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18 July 2024 4:03 PM

Joe Locke says Heartstopper S3 is ‘the strongest’ yet

Exclusive: The 20-year-old actor also touches on Jonathan Bailey joining the show and the end of Heartstopper

By Alastair James

Joe Locke
Joe wears jacket, shirt, trousers, and boots by Celine Homme by Hedi Slimane (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)

As Heartstopper fans gear up for the third season of Netflix’s YA series, Joe Locke has good news for them: “Season three is the strongest” yet.

The 20-year-old actor is about to make his entrance into the MCU as Teen in Agatha All Along. This comes after his worldwide debut on Heartstopper which has led to roles in the West End and on Broadway.

With a launch date for Heartstopper season three set for 3 October Joe reflects on the show’s success as he appears on the cover of Rolling Stone UK’s August/September issue – available to pre-order now.

“I’m a very optimistic person, so I did,” he says in regard to whether he thought they’d get to this point when they started filming the first season. “We all saw the joy in the show we were making, even when Netflix and other people didn’t. They all do now, which is great, but especially in season one, we were definitely on our own.”

Joe Locke
Joe Locke wears knitwear and shirt by Lacoste (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)

Turning to season three he tells Rolling Stone UK: “I think season three is the strongest. We’ve all got better at acting. I think season three is the strongest writing, the strongest everything from everyone.”

Season three also sees the addition of Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey to the cast. “Johnny is a wonderfully lovely guy,” Locke shares. “I met him just after season one came out. The first thing he said was ‘I want to be in the show.’ That didn’t work out for season two, but I’m really happy that he has joined for season three. He’s the perfect casting for the hot history professor.”

Joe Locke
(Black suit) Joe wears blazer and trousers by Vivienne Westwood, shirt by Emporio Armani, boots by Christian Louboutin, and necklace by Pawnshop London. (Silver suit) Joe wears suit jacket, trousers and shoes by Celine Homme by Heidi Slimane (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)
Joe Locke
Joe wears blazer and trousers by Vivienne Westwood, shirt by Emporio Armani, boots by Christian Louboutin, and necklace by Pawnshop London (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)
Joe Locke
Locke wears shirt by Louis Vuitton and trousers by Ami Paris (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)
Joe Locke
Joe wears knitwear and shirt by Lacoste, trousers by Amiri, and shoes by Christian Louboutin (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)
Joe Locke
Locke wears knitwear and shirt by Lacoste (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)
Joe Locke
Joe wears suit jacket, trousers and shoes by Celine Homme by Heidi Slimane (Image: Kosmas Pavlos)

And knowing that the webcomic the TV series is based on is soon to come to an end, Locke also offered his take on how he thinks things will down on the final page. “One of the nice things is that you can watch the show — and especially in season three, we definitely have darker moments — but what’s nice is you can always watch knowing that it’s gonna be fine in the end. They’re gonna be OK.”

Photography by Kosmas Pavlos
Creative and styling by Joseph Kocharian
Grooming by Sandra Hahnel using Augustinus Bader, Glossier, Ouai, and GHD
Photography Assistant: Luke Johnson
Fashion Assistant: Aaron Pandher

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