Kit Connor

Kit Sebastian Connor is a British actor whose performances in both film and television have garnered critical acclaim and established him as a rising star in the entertainment industry.

Born and raised in London, England, Connor discovered his passion for acting at a young age, beginning with school plays and local theater productions. He landed his first professional role in 2013 at eight years old, a bit part in the British sitcom Chickens (2011–2013). From there, he began building his résumé with appearances in shows and films such as Casualty (1986–), Mr. Holmes (2015), The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015–2017), Rocket’s Island (2012–), War & Peace (2016), Grantchester (2014–2025), and SS-GB (2017). In 2018, he earned his first starring role in the play Fanny & Alexander. But it would be a few more years until Connor became a star.

In 2022, Connor gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Nick Nelson in the Netflix series Heartstopper (2022–), based on the graphic novel by Alice Oseman. The show revolves around the tender and heartwarming love story between two teenage boys, Nick and Charlie. Connor’s portrayal of Nick, who is bi, has been broadly celebrated for its authenticity and resonance.

Connor also impressed audiences as a young Elton John in Rocketman (2019) and Eli Ramsay in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018). Other notable films and shows he has appeared in include Ready Player One (2018), His Dark Materials (2019–2022), and The Wild Robot (2024). He also starred in a recent Broadway rendition of Romeo & and Juliet, playing Romeo. Though barely into adulthood, Connor already has over 10 film credits, over 10 television credits, three theater credits, and three video game voice acting credits to his name. His work has earned him a Children’s and Family Emmy Award, a Queerty Award, and a Royal Television Society Programme Award, as well as a number of additional nominations.

Kit Connor’s performance in Heartstopper was particularly significant due to his personal journey. Once the show became a cultural phenomenon and propelled Connor to stardom and teenage-heartthrob status, fans and the press alike began digging into his personal life. Given his authentic performance as a queer character, fans assumed Connor was gay. But when Kit expressed a hesitance to discuss his sexuality publicly, and when Connor was photographed holding hands with a woman, it caused controversy, with some fans accusing the young actor of being a straight man pretending to be queer for some reason. After a few months, Connor laid the speculation to rest by coming out as bi on Twitter:

I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18-year-old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show.

He has since been more forthright in discussing his sexual orientation and the importance of LGBT representation in the industry. In 2023, he opened up to British Vogue:

[Bisexuality is] the experience of maybe you’re too straight to be gay and you’re too gay to be straight. So it’s like, ‘Where do I sit?’ But I feel much more secure in myself now. […] I just felt like it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about. […] I wasn’t angry. I was just slightly disappointed by this reaction. […] I would say that I would have preferred to [come out] another way. I also don’t know if I would have ever done it. But at the end of the day, I don’t regret it. In many ways, it was really empowering.