Joe Locke sat down for a video interview this week with Buzzfeed to discuss his “First Times.” The format is simple: The outlet asks celebrities about the first time they had a particular experience or enjoyed a formative moment.
Locke, 21, who rose to fame with his leading role on the hit Netflix show Heartstopper, is asked about his first celebrity crush.
He reveals it was Fred from Scooby Doo: “The animated version,” not the live-action remake that featured Freddie Prinze Jr.
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“Fred from Scooby-Doo is hot, that’s why,” Locke offers by way of explanation. “He’s like a preppy American jock.”
He also admits he had a soft spot for Steve Backshall, a British presenter of wildlife programs.
As for the first movie or TV show that prompted him pursue acting, he says The Goonies (1985) “obsessed” him.
“I remember wanting to be in that film so bad and, these kids, when I was younger, getting to live my dream. I was really jealous of them.”
The ‘Heartstopper’ movie
Locke, who grew up on the Isle of Man, got his big break with his first audition. It was for the role of Charlie on Heartstopper.
The show has enjoyed three beloved seasons on Netflix. Based on the best-selling graphic novels by Alice Oseman, the streamer recently announced that it was bringing the show to an end not with a fourth season but a feature-length movie. Filming recently commenced but it’s unknown yet when the finished product will air.
Locke was asked if he could reveal anything about the film. He gave almost nothing away.
“It is grown-up more but it’s still Heartstoppper. I think we’re trying to really make it as cinematic as possible and finish the story in a nice way.”
Locke, who came out to his mum as gay at the age of 12, says his first screen kiss was with Kit Connor.
“[The] first of many with Kit. The first one we filmed was the rain kiss and it was really cold and my lips were quivering. With Kit, it’s so easy, like we’re so used to each other now that I think it’s different than if it was kissing someone else, but I just have a mint.”
The first time he met Connor was at an audition for producers to judge whether they had chemistry together.
“In February 2021. He was very lovely and they’d already auditioned someone else that day. I came in halfway through the day and so everyone already knew each other and I felt very stressed out but it was very nice and it clearly went well.”
Broadway
Since his Heartstopper success, Locke has also starred in Agatha All Along and hit Broadway with a part in Sweeney Todd.
Buzzfeed asked Locke if he remembered the first musical that obsessed him as a kid. His answer makes us feel very old!
“Maybe Hamilton. I was like 12 when Hamilton was becoming a thing [it made its Broadway debut in 2015]. Every musical that’s been on Broadway in the last 10 years I was obsessed with at some point.”
Watch the full interview below.
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