Joe Locke Opens Up About Fears Of Being Typecast As A Twink

The Heartstopper actor sat down with Charlie Cox for Variety’s Actors on Actors to discuss his career…

He may only have two acting credits to his name, but Joe Locke has quickly become a household name. From his breakout role in the Netflix hit Heartstopper to his entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Agatha All Along, the 21-year-old’s career is just taking off. 

Now, in a conversation for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Locke opens up about his first acting gig and being typecast with fellow Marvel actor Charlie Cox (Daredevil: Born Again) in the 42-minute chat. 

Will we see Charlie after the Heartstopper movie? 

As reported by IN Magazine earlier this year, Heartstopper will conclude its queer love story with a film instead of a fourth season. With no release date confirmed, filming is currently underway.

During the conversation, Locke revealed he was one of 10,000 teens who applied for the role and how Netflix had little expectation for the series saying the streamer “didn’t really think the show was going to be successful.” Its fan base proved Netflix wrong with the show becoming an instant hit winning five Children and Family Emmy Awards, including one for lead actor Kit Connor. The show has also won The Queerties Best TV Comedy award for each of its seasons, with Locke also taking home an award.

Reflecting on his first series, Locke recalls how fresh the cast was and how they’ve grown since filming season one. “All of us were new to the industry. We’re all so green…We’re all not now; we’re all sour, old…” 

When speaking about the movie, set to be directed by Still Alice director Wash West, he shared with Cox how excited he was to finish this chapter, while keeping the door open for the future. “This will be it…I mean never say never,” Locke said. “I’m so grateful to that show…I wouldn’t have a career without it.”

Being typecast as a twink: “I’m worried about being boxed in.” 

With only two roles to his name, fans may notice a similarity between them as Locke is playing a queer twink. Cox opened up about how actors starting in the industry are typically cast as characters similar to them before being allowed to try more things, which is something Locke feels is happening to him. 

“At the moment, a lot of the auditions I get sent are for the same skinny gay twinks — which is great. And I’m really good at playing that, because I am a skinny gay twink,” he said. “I’m struggling now [because] I want to do the opposite of that. I’ve been trying to put on weight recently. I just can’t do it.” 

When getting the role of Teen/Bill Maximoff/Wiccan in Agatha All Along, the actor thought he’d be able to shed his twink identity by muscling up, but was told that wouldn’t be necessary.  

The actor wants to be able to grow and diversify the characters he performs in future and is grateful he’s been able to play great queer characters. “I don’t want that to define my career,” he shared. “I look at Colman Domingo. He is an incredible openly queer person, but his casting is so diverse and so different, which is so great.” 

He went on to share the thing he enjoys most about his Marvel character is that his queerness isn’t a defining feature. “The whole point of representation is to change people’s opinions about things. You can’t do that without positive representation where it’s just a part of them. It’s great that Marvel felt willing to have that sort of representation on-screen.” 

Cox responded by saying the actor was “too talented to be boxed in.”

A heartbeat after Heartstopper

With the Heartstopper movie, Locke will add a producer credit to his resume, but after the film wraps the actor doesn’t have much coming up. 

Locke’s only upcoming credit, according to IMDB, is Marvel’s Champions (formerly Young Avengers) series, which is rumoured to begin filming in 2026. The show will see the return of his Agatha All Along character along with other character reprisals by Hailee Steinfeld, Kathryn Newton, Iman Vellani and more.  

While he may not be on the small screen anytime soon, the actor is multi-talented. He’s had appearances in stage productions and is a singer with his vocal talents featured on The Ballad of the Witches Road song from Agatha All Along. 

Whatever is next for the actor, there is no doubt he will continue to find ways to capitalize on his growing stardom.