28, 2022). "Heartstopper actors force hasty change to This Morning schedule". ChronicleLive.
- ^ "Students present Syria petition | iomtoday.co.im". Isle of Man Today. November 29, 2019.
- ^ "Joe's heart-stopping moment, as he gets picked for lead Netflix role". IOM Today. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Manx actor lands role in Netflix series". 24 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ Stroud, Will (22 April 2021). "Heartstopper: Kit Connor and Joe Locke to star in Netflix adaptation of gay graphic novel". Attitude. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- ^ "Joe Locke - 1883 Magazine - Heartstopper". 1883 Magazine. 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
- ^ a b "Heartstopper's Joe Locke: 'Lots of queer teenagers feel like they don't deserve love'". The Independent. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
- ^ "Who Plays Charlie Spring In Netflix's 'Heartstopper'? Everything You Need To Know About Joe Locke". Capital FM. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ^ James, Alastair (2022-04-13). "Heartstopper's young stars are ready to share the love in Netflix's most uplifting LGBTQ series yet". Attitude UK. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
The conversation then turns to how the actors relate to their characters. As a young gay man, Joe, who is 18 and from the Isle of Man, compares his schooldays with what Charlie goes through.
- ^ James, Alastair (13 April 2022). "Heartstopper's Joe Locke: LGBTQ youth should know they 'deserve happiness'". Attitude. Retrieved 16 April 2022.