Heartstopper star Joe Locke has shared that he’d like to be “hate-tweeted by Donald Trump.”
Locke has become a totem for LGBTQ representation through his role in the hit young adult Netflix drama about two young men who meet and fall in love, and he told The Guardian newspaper he was surprised the show had not met with more hostility from right-wing homophobes, especially in the US.
The show, one of the most popular on the streaming platform across the world, has now reached its third season and made huge stars of its two leads, Locke and Kit Connor.
Locke told The Guardian: “This world is a very scary place sometimes, and it feels a bit weird that Heartstopper has almost been immune to that – a lot of queer shows get a lot of hate from rightwing groups, and Heartstopper doesn’t, and I don’t really understand why.”
Watch on Deadline
Of the former US president and his followers, Locke said:
“You’ll often hear Trump supporters talking about queer people and queer shows. I want to get hate-tweeted by Donald Trump!”
Asked whether he believes only gay actors should play gay roles, he replied:
“I wouldn’t want to not be able to play a straight character, so I don’t think it’s fair to stop someone straight – who can do all the research – from playing a gay character. As long as you’re playing a part authentically and with the best intentions – you’re not just playing a stereotype – then go for it.”
He added that he was ready himself for a straight role: “I get a lot of auditions for more gay teenage characters, very similar parts, and, while they’re great, not that I would not want to play another gay character, but I want to be a versatile actor, not get stamped.”