Olivia Colman made a surprise cameo in Netflix’s new drama series Heartstopper.
The highly anticipated eight-part series is based on a bestselling LGBTQ+ book series by Alice Oseman, and it follows the unfolding romance between two teenage boys.
The official synopsis for the series reads: “Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. When gentle Charlie and rugby-loving Nick meet at secondary school, they quickly discover that their unlikely friendship is blossoming into an unexpected romance.”
“Charlie, Nick and their circle of friends must navigate the ever-relatable journey of self discovery and acceptance, supporting each other as they learn to find their most authentic selves.”
Charlie is played by Joe Locke in the series, and Nick is portrayed by Kit Connor.
Nick’s mother Sarah is played by none other than Olivia Colman, and fans had no idea she would be starring in the series.
So the secret is out… Olivia Colman stars as Nick Nelson's wonderful mum, Sarah, in Heartstopper! pic.twitter.com/IPdBOrSOUP
— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) April 22, 2022
Show creator Alice Oseman told Digital Spy: “So we had this grand idea that we wanted to get a big name to be Nick’s mum. I thought this was the silliest idea ever.”
“I thought there was absolutely no way that any big-name actor would want to be in this show. But we came up with a list of potential Nick’s mums, and Olivia Colman was our favourite. So we went out to her first.”
“We sent her some excerpts from the scripts, and the comics as well. I think it was Euros (Lyn, the director), actually, who reached out to her, because they’d worked together before. And she said yes! I 100% thought this was not going to happen.”
Olivia Colman really is queen of the gays. She did that *final scene* for us. Love that for her! #HeartstopperNetflix pic.twitter.com/4Jg1G6x564
— Lu 🎮 🎙⚒ (@wordspIease) April 23, 2022
Executive producer Patrick Walters added: “It was such a shock when she said yes. I remember speaking to her agent, and just being like, ‘Really?’ It was unbelievable. But she’s amazing, and she was so lovely.”
“Olivia left open two days where we could film with her on set. She was just so nice to everyone. She was incredibly sensitive and sweet with Kit. He performed so well. You could feel it, because he was so excited to be in a scene with Olivia. It was wonderful.”
Heartstopper is on Netflix now.
