Rainbow Crew is an ongoing interview series that celebrates the best LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Each instalment showcases talent working on both sides of the camera, including queer creatives and allies to the community.
Next up, we're talking to Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman and executive producer Patrick Walters. Spoilers follow.
So many LGBTQ+ stories end in suffering, as if that's all our lives can ever amount to. But queer experiences aren't just rooted in trauma. Far from it, in fact. They can also be joyous, even euphoric, and that's worth celebrating on screen too.
The problem is that this then becomes a tough balancing act. Focus too much on the joy, and you risk trivialising the pain that so many queer people still endure. But if you fixate on that pain, you then run the risk of feeding into harmful tropes.
To date, very few shows have navigated that balance successfully. Queer As Folk, Pose and It's a Sin number among the select few stories that embody our lives with balance and nuance. But now, we can also add Heartstopper to that list.
Sure, the emphasis here is on a cute, wholesome kind of love, but even in this world of stolen kisses and first crushes, creator Alice Oseman still weaves in elements of prejudice and bigotry that impact us all, regardless of how old we might be. And by doing so, Heartstopper's celebratory moments end up becoming far more impactful.
Digital Spy caught up with Alice and executive producer Patrick Walters to discuss the joys of Heartstopper, as well as what's next for Nick and Charlie in future seasons.
The fans are so excited for Heartstopper. Do you feel pressure to meet those high expectations?
Alice Oseman: Yeah. It’s been really intense. I feel like, for me, it's been more than I expected. Particularly in the past few months, it's kind of massively blown up. The hype is so much right now [laughs]. But it's great. It's so enjoyable to be able to share that excitement with so many people.
Patrick Walters: I feel like I am a fan. So I'm part of that response, as well as being lucky enough to sort of oversee the show in other ways. So, yeah, it's really good, because any time you go on Twitter or Instagram or any social media platform, there's conversation about it, which is an experience I've never had before on any show – the level of anticipation. So it's only a good thing, I think. And, yeah, I can't wait for everyone to see it.
Was there a scene from the graphic novels that you were particularly excited to film?
PW: Any iconic scene from the comics, and being there to see it be filmed. Alice and I were always lurking on set, and we were in constant communication with Euros [Lyn] and the actors. But a lot of what we did was to just watch and observe, and then to kind of feedback.
Snow day, for example, was just magical, seeing all this snow being brought in, and then seeing Joe come out in costumes that we'd agonised after, and it all just coming together in this moment. You only get an hour – or however long you have – to film a scene. And there is a sort of magic that takes over.
I think my favourite one was probably the rain scene where Nick comes and sees Charlie after the kiss. I remember, there were two fans that we were like— this was before the show was announced. There were two young girls who clearly loved Heartstopper, and clearly knew which scene we were filming. And they were sort of sat across the road, watching it all happen. Which was incredibly nerve-wracking for us, because we didn't want the actors to be thrown off, and we didn't want them to take pictures. But I went over and spoke to them.
It's an extraordinary experience, seeing Alice's drawings come to life in the hands of the actors, and the director, and the whole production.
AO: I think for me, one of the most faithful scenes to the book is the first-kiss scene, which is just almost down to the gestures and expressions. It's exactly the same as it is in the comics. I'm so excited for readers to see that, because they're just going to fall in love with it. It's such a magical scene, and the performances are so beautiful. I can't wait.
Was there a particular scene or moment that you worried might not translate well? Purely because these mediums are quite different to some degree.
AO: I guess one thing that just came to mind is all of the rugby, and how difficult the rugby was to film. I found it hard to write in the script, because I, honestly, don't know a lot about rugby [laughs].
PW: Neither do I.
AO: It was a real challenge to film and write, kind of on every level. Would you agree, Patrick?
PW: Definitely. There's the choreography of the rugby. So when there's a scene where you've got something emotional and story-driven happening within the scene that might be like "Nick glances to Charlie as they're playing rugby" – but the import of the scene is that we see this connection between the boys. But all of the rugby in the background has to be choreographed, and has to be fulfilling what they need as actors to happen, so that they can then do that.
I think Euros is amazing, our director. He worked with a great rugby coach. But there was always a tension on set on those days, because it was a sort of miracle if, by chance, it all came together. And then it did, eventually, and it was very tough.
Joe, who plays Charlie – we required a lot from him physically. He was constantly running about. There's a sequence where the opposing team are much stronger than him, and it's all going wrong for him. I really felt, watching Joe in those scenes, he was going through that, actually, himself. He wasn't just acting [laughs]. We put him through the wringer.
Speaking of that physical element, the show includes a lot of intimate moments that are central to the romance. I know there was an intimacy coordinator on set, but can you talk us through how you approached all that with the young actors, and worked in tandem with the coordinator?
AO: So the intimacy coordinator would basically… The first thing he would do is, he would call them up, and discuss the scene a few days beforehand. And then when we were on set, there would usually be a rehearsal. If there was a kiss scene, there'd be a rehearsal of it earlier in the day, where they would do exercises, getting to know each other, and just getting physically comfortable with each other.
Then they would practise the kiss, to make sure they knew exactly what they were doing. And then the intimacy coordinator, he would be there on set as well when we were filming the scene. So it was a really good process.
PW: When I think back on David [Thackeray], and having the intimacy coordinator there for any of those scenes, what was interesting was that I was expecting it to be all about getting the actors comfortable, making sure that consent was given, and that it worked in a very functional and professional way. Which he did, brilliantly, and it did do.
But also, there could be elements of choreography. We would look at the panels of the comic that Alice had drawn of the scene that we were filming, and David would come in, and be like, "Oh, so you kind of want to do this?" And actually, he made an environment where the actors were excited to get it right.
So it wasn't just about predicting problems that might arise. It was about going into the scene with a professional objective, taking everyone's responses and creativity into account when filming it.
Season one ends with a carefree beach day for Nick and Charlie. Why did you choose that particular scene as an end point for this first arc onscreen?
AO: I think mostly because it's such a joyful scene. The message of the show is just joy and happiness, finding love and friendship. And the beach scene is just a little summary of that.
It's just these two boys having an amazing day together, without a care in the world. You know, there's no one around to judge them. They're just being themselves, and being joyful. That, for me, is the perfect way to end the show.
It's so important to see queer joy onscreen. We don't see enough of it still. But there's also a really interesting scene towards the end where Charlie breaks down and hints at darker, almost suicidal thoughts. The graphic novels delve deeper into those darker elements, so I was wondering if you're thinking of bringing that into future seasons more as well?
AO: If we do get future seasons, I'll definitely want to be bringing in the themes of mental health, because that's something that's really important in the books. The challenge of writing Heartstopper is exploring those darker issues while keeping the tone so optimistic and hopeful. That has been, like, the struggle of writing it for me the whole way through.
But I like to think that it's possible [laughs]. I feel like I have achieved it in the books. I've been able to be very candid about mental health, and I explored that in a real way, while not writing something that's intensely triggering or really dark and horrible to read or watch. So that is very much my goal for the show.
PW: We always said when we were in the development phase of season one, to just be as faithful as possible to the source material that Alice had created. So I think one of the amazing revelations of making the show and now it launching is that clearly with Kit and Joe, we've got two actors who can do both. They're so dramatically precise in how they do scenes.
That scene that you're talking about with Tori and Charlie – I just think Joe… it's a masterclass from someone who's never done screen-acting before. You get both tones with the actors. So I'm hoping that we can continue in that vein.
Looking ahead to future seasons, would you like to involve the teachers more now that the principal teen cast has been established?
AO: Yeah, 100%. If we do get a future season, we'll be moving into volume three of the books. And that is when the teacher romance happens. So in the show, we've already got Mr Ajayi, but in the books there's also Mr Farouk, who comes in, in volume three. And they have this kind of interesting friendship going on in the background that eventually becomes something more.
I think that will be so much fun to write in the show, and I'm very excited to hopefully get to write it [laughs].
What's this whole process been like for you both on a personal level? Have you learned new things about yourselves that you didn't know before?
AO: For me, it's so surreal. It's made me learn so much. When I was on set, it was like a completely different world for me, because I've been a self-employed writer my entire career. I've always worked from home. I've always worked by myself. And then I came on set, and I was working every day, for 11 hours, with an entire team of people.
That's just so different to anything that I've ever done in my life. So it was amazing. And it's really helped me learn how to work with a team, and how to create something with other people. I've loved it.
PW: It's just been extraordinary for me, because I came to the project from reading the comics, feeling incredibly passionate and almost devoted to the story, because I felt like it was a version of a teenage experience that I hadn't had. When I was at school, people didn't say the word "gay". There was no idea that you could come out, and there was no representation when I was Charlie or Nick's age like Heartstopper.
So I really wanted to deliver a show that would do that. Going through this experience, having had so much fun, and having had a chance to explore this story with an amazing team, and to get to know Alice and Euros, it feels like that's happened.
It's been crazily amazing for me, on a personal level. And I hope that people will feel that feeling that I've had, and will take it to their hearts.
Has there been any pushback on a corporate level or anywhere else?
AO: I don't think so. I certainly haven't felt that from anyone, which has been really amazing.
PW: We wanted the show to be as authentic as possible across all areas of it. And we went into that with a kind of… It's not worth making unless you make the show with complete authenticity, and understanding the way that it should be done.
I think in the very early days, we felt that there was a pressure… would you find the right actors? Would you find the right place to make it with? Having partnered with Netflix, they've always just embraced that fully. So, yeah, it's been great in that regard.
What do you hope people will take away from watching Heartstopper? Whether they're a long-term fan or they're someone who's just stumbled across it on Netflix for the first time?
AO: Firstly, I just want it to bring people joy, and make people smile. That, above all, is what I want people to take away from it. But I also hope it spreads the message that young queer people can find love and friendship and happiness, and it just makes them feel hope for the future, that they can have good, happy things in life.
PW: When I first read the comic, I felt seen in the characters. And I think that's what Alice manages to do so brilliantly in whatever medium she's in. It's to create real, human characters that an audience can see themselves in.
When I'm thinking of young people watching this show, I just really want them to feel that they're reflected back at themselves, and that there's positive, queer representation for a younger generation. And that's about joy and feeling passion for these characters, which I think everyone will do, hopefully.
Heartstopper is now available to stream on Netflix.
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume One by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Two by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Three by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume Four by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
HarperCollins Children's Books Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
HarperCollins Children's Books This Winter by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books The Heartstopper Colouring Book by Alice Oseman
Hodder Children's Books The Heartstopper Yearbook by Alice Oseman
After teaching in England and South Korea, David turned to writing in Germany, where he covered everything from superhero movies to the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2019, David moved to London to join Digital Spy, where he could indulge his love of comics, horror and LGBTQ+ storytelling as Deputy TV Editor, and later, as Acting TV Editor.
David has spoken on numerous LGBTQ+ panels to discuss queer representation and in 2020, he created the Rainbow Crew interview series, which celebrates LGBTQ+ talent on both sides of the camera via video content and longform reads.
Beyond that, David has interviewed all your faves, including Henry Cavill, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Colman, Patrick Stewart, Ncuti Gatwa, Jamie Dornan, Regina King, and more — not to mention countless Drag Race legends.
As a freelance entertainment journalist, David has bylines across a range of publications including Empire Online, Radio Times, INTO, Highsnobiety, Den of Geek, The Digital Fix and Sight & Sound.
