HE MAY not have been in the spotlight long, but Joe Locke has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame.
After becoming a Netflix star, the actor has since shown off his talents on New York‘s famous Broadway.
Born on September 24, 2003, Joe Locke is an actor who was born and raised in Douglas on the Isle of Man.
The star got his first taste of acting when when he joined the Kensington Art Centre’s youth group as a teenager, and it didn’t take him long to get his big break
It is a blessing and a curse. It’s all of my dreams come true but also it’s weird that that comes with the rescinding of your privacy.
Joe Locke on becoming famous
But Joe got his big break when he was chosen out of 10,000 other actors at an open casting call to play Charlie Spring in the Netflix coming-of-age series, Heartstopper.
While he was 17 at the time of the filming, Joe’s role saw him playing a 14-15 year-old-student in an English boys’ grammar school
The show sees Joe’s character Charlie fall in love with his best friend, rugby player Nick Nelson, played by Kit Connor.
The LGBT series was an instant hit, and earned the actor an army of fans.
The show is one of Netflix’s highest-rated and earned a rare 100% score via Rotten Tomatoes while the Heartstopper hashtag has over five billion views on TikTok (stats as of February 2024).
Despite the success of Heartstopper, Joe previously revealed he had mixed feelings about the fame he has gained from it.
Speaking to Hunger, he said: “It is a blessing and a curse. It’s all of my dreams come true but also it’s weird that that comes with the rescinding of your privacy.”
Joe returned to Heartstoppers for season 2, and will back playing Charlie when the show returns for the third series in 2024.
However, The Sun exclusively revealed how the future of the show is up in the air.
A TV insider said: “The cast were all unknown when they landed their roles and so signed contracts with Netflix worth next to nothing, as no one knew if the show would be a hit and it was a low budget production.
“The contracts locked them in for three seasons if Netflix decided to renew it, stipulating their fee would go up five percent for a second season then ten percent for a third.
“Even with the increase, the cast are still being paid a fraction of what their star power now commands.”
As Joe has only been in the spotlight a short time, he is only known for Heartstopper.
However, fans will get to see him in Marvel‘s Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, which is being released in 2024 – with an exact date to be confirmed.
The Disney+ series is a spin-off of the popular show WandaVision, and this time focuses on the character Agatha Harkness.
On the show, Joe plays the character of as Billy Kaplan, who is described as, “a teenage with a dark sense of humor”.
Speaking to Hunger about the new Marvel series, Joe said: “I’m so excited for the Marvel show to come out.
“I know that is going to be a beast of its own, which I’m excited for, nervous for, terrified for! I think Agatha is a very important show in a different way to Heartstopper.
“It has themes that I really hope people resonate with.”
Away from TV, and in early 2024 the talented actor made his Broadway debut in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
As of February 2024, Joe is a single man.
However, The Sun previously revealed how the actor, who is openly gay, is looking for love.
He may have swarms of fans thanks to his lead role in Heartstopper – but he’s never publicly had a boyfriend..
In summer 2023, we exclusively revealed how Joe had joined dating app Hinge in his quest to find romance,
Joe is the youngest star who will be entering the famous white tent for Celebrity Bake Off 2024.
He is joined on Bake Off by fellow celebrities including Danny Dyer and Dermot O’Leary.
Judge Prue Leith said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to share that we’re serving up another delightful season of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer this spring on Channel 4.
“Brace yourself for a delectable lineup of bakers, each with their own unique flair in the kitchen – some are, admittedly, a bit more flour-savvy than others!”
Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith will put these 20 star bakers through their paces in the famous white tent:
