'Heartstopper' Star Kit Connor: 'Queerbaiting' Accusers Missed Show's Point

Kit Connor, the 19-year-old bisexual co-star of the hit Netflix gay teen romance/drama "Heartstopper," reiterated that fans "missed the point" of the show when they accused him of "queerbaiting."

Connor famously announced his bisexuality in a Twitter post last year in which he congratulated trolls "for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself."

"i think some of you missed the point of the show," Connor added.

Speaking with UK newspaper the Guardian over the weekend, Connor called his tweet "a bit rash," but stood by his original comment, saying that "the whole point of the show is that [queerness] is not always so stereotyped."

"There are so many lines in the show where someone goes: 'Nick Nelson, he's the straightest guy in the school,'" Connor went on to add. "'He's the captain of the rugby team so there's no way [he's queer].'"

"Sometimes," Connor said, "you just need to give people space."

That lesson has stuck with him; the Guardian noted that Connor "won't say who he is or isn't dating now," though he did admit that, thanks to the online response to being photographed holding hands with actress Maia Reficco (with whom he made an upcoming movie, "A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow") – it was that photo that prompted some to accuse Connor of queerbaiting – he "would be more conscious" about dating a woman "and might be less open about it" than if he were dating a man.

As for how openly being part of the LGBTQ+ community might shape his career, Connor told the newspaper, "Although now I know that I'm queer, I personally don't find it a super defining factor. I wouldn't want to be defined by 'queer actor.' I want to play all parts."

"Hopefully, I can do that if my career lasts, if I flourish," the actor said.

There seems little question at this point that he will. The show was an instant hit when it premiered on the streamer last year, and Connor's career and profile skyrocketed. Though a global smash, the show's success in America left the young actor "extra shocked," Connor admitted.

"We don't have any drugs in this show," Connor noted to the Guardian. "We don't have any sex. We don't even have vapes. So, yes, it was wild. Especially with 18-year-olds; I thought it might hit a slightly lower age group."

Connor explained his reaction, saying, "I was looking at the TV shows people my age were watching, and it was super-saturated with dark, sexual content, pretty stressful-to-watch shows."

The Guardian listed a few of the popular shows that seemed to define a zeitgeist, especially for younger viewers: "'Euphoria,' chiefly, but also '13 Reasons Why'," the newspaper said. "Even 'Stranger Things' and 'Sex Education' had their moments."

Connor mused that "queer media is pretty dark and depressing and involves a lot of trauma.... Whereas we wanted to push the other message: That being queer can be beautiful." In terms of the hit show's upcoming second season, which premieres on Netflix on Aug. 3, Connor teased that the relationship between main characters Joe and Nick is "no longer this angsty, nervous, adorable, 'like we have a crush on each other'; we are boyfriends now."

Connor added that he and co-star Joe Locke, who plays Nick's boyfriend, "are so much more comfortable doing those scenes with each other. It was a lot easier, and that relaxed vibe comes across. We've all improved as actors, too."

But it won't all be smooth sailing. Connor teased that Season 2 "will address his character Nick's struggles with coming out, 'which is important," he said, according to Deadline.