Heartstopper introduced Joe Locke to the world and vice versa.
The mega-hit series turned Locke’s world upside down. A young teenager from the Isle of Man was suddenly thrust into the spotlight.
The world was not ready for him.
Locke had — and still has — the kind of honesty that gives publicists sleepless nights. He doesn’t present as a regular celebrity whose every sentence sounds like several firms have vetted it.
Locke is set to appear in a significant role in the upcoming Disney+ series Agatha All Along, where he plays MCU’s first queer teen.
He joins Tessa Thompson as the only out queer actors to play queer characters in that universe.
Being quite young, Locke was hit with an industry at an inflection point as queer representation took a turn and audiences demanded authentic representation.
It is not easy to represent a minority on the scale of being viewed by millions of people. Many actors have been unable to navigate this responsibility, which can weigh someone down.
Locke talks to Variety about his sudden rise to fame and what that has done.
“I find all of it quite overwhelming,” he says. “In a good way, but still overwhelming. Sometimes I feel very accepting of it, and some days I want to push it away because I’m afraid of — I don’t know — the responsibility of it, almost.”
Casting Presents a Conundrum for Joe Locke
Locke came out when he was even younger and did not return to the closet for his career.
For that reason, he has been viewed as the queer star queer people have been waiting for. It all sounds too religious and messianic.
It seems even studios and production companies have been waiting for him.
The proof is in the scripts he receives. They are all for gay characters, something Locke feels might affect his career.
“Yeah, and there are days that I never want to play a gay character again,” he says. “Most of the casting I get sent are for gay characters.”
Like other minorities, gay characters can be pigeonholed to a stereotypical portrayal. The trick is for an actor to choose wisely since it will affect them and the community.
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Locke admits that the feeling comes from an irrational place since there is nothing wrong with playing gay characters, yet he can’t help but feel like he’s got something to prove.
It’s almost as if he doesn’t play straight no one takes him seriously as an actor.
“Which in itself is maybe a problem of the industry, or a problem of me and my internalized homophobia,” he adds. “I don’t know.”
With Agatha All Along, Locke is up to a different challenge, albeit campy and gay.
The role might determine whether he should maybe play a straight character for peace of mind or if playing gay characters is just fine.
Weekly drops of Agatha All Along begin September 18 on Disney+.
Binge drop of Heartstopper Season 3, October 3 on Netflix.