Joe Locke
Joe Locke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph William Locke 24 September 2003 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2021–present |
Joseph William Locke[citation needed] (born 24 September 2003) is a Manx actor. He is known for his role as Charlie Spring in the Netflix series Heartstopper, which he has played since 2022.[1]
Early life and education
Joseph William Locke was born on 24 September 2003 in Douglas, Isle of Man.[2][3][4] He attended Ballakermeen High School.[5][6] He told ITV's This Morning in April 2022 that he was studying for A Level exams in politics, history and English.[7]
While 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.[8]
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.[9][10]
In April 2021, it was announced Locke would star as lead character 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.[11] He was chosen out of 10,000 other potential actors who were up for the role through an open casting call.[12][13] 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.[13][14]
Personal life
Locke is gay. He 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 Heartstopper series.[15][16]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Heartstopper | Charlie Spring | Main role | [17] |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | National Television Awards | Rising Star | Heartstopper | Longlisted | [18] |
References
- ^ 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.
- ^ Cleal, Sam (producer) (29 April 2022). Kit Connor and Joe Locke take the BFF Test. BuzzFeed UK (Online video). Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ @joelocke03 (24 September 2021). "Apparently I'm an adult now?!". Retrieved 31 May 2022 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Isle of Man's Joe Locke in running for National Television Award for Netflix series Heartstopper". ITV News. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 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 (28 April 2022). "Heartstopper actors force hasty change to This Morning schedule". ChronicleLive.
- ^ "Students present Syria petition". Isle of Man Today. 29 November 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. 21 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Heartstopper's Joe Locke: 'Lots of queer teenagers feel like they don't deserve love'". The Independent. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Who Plays Charlie Spring In Netflix's 'Heartstopper'? Everything You Need To Know About Joe Locke". Capital FM. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
- ^ James, Alastair (13 April 2022). "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.
- ^ Levesley, David (3 June 2022). "Joe Locke: 'I'd love to play the first queer Disney prince or Marvel superhero'". Soho House. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
While his generation are universally well equipped on navigating sexuality thanks to social media, and growing up gay, he says, wasn't too big a deal at school, the Isle of Man's policies on it have not always been as forward-thinking.
- ^ James, Alastair (13 April 2022). "Heartstopper's Joe Locke: LGBTQ youth should know they 'deserve happiness'". Attitude. Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ Morris, Lauren (24 May 2022). "NTA 2022 longlist revealed as David Tennant and Sex Education nominated". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
