Why Heartstopper’s Kit Conner Transformed His Body
First he felt forced to come out of the closet; now he feels forced into the gym. Actor Kit Connor, 19, who plays Nick Nelson in Netflix’s hugely popular coming of age same-sex love story, Heartstopper, has spoken about how and why he has transformed his body.
It was to better fit the physical attributes depicted in the original cartoon book of Heartstopper. His character Nick is the bisexual love interest of the story’s main, openly gay character, Charlie.
In a training session released on the channel of fitness enthusiast Nathaniel Massiah, the pair chat while training together and Connor reveals how he saw his own body image as differing from those drawn in Alice Oseman’s cartoon book on which the Netflix show is based. She depicts him as the classic jock: tall, strong, rugby player physique.
“The reason I got into the gym was kinda deep, to be honest,” Connor says.
“When I got cast in Heartstopper… the character that I’m based on is like 6 foot 2, very big,” Kit says. “I was shorter than I am now, and skinnier.”
“When it got announced,” he continued, “there was some people on the internet going: He’s a bit too skinny.”
In response, he hit up the gym regularly, and in the video, the pair share straining tips.
It isn’t the first time Connor has felt bullied into doing something by trolls on the internet.
In November, the now-19-year-old revealed how he felt forced to out himself as bi.
He tweeted:
“i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”
More supportive fans have commented how much they adore Connor and the show and how the most important thing is that he’s comfortable in his own skin.
Nathaniel Massiah foresees big things given Connor’s intense new training regime. “I’m calling it,” he says. “2026 sexiest man on the planet.”
