Heartstopper's Joe Locke 'challenged' himself with very different role in new British thriller

Joe Locke first rose to fame back in 2022, when he landed the lead role of Charlie Spring in Netflix's Heartstopper. The series became a huge hit with both fans and critics, winning a number of awards for writing, performances and production.

Now, Locke is starring as a very different character in the upcoming British thriller Black Church Bay. The actor will play Jasper, a student in sleepy Welsh village, who spends a secret weekend with his teacher Barry (played by Tom Cullen).

When Jasper fails to turn up to school the following week, Barry finds himself in a moral quandary and a predicament. But just how far will he go to cover up aspects of his private life?

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Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, where the thriller had its UK premiere, Locke compared the film to Heartstopper in that they both posed a "challenge" when acting.

"It was really fun. I think Jasper is almost like the evil version of every gay teenager in a way. Heartstopper was an amazing experience and I've cherished that forever, but it's always nice to challenge yourself in different ways."

"I feel like I've definitely done that with this film. Jasper's a very complicated character and he comes across as very self-confident," the star continued.

"You quickly realise that he's not at all and that is all just a façade, which is really fun to play, as well as the layers of that and also the relationship with Tom. Tom's such a wonderful actor and so it was really great to get to work with him."

Cullen, who has starred in The Gold and House of the Dragon, also shared his excitement at working with Locke, having already been a fan of Heartstopper. He explained that the pair "immediately" clicked during their screen test.

"Me and my partner, we devoured Heartstopper. Just loved it, and I loved him," he said. "So when I found out he was doing the project, I was very excited at the chance of getting to work with him.

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"You never quite know how it's going to work with the scene partner, but in the screen test, I went in and immediately it just felt good. We played together, got very comfortable, and then during the filming, because of the intensity of the work, we had to really look out for each other and we did."

The star shared their mutual admiration, explaining how they "played" and also "supported" each other while filming, noting: "It was a really challenging experience doing those scenes but I was glad it was with Joe."

Black Church Bay is coming to UK cinemas in spring 2027

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Divya is a freelance writer with experience in entertainment and lifestyle news. Described as a "telly addict" since childhood, Divya was able to translate her interests into a BJTC-accredited, Honours degree in Journalism and Media. After working in communications and marketing, Divya joined Digital Spy as a Freelance News Reporter. She has also written for various publications including Metro, Asian World News and TwitCelebGossip; as well as interviews, features and reviews on her own blog. Divya prides herself on her TV, film and showbiz knowledge, always offering (not so) fun facts to her long-suffering friends and family. From soaps to superheroes, Divya is the go-to person for tailored recommendations and up to date information.  

TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since.  For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing.  She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.