Rebel Heart
Kizzy Edgell came to mass attention last year as one of the fresh-faced young stars of Netflix’s joyful teen queer drama Heartstopper. As the groundbreaking series returns for a second season, we talk to the 20-year-old star about their role in the hit show, dealing with the demands of becoming an idol for a generation of queer youth and their secret desires to front a punk band.
Interview Adam Mattera Photography Christian Trippe Styling Stevie Gatez
Jacket – Kata Haratym, trousers – Apujan, shoes – Underground (@undergroundengland.since1981), jewellery – Miphologia
It’s been just over a year since the first season of Heartstopper came out. Your life must have changed a lot since then...
I love it, but the attention has been a bit overwhelming at times. I was doing my A-levels when we were filming the first season, so I was taking days off school to film. Everything was still normal then – I was ready to get my psychology degree, follow quite a conventional path… I never expected to get the role or for this to be my life at any point. I’m still amazed.
Did people start recognising you as soon as the series first dropped or did it take a while?
It was even before that – as soon as the cast announcement came out with a photo of us in our plain clothes. People started recognising me then, which was strange, it was all so quick. Mostly it’s in clubs, when I go to queer spaces – that’s where I'm gonna get clocked.
So tell me about the casting process... I think it was the beginning of 2021, right?
Well I’d already read Heartstopper and loved it, and I followed Alice Oseman on Tumblr and Instagram and thought she was really cool. Then I saw they were doing this open casting thing for the show and thought why not?
So you didn’t even have an agent or any of that stuff at that stage?
No. I’d done a school production and some local theatre and that was it. I wasn't officially an actor, by any means. But they were very clear about wanting to cast people who were LGBT and that there was no experience needed. So I felt ‘okay, this is worth doing’. The scariest thing was having to go in to meet everyone and do the chemistry read. I was so nervous. I remember being in the car on the way there thinking ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ Then I got the call the day after that I’d got the part.
I read that rather than looking for established names, the main focus was to get a diverse cast that would reflect the reality of the source material – casting as close to the character as possible – was that true with you?
Darcy is a lot like I used to be when I was that age. The way she doesn't care what people think… for some reason now I care a lot more. I don't know where it came from, that confidence I had when I was younger. I was just like, ‘this is me, deal with it’. When I was 16 I was very unashamed and quite odd and strange.
“Darcy is a lot like I used to be when I was that age. The way she doesn't care what people think… for some reason now I care a lot more. I don't know where it came from, that confidence I had when I was younger. I was just like, ‘this is me, deal with it’.”
Jacket – Ray Chu Studios, shirt – Apujan, jewellery – Maison Lumière
When did you first come out at school?
I came out as bisexual at 12. And then I came out as non-binary at 14, and then I went back in as non-binary. I thought ‘okay, I'll just try to be a girl’. But it didn't work. I couldn't shake it out of me.
How was it being at school and coming out at such a young age?
Everyone wanted me to shut up about being queer. They were like ‘you talk about it too much’ – and I definitely did. I mean I was just a weird kid in general, I didn't have a lot of friends. I was an emo – very into My Chemical Romance and that sort of thing. Obsessed with Stephen King. Massive amounts of black eyeliner.
That confidence and boldness you talked about really plays into how Darcy operates in the show. She drives the action in some ways, bulldozing in and calling people out for what’s really going on.
She's very provocative, which I find funny. I'd like her if I met her. I don't know if she'd like me. But yeah, she teases Nick and Charlie about their relationship and that makes it less taboo. She’s the one who actually says ‘queer’ out loud. It’s like when I first realised I was gay, that’s all I wanted to talk about. It’s quite sweet.
From what I know about the original comics, there wasn't a huge amount backstory with her. Was that part of the process of creating the character for you?
We had about two weeks of rehearsals before we started. So we could get to know each other and also to build up some of the characters, like Darcy, that weren’t as fleshed out in the books. So I asked Alice every question I could think of about Darcy and she had answers for nearly all of them. And for the ones that she didn’t, she was happy for us to come up with our own. It felt nice that she trusted us with her children, as it were.
So what was your take on Darcy’s home life – was it that her parents were really supportive of her and encouraged her to be as bold and outspoken as she is?
That’s actually something we explore more in the new season. In the comics, her mum is really not supportive. So for Darcy school is somewhere she can be herself without fear… she'll get told off, sure, but she doesn't feel ashamed or nervous at school because she's got the worst of it at home basically.
In season one Darcy wore that oversized tie-dyed hoodie in pretty much every scene – what was the thinking behind that?
When I was at school, kids used to get in trouble for wearing these big baggy hoodies over their school uniform. It was against the uniform code or something. So it’s a reminder that Darcy isn’t bothered about getting in trouble. She doesn't care what people think.
The bond you see between you and Corinna who plays your girlfriend Tara on screen really translates. Was there any particular moment in series one that stands out for you?
It's definitely the music room scene… it was a closed set and I was really nervous. I’d never kissed anyone on TV before. It was an intense scene and I found it really hard to maintain my focus and keep that level of emotion up. I think I'd be able to do it better now. But then I just felt like I kept losing the moment with Tara.
I read you had an intimacy coordinator on set, something that’s relatively new in TV land, how was that?
It really helped. I know the intimacy in the show is quite mild, but we were all very new to doing stuff like that on camera. I didn't know what to do or how it would look, so having someone help with boundaries and consent was great. Stuff like ‘I'm gonna put my hand here. Is that okay?’ It slows things down a bit and it means you can say no, which is good.
Vest – Vidi Black, shirt – Tamar Keburia, tie – Stylist’s own, gloves – Babeyond, jewellery – Maison Lumière / Mimia Leblanc
Were you thinking at all about how it was going to be received while you were filming?
I worried a little about ‘what will my family say’. But really there couldn’t be a better first role for me. I immediately felt comfortable on set because everyone working on the show was so open. So my focus was always on just wanting the scene to be good, wanting to feel the right emotions. And there was this excitement because I felt like I'm doing something that's helpful.
The reception to the show has been incredible – with critics, fans, ratings… did you have a sense of how big it would be when you were filming it?
Yes and no. I knew I loved it. And I knew that Alice really cared about it. And I knew that young kids also really loved the comics. I wasn't expecting such a reaction from older people, though. I wasn't expecting people to be like, ‘Oh, this made me cry.’ I never thought of it that way – maybe because my role was Darcy so I always thought of it more from the comedy side.
"I was the first queer person that a lot of kids knew. If there had been something like Heartstopper they would have seen it's not just me that's like this, it's not just me that's over excited and over imaginative and messy and likes girls. That would have made me feel a lot better."
I’m sure I read a quote where you said something like if it had been around when you were younger it would have helped you come out earlier…
I couldn't come out any earlier to be honest, but it would have made me feel better, for sure. I was the first queer person that a lot of kids knew. If there had been something like Heartstopper they would have seen it's not just me that's like this, it's not just me that's over excited and over imaginative and messy and likes girls. That would have made me feel a lot better.
That’s why representation is so important – it just normalises everything across the board. What did you have that did that for you at that age?
Gosh… I’m trying to think… there was this podcast called Welcome to Night Vale – this supernatural drama that had a gay relationship in it. I was obsessed with it in the way that kids are obsessed with Heartstopper now. And I was really into riot grrrl music. And the singer Halsey – she’s bisexual and I thought she was really cool. But I don't like to think about being at school anymore to be honest. Being 14 is literally the hardest thing in the entire world.
I can’t imagine the pressures on teenagers today at school, dealing with the blurred lines between real life and social media, coping with bullies and negotiating adolescence. It’s a lot.
When I was at school, there used to be a couple of anonymous ‘ask me any question you want’ type websites, like ASK.FM. And people would just anonymously send you hate, long paragraphs about everything they thought was wrong with you… But then I also found a lot of friends through social media, mostly other young, queer people. I felt like they were my only friends at the time because I was just too odd to have friends in school. So there was that side of it, of community. But there was a lot of really horrible stuff too.
“I think being happy and unashamedly yourself really bugs people. Because they're scared to do it themselves.”
Jacket – Ju-nna, shirt – Turana Atash, shorts – Kata Haratym, shoes – Daniela Uribe, jewellery – Miphologia, bag – Gundog Studios
When I first watched the show I was really aware of the more optimistic, rose-tinted side of it, but rewatching some episodes, there was actually more bullying than I remembered…
I think in Heartstopper the bullying is more direct. There used to be a lot of ‘I heard from someone that they hate you’ or ‘everyone thinks you're weird’. Teenagers can be really cruel, not just mean and ignorant, but deliberately cruel.
In the show there’s the character Harry who’s the main bully. As usual with bullies, it’s always about them of course – what nerve you’re hitting with their own issues.
Exactly. Like ‘why are you offended that I'm weird?’ I think Darcy also makes a lot of people feel insecure. Just because she's so secure. I think being happy and unashamedly yourself really bugs people. Because they're scared to do it themselves. It gets on people’s nerves.
How do you find dealing with people on social media now? There must be a lot of kids idolising you, that expect you to be Darcy 24/7.
It’s not just that people get me confused with Darcy, sometimes I don't quite know how to switch out myself out either. I get nervous and think ‘I'm just going to be Darcy’, it’s easier. But it's not authentic.
I imagine the fans sometimes have expectations of you that you can’t live up to.
Definitely around the cast, yes. People really want cute interactions between us all the time. So every time we do hang out, there’s this pressure to film everything, to take photos to prove we’re the closest cast in the entire world. Not that there's anything bad, we all really get along, but it’s like siblings – we’re not exactly who we are on screen.
"I think that Kit is under tremendous pressure. If someone wants to tell you they’re queer, that's fine, but it's nobody's business but yours. It's not fair to accuse someone of lying about their sexuality, which is so private."
– Kizzy on the forced online outing of fellow cast member Kit Connor
I wanted to ask your take on what happened with Kit who plays Nick. It was quite shocking how he was basically hounded online last year to make a declaration on his sexuality.
I think that Kit is under tremendous pressure. If someone wants to tell you they’re queer, that's fine, but it's nobody's business but yours. It's not fair to accuse someone of lying about their sexuality, which is so private. So I felt horrible for him.
What’s so ironic as well is that the whole ethos of the show is about accepting people for exactly who they are and not having to put everyone in a box. So it’s bizarre some fans would feel they had the right to do that.
You're right, it completely goes against the ethos of the show. The show contains a lesson that more people need to learn.
Okay let’s end on a more upbeat note. What can you tell us about the new series?
Let me think… it’s been announced that 'Tara and Darcy face unforeseen challenges'. I think that's all I'm allowed to say about that. But there's a lot going on, a lot more drama. I think the energy is definitely faithful to the books.
And do you get to wear a different outfit?
I get a few actually! (Laughs) You’ll see.
And what about your future as an actor? Are there any particular roles you want to play?
The first time I got asked this question I said I wanted to be a Victorian ghost child, and I still stand by that.
Victorian ghost children are great. Anything else?
I really like horror, so anything in that area, maybe a slasher film. I really like rude and sullen characters, so I think a proper 80s goth would be a fun. I like that idea. Oh and since I was a little kid, I’ve had a dream about being in a punk band. So yes that… and any of the above.
Suit – Anciela, shoes – Pleiades, jewellery – Miphologia / Mimia Leblanc
Team Credits
Interview Adam Mattera
Photography Christian Trippe
Styling Stevie Gatez
Hair stylist Liam Curran
Make-up artist MinSandhu
Photo Assistant Sophie Bronze
Heartstopper season 2 streams from 3 August on Netflix.
Please note: this interview and shoot was completed before the SAG strikes.
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