MikelleStreet
Instagram (@nathanielmassiah)Kit Connor has had a go of it in the public eye. The British actor, who famously plays Nick Nelson in the Netflix series Heartstopper, has shot to a level of global fame. Largely due to the popularity of the series, he boasts almost 5 million followers on Instagram. But, the teenager has found that having all of those eyes on him isn't a great a life as it may seem.
The often-told story is simple: Connor played Nick, a teenager who realizes that he is bisexual during the course of what became Heartstopper season 2. Nick eventually becomes the boyfriend of Charlie, Heartstopper's main character. In what could most graciously be called an act of "overzealousness" by fans, incessant inquiries were made about Connor's own sexuality. And when they were rebuffed, the young star was labeled a "queerbaiter."
In a well-documented debacle, Connor deleted his Twitter account in the face of the criticism. And then one day, he resurrected the account and came out as bisexual. The move became discourse potent enough that stars like Luke Evans weighed in. As Connor reveals in a new profile for Vulture, though he was out to some people in his life, the admission outed him to others. But the actor's sexuality wasn't the only thing people were commenting on.
Screengrab via YouTubeIn March, images began surface online of a new, extremely muscled Connor — Taron Egerton even mentioned it. Fitness model Nathaniel Massiah had uploaded a video to YouTube saying that he had been training Connor "for his next film." That's not quite the case according to Connor.
"I wouldn't say I was forced into it by fans, but it was me as a young adult coming to terms with the body that I had and feeling I wasn't completely equipped to play the role," he told Vulture. Those fans were the same Heartstopper fans who said Connor wasn't as tall or as buff as the comic book drawings of Nick. "That wasn't a good way of thinking, but I was a teenager. I still am."
Now, the Emmy-winner says he has a much healthier relationship with his body and works out for mental health but it's still important to note that sometimes our snide comments do make it to the random celebrity we think would never see it.
Kit Connor will return as Nick Nelson in Netflix's Heartstopper season 2. The season will release on August 3.
In it, we will be introduced to more of Nelson's family, including his homophobic brother and French father. Heartstopper has already been renewed for season 3.
