Heartstopper’s Kit Connor got bigger for season two after feeling pressure from fans -TGN

Kit Connor on building up to play Nick Nelson on season two of Heartstopper. (Getty)

Heart stopper star Kit Connor has opened up about changing his physique ahead of the second season of the hit Netflix series.

Connor is all too familiar with the pressures of living in the public eye. After rising to prominence in the queer coming-of-age series, the 19-year-old actor was forced to publicly come out as bisexual in October following almost relentless speculation about his sexuality.

As Connor gears up to return as Nick Nelson on the show’s new season opposite Joe Locke, he spoke about the pressure from fans to change his body.

In an interview with VultureConnor explained how he started bulking up in the gym in response to comments that his physique didn’t match the drawings of rugby player Nick in creator Alice Oseman’s web comics and graphic novels.

“I wouldn’t say I was pushed into it by fans, but it was me as a young adult coming to terms with the body I had and feeling like I wasn’t quite set up to play the part,” Connor admitted.

“That wasn’t a good way to think, but I was a teenager. I’m still.”

Connor went on to say that while he now has a more positive relationship with his body, he’s still figuring out the concept of body positivity. placing “thirst traps” on social media.

“I saw that picture and posted it, then I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is embarrassing,'” he said of a shirtless photo he shared on social media.

“When someone else is doing it, I’m like, ‘Yeah, definitely, body positivity,’ but when it comes to me, I’m like, ‘Absolutely not.'”

The actor also revealed that one of his Heart stopper co-stars had teased him saying, “‘Oh, we’re posting thirst traps now.'”

Elsewhere in the interview, Connor reflected on why playing Nick in the first season – which we only really see from the perspective of his amorous love interest Charlie Spring (Locke) – was harder than he anticipated.

“I saw this light in him, I felt he was too pure for the world he lives in,” Connor said. “The only world he’s perfect in is the Heart stopper world, I think.”

However, he added that in the upcoming season, his character would have more nuance and feel “a little bit closer to earth”.

Oseman has previously hinted that Nick will face “nasty” challenges, including homophobia from his brother, while there will be mental health issues for both main characters if they go public with their relationship.

Heart stopper season two will be available to stream on Netflix from August 3.