'Heartstopper' Star Joe Locke Says Fans Need to 'Learn Boundaries,' Respect Privacy

Joe Locke, one of the two 19-year-old out actors who lead the globally popular Netflix LGBTQ+ romantic drama "Heartstopper," said that fans have got to "learn boundaries" when it comes to celebrities, UK newspaper the Independent reported.

The teen heartthrob talked about how his overnight fame has affected not only his life, but that of his relatives. "It's a weird guilt I sometimes feel that, by association, their lives are affected by choices in my life," Locke told Teen Vogue.

"His mother has made new social media accounts because strangers message her or try to pinpoint her location; someone even called Locke's grandma," Teen Vogue said.

Teen Vogue noted that both Locke and his more experienced co-star, Kit Connor – who plays the onscreen boyfriend, Nick, to Locke's Charlie – are both "navigating increasingly public lives as their celebrity has grown exponentially in a short time," even with Connor having already had film roles in "Ready Player One" and the Elton John biopic "Rocketman" before he was cast in the wildly popular Netflix show.

Calling the series "a celebration of queer joy," Teen Vogue recalled that "The first season of 'Heartstopper,' adapted from Alice Oseman's webcomic, was an instant hit when it premiered in spring 2022, garnering 53 million viewing hours in its first month." The second season, which premiered last week, has commanded similarly big numbers.

The huge viewership brought some unwelcome attention, as when Connor – who was 18 at the time and had not announced his sexuality – was accused of queerbaiting after photos emerged of himself holding hands with Maia Reficco, a female co-star from the upcoming film "A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow." Connor subsequently came out as bisexual in a tweet that chided online trolls for "forcing an 18 year old to out himself."

Thinking back on that moment, Locke declared, "We were all very proud of him, and we're proud of him controlling the narrative," and added, "I'm very proud of him for doing his own thing and what was right for him."

For his own part, Locke told Teen Vogue that while "People have assumed" he's gay, "I've never specifically stated my sexuality." Until now: "I have been openly gay since I was, like, 12," Locke said.

Locke went on to say that, "There's an idea that it's part of the job to lose your privacy, that you lose your right to having privacy. That's something I hope the next generation of people in the public eye can change.... I think people are understanding that privacy is a nonnegotiable."

"It's a mutual thing," Locke reflected. "I need to learn my boundaries and people need to learn their boundaries." He added: "Most attention comes from a really good place, and I hope I always appreciate that."